legal

April 20, 2021 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

7 JOB SKILLS ESSENTIAL TO YOUR LEGAL CAREER

Do you have the seven key skills to help you stand out from the competition?

Searching for a legal job in 2021? Employers today are pursuing applicants that possess specific skills. When describing their ideal job candidate, law firm hiring managers said that these seven skills were essential. Whether you are a recent law school graduate or a seasoned paralegal, these seven skills can help you stand out from the competition.

1. Organization:

The ability to prioritize and remain focused when faced with competing priorities is essential. Researching points of law, drafting legal documents, and managing case files can sometimes be a juggling act. That’s why organizational skills are so critical.

2. Research and analysis skills:

Reading large amounts of information, absorbing facts and figures, analyzing the content, and summarizing it into a manageable memorandum, is vital. You can practice honing this skill by summarizing lengthy news articles into five-point bulleted lists of the most important themes.

3. Project Management:

As of 2020, 15.7 million project-management positions have been created globally across different industries. By the end of 2020, there should be over 6.2 million project management jobs in the United States alone. Some competencies you need to possess are strong leadership, organizational expertise, budget and schedule management, and business management skills.

4. Ability to Communicate:

Strong oral and written communication skills are crucial. Grammar mistakes can quickly deter potential employers from even considering you for a position. Although you proofread your resume and cover letter, make sure you give it another check before you submit it with your application.

5. Problem-Solving Skills:

Skills like problem-solving show potential employers that you know how to approach real-life situations and develop practical solutions. Most importantly, be sure to include specific examples of your experience with problem-solving during your interview.

6. Technical proficiency:

A successful legal professional is comfortable with the Microsoft Office Suite as well as Google Workplace. You should be familiar with electronic filing software, eDiscovery, practice management, document automation, electronic billing, and client communications.

7. Team Player:

Finally, being a team player is key to furthering your legal career. The primary traits for a team player are patience, being a good listener, and articulating your clear and honest opinion. Moreover, employers want employees that can get along with different personalities and be an effective team participant.

Call us today at 888-366-6508 to learn how easy partnering with SRS can help you reach your career goals. For more than a decade, we have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region. Furthermore, we specialize in Legal and IT recruiting. Finally, feel free to browse our Jobs and Career Listings to see a growing list of job opportunities.

March 20, 2021 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

TIPS FOR SUCCESSFUL HIRING IN 2021 AND BEYOND

Hiring advice — Find and retain the right employees with these 5 Tips

In 2020, the killing of George Floyd came a global outcry for systemic change. This movement allowed company leaders to rethink their hiring practices while seeking to advance racial equity. In 2021, the call is to create a diverse and equitable workforce where each person can bring their best self to work regardless of age, gender, race, background, ability, or religion.

You can increase your chances of hiring the right candidates by following these 5 Tips:

Enhance your DE&I for better hiring

In the future, more candidates will make job choices based on their assessment of a company’s visible diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). According to Dan Schawbel, a bestselling author and managing partner at Workplace Intelligence, a New York City-based HR research and advisory firm, “70 percent of job seekers said they want to work for a company that demonstrates a commitment to diversity and inclusion.”

Create a virtual onboarding experience

As hiring freezes begin to lift and your company seeks to add to your existing teams, find a way to streamline your onboarding. Preparing a virtual onboarding experience will help you deliver a welcoming message as well as an insight into your company’s culture.

Prioritize talent development for future hiring

The skills-gap crisis isn’t new to hiring managers. However, it has intensified from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Learning and development programs should be more than a “perk” to offer employees for their personal growth. Providing training and advancement opportunities within your company is an effective strategy for growing your business. This strategy will help you attract and retain top talent.

Protect your employees from burnout

If your work hours include evenings and weekends, employee burnout is a possibility. You should train managers to identify the signs and encourage employees to prioritize their mental health. Overworked employees are stressed, depressed and are likely to make more mistakes.

Connect your employees’ work to your company’s mission

Rather than chasing a higher salary, job seekers are becoming more attracted to mission-driven companies. People want to work for companies that align with their values. Furthermore, when training managers have meaningful conversations with employees, they break down the traditional hierarchies that prevent people from feeling like they’re making an impact.

