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THE NEW YORK
BAR FOUNDATION

Resources for Transitioning Attorneys

NYSBA Partnership with LawJobs.com
NYSBA and LawJobs.com have partnered to provide members with legal market's most targeted career center connecting job candidates, employers and recruiters. Post your resume or search available jobs at www.lawjobs.com.


Archived Webcasts - 2009 Career Development Series 
The NYSBA Committee on Lawyers in Transition is sponsoring free LIVE webcasts for all attorneys in need of career assistance in 2009. If you are currently unemployed, looking to make a career change, leave your current job or transition back to the workforce after time away from the profession, the Committee on Lawyers in Transition is here to help.  Designed to help attorneys in transition, the programs offer advice and resources to increase the odds of finding rewarding work. Each program is recorded and the archives are available online at www.totalwebcasting.com/live/nysbar.


Information on New York State Court Appointed Fiduciaries
Many new lawyers or those who are changing careers are often interested in court appointment work. OCA provides information about the kinds of appointments judges make, how to get on the list and other general information.  Go to www.nycourts.gov/ip/gfs to learn more about Guardians, Guardians ad Litem, Law Guardians, Court Evaluators, Attorneys for Alleged Incapacitated Persons, Supplemental Needs Trustees, Court Examiners, Receivers and Referees.


Career Transitions in a Volatile Market - (Recorded January 26, 2009)
Providing an overview of what you need to know when making a career transition in a volatile market, the video recording of this annual meeting program is available at http://www.totalwebcasting.com/live/nysbar/.

If you are looking to make a career change, leave your current job or transition back to the workforce after time away from the profession, click on the link above and learn more about the ethics of transitioning; resumes and cover letters; interviewing tips; maintaining a positive attitude; networking techniques for maximizing success and minimizing discomfort; and transitioning your career in general.

To view the video go to http://www.totalwebcasting.com/live/nysbar 
and click on the "Career Transitions in a Volatile Market" tab at the left.

 

Law Practice Management

Leaving your firm or place of employment?
Visit LPM's Departing a Law Firm for checklists and information on what you need to do

Were you laid off?  
Go to the NYS Department of Labor's link -  Before You Apply For Unemployment: Frequently Asked Questions 
http://www.labor.state.ny.us/ui or click on How to Apply for Unemployment Benefits for more information.

Thinking About Starting Your Own Practice?  
Visit the NYSBA  Solo and Small Firm Resource Center

Interested in Learning More about Escrow Accounts?
Go to Escrow Accounts link to learn more

Interested in Joining the Lawyer Referral Service?
Visit the NYSBA  Lawyer Referral Website

 

Volunteer/Pro Bono Opportunities

Are you interested in doing Pro Bono work?

Visit the NYSBA Pro Bono Website for current opportunities.

The New York Legal Assistance Group (NYLAG) is a not-for-profit law office that provides free civil legal services to the poor and near-poor in New York City. NYLAG clients include senior citizens, immigrants, victims of domestic violence, at-risk children, people with disabilities, people moving from welfare to work, Holocaust survivors and people suffering from chronic and serious illness.  NYLAG offers volunteer opportunities for attorneys and law graduates.  Each volunteer receives training, supervision and guidance from one or more NYLAG staff attorneys on a regular basis.  For more information about NYLAG, or to apply for a volunteer position, please contact Alison Sclater, Director of Pro Bono, at (212) 613-5017 or asclater@nylag.org.

The New York Attorney General has established a Volunteer Attorney Program (VAP), whereby an attorney may serve as an Assistant Attorney General. Volunteer attorneys will not receive any compensation or benefits from the Department of Law. Candidates who possess professional expertise and accomplishment as well as lawyers seeking experience in the public sector are eligible to apply for the VAP. Each candidate for the VAP must submit a cover letter indicating work location and bureau preference, resume and a writing sample to the Legal Recruitment Bureau. 

For more information, go to http://www.oag.state.ny.us/bureaus/legal_recruitment/volunteer.html


The NYS Office of Court Administration has established a Volunteer Attorney Program as a free consultation service designed to ensure that  litigants have access to competent legal advice to guide them as they represent themselves. Under the supervision of court staff, volunteer attorneys spend full days or parts of days in a courthouse, and are available to provide legal advice and assistance to self-represented litigants.

For more information, go to http://www.nycourts.gov/attorneys/volunteer.shtml

 

Lawyer Assistance Program

NYSBA Lawyer Assistance Program
Call the NYSBA helpline at 1-800-255-0569 or visit the Lawyer Assistance Program webpage for resources relating to depression, substance abuse or other personal issues requiring support.

 

NYSBA Lawyer Referral and Information Service

Add your name to the list of attorneys receiving client referrals from the New York State Bar Association.  Eligible attorneys must have a physical office in one of our service counties*. Go to www.nysba.org/joinlr or call 518-487-5700 for an application and more information about the service.

*Eligible Counties: Allegany, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, St. Lawrence, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Washington, Wayne, Warren, Wyoming, Yates. 

 

Re-entry Programs

Pace Law School Re-entry Program
Are you an attorney who has taken a leave from practice or never practiced? Would you like to return to the practice of law, or an alternative legal career, but you’re not sure how or where to begin? Would you like to bring your legal skills up to speed, learn and practice on-line legal research, develop a resume, refresh your interviewing skills? Would you like to obtain a current practical legal experience and, as a result, develop a current writing sample, references, and networking contacts? Pace Law School has developed a program to assist attorneys in their efforts to return to the legal marketplace as an attorney or in an alternative legal career. Go to www.law.pace.edu/newdirections for more information.

