Corporate Lawyer

INTRODUCTION

I am an associate at law firm in Chicago. I work in the corporate transactional group concentrating in mergers and acquisitions.

 

Where did you go to school?

I attended Loyola University and I graduated in 2011. I majored in Finance and minored in Political Science.  I chose finance and political science because the culmination of those two subjects would give me more options when going to law school.

 

When/how did you find out that you wanted to become a lawyer?

I knew I wanted to become a lawyer my sophomore year. I wanted to become a lawyer because of the overall reputation/integrity of being a lawyer, the mental demand that it requires, and to be honest – the money.

 

Did you join any extra-curricular clubs as an undergraduate?

No. Law schools don’t really care about your extra-curricular activities as much as your GPA and LSAT score. However, I did work as the Cook county state attorney’s office in 2010, which helped me establish that I did not want to go into litigation.

 

When did you start studying for your LSAT?

I started studying in the summer going into my junior year. I studied that summer through the fall semester and took the test in February of my junior year.  I studied for about 3 hours a day and made sure to take as many practice exams as possible. I took fewer classes in the Fall to compensate for my testing study schedule. People usually take the LSAT in the summer going into their senior year, but I just wanted to get it over with. 

 

What do law schools look for in applicants?

60% LSAT, 30% GPA, 10% personality, extra-curricalar,etc.

The bench mark for the LSAT 170 which is the 99th percentile. I got 168.

 

When did you start applying to Law Schools?

I started applying to law schools the summer going into my senior year. I received multiple offers from in-school law schools, and the main differentiating factor came down to how much money they were willing to give me. I received offers from Notre Dame, Cornell, Loyola, UofI, among others.

 

Walk me through your experience in Law School.

First year: A LOT of studying. You are basically trying to get as best grades possible so you can hopefully land a summer associate position.

First summer: Basically get any job that is related to law. Law firms do not put that much emphasis on your first summer as long as it is law-related.

Second year: Again, trying to get really good grades to land that summer associate position.

Second summer: I received an offer at a well-known Chicago law firm in their summer associate program.

Last year: Maintain your grades. 

 

What was your first job after law school?

I received an offer from my summer associate position. In recent years, it is looked down upon if law firms do not offer their summer associates full time positions after law school. I worked in their corporate transactional department, which basically works on corporate governance, board of directors, and transactional-related law.

I worked at that law firm for a little over year and shortly received an offer from a larger, more reputable law firm in Chicago. Same work, better deals, and more money.

 

Walk me through a typical day.

From 9-5, I reply to emails, archive them, and do small day-to-day tasks.  My real work comes during afterhours (after 6PM) where I can really sit down and do the larger tasks (i.e. reading/editing contracts). On average I work from 9AM to 9/10PM.

Our group is responsible for broad transactional practice disciplines including corporate and securities, mergers and acquisitions, securitization, intellectual property, funds and other pooled investments, bankruptcy and corporate reorganization, bank and commercial lending, public finance, real estate, tax and employee benefits, as well as trusts and estates.

 

List the top three characteristics of being a successful lawyer:

1. Thinking critically: you must learn how to think in terms of a rubix cube. That means being able to understand when/how things affect other things in every way possible.

2. Attention to detail: For example, when writing legal contracts, every sentence must be flawless.

3. Being responsive, available, and caring: You are working with clients and must reply in a reasonable and timely manner.  

 

One piece of advice:

 

BE A PROBLEM SOLVER.

 

You will be presented issues that you have never seen or experienced before. Don’t immediately go to a senior person and ask what to do. Use your resources, come up with a solution, then if need be, bring it to a senior associate/partner.