Although 2020 brought many challenges, it also created space for a new and improved way of working. At Strategic Recruitment Solutions, we have been matching top companies with top talent in the Gulf Region for more than a decade. Our industry-expert recruiters can offer insight and guidance in all aspects of Legal and IT recruiting. Call us today at 888-366-6508 to learn how easy partnering with SRS can help you reach your business goals.

October 31, 2019 by Amy Shanks Leave a Comment

TECHNOLOGY TRENDS TO PROTECT YOUR LAW OFFICE IN 2020

Technology and Law – a sneak peek to 2020

Technology’s rapid growth is affecting the legal industry. In 2018, businesses invested more than $1.6 billion in legal technology, a 713% increase from the year before! Legal professionals are currently implementing changes to ensure security, promote efficiency, and improve efficiency. As 2020 approaches, expect to see these trends at the top of the list:

Technology Brings In the Cloud

Put simply, the cloud is a virtual server that stores data so that you can save room on your hard drive. Users can access the data from a remote site with the proper credentials. The American Bar Association reports that while lawyers lag behind other professions, over half of them now use cloud technology to store data. Expect that number to increase in 2020. Google Docs and Apple’s iCloud top the list of cloud services, but other options include legal-specific cloud services like Clio, NetDocuments, and MyCase. Especially due the recent weather events, using cloud technology is a must. Law firms wan to be up and running as quickly as possible after a severe storm or power outage.

Cybersecurity

Because of all the personal and confidential data that law firms accumulate, storing data in a remote location, remains a concern. In a survey from the Association of Corporate Counsel Chief Legal Officers, 59% of chief legal officers said they feared cyber breaches even though only 24% had experienced a data breach.

A troubling number of attorneys are not taking the necessary steps to protect confidential data. The ABA referred to this problem as “a train wreck waiting to happen”.

Here are seven factors to consider when determining the appropriate level of cybersecurity;

What is the nature of the threat?;
How the confidential client information is stored and sent;
Are reasonable electronic security measures being utilized?;
What is the best way to protect electronic communications?;
Is the client information labeled as “privileged and confidential”?;
What type of training on cybersecurity is offered to attorneys and non-lawyer assistants; and
Is there a due diligence check on vendors who provide technology service?

The good news is that firms are taking more steps to protect client data by implementing more cybersecurity measures, such as:

Using Technology to Accomplish Automation

Cybersecurity requires due diligence from sentient beings. Automation and artificial intelligence (“AI”) can automatically accomplish tasks in other areas of the legal profession. Although these terms may be used interchangeably, artificial intelligence can responds to a myriad of events. Already, AI helps draft routine work, such as non-disclosure agreements.

The biggest barrier to implementing a cybersecurity plan is cost. Therefore, it is no surprise that AI/automation is prevalent at larger firms. AI/automation technology is can be used to analyze data from several sources, provide insight at a faster pace, and at a lower cost than humans can. Although ethical implications remain, this technology would allow attorneys more face to face time with their clients.

Using Technology to Analyze

Another use of “Big Data” that’s becoming more prevalent is the practice of analytics. Especially in trial preparation. Machines can more efficiently analyze data to gather information about a particular judge, attorney, expert witness, or the exact time a case takes to litigate a case in a specific courthouse. This use of technology is invaluable to a law firm.

Analytics is useful for a firm’s marketing, as well. Search engine optimization and services like Google Analytics provide feedback for law firm marketing staff to assist them with best practices and the most efficient ways to reach a target audience. Especially with strict rules regarding legal advertisements. Google analytics helps to streamline the process.

What comes next?

Finally, technology is rapidly evolving and disrupting many industries, and the legal profession is no exception. There is debate and disagreement among experts on how the legal industry will be affected. However, the trends from recent years reveal that technology will continue to dominate the industry in 2020.

Strategic Recruitment Solutions (“SRS”) focuses on Legal and IT Recruiting. We have industry-expert recruiters that can offer insight and guidance to help grow your business or your career. At SRS, our goal is to match top companies with top talent. With over a decade of experience of serving the Gulf Region, we are your one-stop-shop for information, guidance, and insight into the legal and IT markets. Call us today to see for yourself how easy finding your next rock star or dream job can be!