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August 27, 2009

NEW YORK STATE BAR ASSOCIATION OFFERS FREE WEBCAST TO HELP LAWYERS IDENTIFY EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES AT SMALL LAW FIRMS

Latest in Lecture Series by Committee on Lawyers in Transition to Provide Career Development in Tough Times

(Albany - August 27, 2009) – With the continued downsizing of large law firms and with many attorneys uncertain of where to find the next career opportunity, the New York State Bar Association’s Lawyers in Transition Committee will offer a free live webcast that provides guidance on how lawyers identify new job options and plan careers at small law firms. The webcast will take place on Wednesday, September 16^th from 12 to 2 p.m. and will be available to any lawyer who pre-registers at www.nysba.org/LawyersinTransition.

“Already almost two-thirds of our members are working in firms of 20 or fewer attorneys. Small firms are becoming a larger source of jobs for both experienced practitioners who have lost their positions, as well as those who just recently passed the bar exam,” said President Michael E. Getnick (Getnick, Livingston, Atkinson & Priore, LLP of Utica and of counsel to Getnick & Getnick of New York City). “These programs further our goal of providing practical guidance for those struggling to continue their careers in these tough economic times.”

The webcast is titled “Learning About and Locating Positions in Small Firms” and will be presented by Ronald W. Fox, Esq. Legal Career Counselor, Career Planning for Lawyers.

Spearheaded by Lauren J. Wachtler (Mitchell Silberberg & Knupp LLP), chair of the State Bar’s Committee on Lawyers in Transition, the webcast is part of an overall program to assist attorneys who need a helping hand in reentering the job market in a down economy. The committee supports lawyers who are currently unemployed, looking to make a career change, leaving a current job or transitioning back into the workforce after time away from the legal profession.

Pre-registration is required for the free program. If attorneys are unable to participate in the live webcast, the session will be archived and available on the committee’s Web site.

Other services offered by the Lawyers in Transition Committee include the Lawyers in Transition blog that provides updated information on networking opportunities, seminars, job information and any other information related to career searches. Also available on the committee’s Web site is information on a variety of job postings, volunteer and pro-bono opportunities, legal career re-entry programs, CLE Scholarships and career consulting businesses.

The 76,000-member New York State Bar Association is the largest voluntary state bar association in the nation.  Founded in 1876, the Association’s programs and activities have continuously served the public and improved the justice system for more than 130 years.