Opting Back In Program - Helping Attorneys Return to the Law
Are you ready to "on ramp"?  Are you an attorney who is ready to return to legal practice after leaving law for a year or more to care for your family? Two years ago, the University of California Hastings College of the Law's Center for WorkLife Law (WLL) launched the "Opting Back In" program to help attorneys like you. The program was so successful that WLL decided to expand it by partnering with Lawyers Life Coach LLC. The expansion of the Opting Back In Program makes it available to attorneys throughout North America by offering it as a virtual telephone coaching group. Participants from diverse locations call into a single teleconference bridge line at a regular day and time to receive professional coaching to craft and implement their return-to-work plans. For more information about the Project for Attorney Retention, go to  http://www.pardc.org/Optin

Back to Business - Confident Career Transitions
Offering a broad range of services to help people returning to work, or making career transitions to develop strategies for success, Back to Business provides a full range of services for those preparing to return to work or seeking a better professional “fit” and more fulfilling career.  For more information about the Back to Business program, go to http://www.backtobusiness.org

 

CLE Scholarship Policies - NY MCLE Accredited Providers

In New York State, all Accredited Providers of Continuing Legal Education programs are required to have available a financial aid policy for New York attorneys who wish to attend their courses, but who are unable to attend due to cost considerations. The CLE Board encourages providers to adopt financial aid policies that include fee waivers for unemployed attorneys and fee reductions on a sliding scale for attorneys with annual incomes of $50,000 or less. For example, the following guidelines might be applied:

Unemployed  - Full scholarship
Income up to $35,000 - 75% discount
Income $35,000 to $50,000  - 50% discount
Income above $50,000  - No discount

The CLE Board further encourages providers to include in their financial aid policies provisions for fee reductions and/or fee waivers for attorneys in public service.

For information about NYSBA's CLE scholarship program, please contact Debra M. York, the CLE Registrar at dyork@nysba.org or (518) 487-5600. Please note that you must be a member of the New York State Bar Association in order to qualify for a NYSBA CLE Scholarship.  For more information about joining the association, or to request a dues waiver application, go to www.nysba.org/Membership.

For a list of accredited CLE providers in New York State, go to http://nycourts.gov/attorneys/cle/aplist.pdf.



Coaches, Consultants, Career Planners and Other Assistance

Flex-Time Lawyers LLC 
Flex-Time Lawyers LLC® is a national consulting firm advising law firms, corporations and lawyers on work/life balance and the retention and promotion of women attorneys.  The mission of Flex-Time Lawyers LLC is to empower lawyers on work/life balance and women's issues by providing support, career guidance, education and networking opportunities. The mission is also to improve work/life balance and the retention and promotion of women attorneys by providing a forum for lawyers and legal employers to share information to effect change and by providing consulting services to employers to improve their training, policies, practices and vision. For more information, go to www.flextimelawyers.com


LawScope Coaching LLC - Executive Career Coaching for Lawyers 
LawScope Coaching specializes in providing one-on-one Executive Career Coaching to attorneys at every level of their professional development. LawScope Coaching offers customized programs designed to help attorneys define clear career goals so that they can create and achieve more rewarding, satisfying and sustainable legal careers. For more information, go to http://lawscopecoaching.com


Celia Paul Associates, Inc. - Professinoal Development Coaching for Attorneys
Celia Paul Associates, Inc. provides cost-effective professional development coaching for attorneys, partners and associates, and managers. They train law-firm personnel, including Managing Partners and Chairmen, to communicate persuasively, to manage themselves and others effectively, to mentor colleagues, to display appropriate guidance and direction, to learn appropriate listening skills, and to market their legal services with professional dignity and integrity. Go to http://careerchangeability.com for more information and access to articles such as Questions to ask any career counselor...and our answers,   Thirteen Common Sense Career Change Do's & Don't's and  the Twenty Five Dumbest Mistakes Smart People Make.


Career Planning for Lawyers - Ronald W. Fox
Helping Lawyers Take Control of Their Careers
Since 1990, Ronald W. Fox has provided individual guidance to lawyers in transition seeking positions consistent with their personal values and their professional goals.  He maintains the Lawyer Satisfaction Blog and has consulted to over 25 law schools, including Cornell, Boston College, Notre Dame and Northwestern. He authored Lawful Pursuit: Careers in Public Interest Law published by the ABA Law Student Division.
For more information, contact Ronald W. Fox at admin@ronaldwfox.com.

 

Law School Career Centers

Looking for a Job?

If you are looking to make a move from your current place of employment, or have a position for a law student, recent graduate or seasoned attorney, consider contacting your law school's career center or alumni office.

A link to a complete list of law schools is listed below:

Law Schools and Libraries



Remember Loislaw.com provides free legal research and access to recent cases to all NYSBA members.  

Recent decisions are available from the New York Court of Appeals Reports, New York Appellate Division Reports, New York Miscellaneous Reports, U.S. Supreme Court Reports, U.S. 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals Reports and the New York State Bar Association Committee on Professional Ethics Decisions.
Go to FREE LEGAL RESEARCH for more information.


NYSBA Resources for Attorneys

Comprehensive Listing of Legal Links for Attorneys