Occasionally, we’re asked about appropriate OCIP interview attire.  We think our colleagues at the Yale Law School offer some good advice, which we’ve excerpted below.  Keep in mind that dressing appropriately is art, not science.  You should look at these simply as guidelines, not hard-and-fast rules.    

Your attire should contribute to your professionalism.  Although employers may have different dress codes, err on the conservative side when interviewing.

Women

• Skirt suits are still considered the most conservative, although women wear pants suits as well.
• Black, navy and gray are the most conservative colors, but tans and other subtle shades are also acceptable.  Solids are preferable to patterns.
• The skirt should be no more than two inches above the knee.
• Wear a white or cream blouse (sometimes called a “shell”) with either short or long sleeves. Tank tops and camisoles are too casual. The blouse should either have a collar or a round neck. Avoid low-cut shirts.
• Wear a white or cream blouse (sometimes called a “shell”) with either short or long sleeves. Tank tops and camisoles are too casual. The blouse should either have a collar or a round neck. Avoid low-cut shirts.

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The National Law Journal recently released its 2010 list of 20 midsize firms (i.e., firms with between 50 and 150 lawyers) that ”have thrived amid the downturn … [and]  experienced a string of successes and that showed innovative ways to run their operations despite the economy.” 

UPDATE:  The article apparently can only be accessed by NLJ “premium subscribers.”  We have a hard copy of the 7/12/10 National Law Journal in the CDO, which you can review.  Also, the online publication JD Journal has a page with a series of links to the websites of the 20 law firm on the list from which you can piece together the substance of the NLJ article.  Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.

The well-known legal business consulting firm Hildebrandt Baker Robbins just published a report of its Peer Monitor Index, which includes information about key law firm business metrics for April - June of 2010.

You can read a summary of the report here.  You can read the whole thing here.   

Among other things, the report concludes that there has been “no meaningful growth” in the legal marketplace so far this year.  Accordingly, firms are continuing their aggressive cost cutting.

Moreover, a slowdown in the rate of productivity [hours per attorney] growth may “suggest[] that the legal industry may be facing a prolonged period of slow growth.”  The report continues: “If so, firms will face increasing pressure to balance hiring decisions against the shifting patterns of demand.”

We’ve blogged about the Peer Monitor system before, but to refresh you , it is a service that allows law firms to access their peers’ financial data (in the aggregate) in exchange for supplying their own data to the system for others to access (on a normalized and aggregated basis).  There are 35 Am Law 100 firms, 35 Am Law 200 firms and 30 NLJ 250 firms in the system.  You can find more information about the Peer Monitor system here.

Great article in NALP’s most recent bulletin addressing the ongoing debate as to whether the changes we are experiencing in law firm hiring patterns are merely temporary (and will revert to what they were when the economy improves) or whether they are reflective of a burgeoning fundamental restructuring of the way law firms do business.

The author, Bill Henderson, is a law professor at the University whose scholarship focuses on the empirical analysis of legal labor markets and the development of human capital for legal service providers.

He takes the position that the legal industry is, in fact, beginning to undergo a “fundamental reordering” that will have profound effects not only on law firms, but law schools as well.        

This short list of practical networking advice from a recent New York Law Journal article is not only useful in and of itself, but serves as a useful reminder of the importance of networking in any job search. 

Here’s a link to an interesting post from PSLawnet’s blog (which we include in our Public Interest blogroll on the right side bar) about landing a summer or permanent position wtih inter-governmental organizations like the UN or the World Bank. 

Good advice in today’s Legal Intelligencer (via law.com) on the importance of investing in relationships, expanding your network and developing a personal brand at the beginning of your legal career — even before you graduate. 

The well-known legal business consulting firm Hildebrandt Baker Robbins just published a report of its Peer Monitor Index, which includes information about key law firm business metrics for January - March of 2010.

You can read a summary of the report here.  You can read the whole thing here.   

Among other things, the report concludes that, on average, demand for legal services (measured by billable hours) for the first quarter of 2010 was flat.  Also, while demand in the Silicon Valley market increased by 1%, it decreased by 5% in SF and LA. 

We’ve blogged about the Peer Monitor system before, but to refresh you , it is a service that allows law firms to access their peers’ financial data (in the aggregate) in exchange for supplying their own data to the system for others to access (on a normalized and aggregated basis).  There are 35 Am Law 100 firms, 35 Am Law 200 firms and 30 NLJ 250 firms in the system.  You can find more information about the Peer Monitor system here.

The Recorder recently did a story about the 2009 financial results of the firms on their list of the state’s 25 largest law firms.  You can check the story out here.

For the Recorder 25 list, click here.

Thought you might be interested in this short (about 6 min.) interview with the person who runs the Peer Monitor. 

You can access the podcast at Thomson Reuter’s Legal Current blog here.  (Hat tip: legal industry consultant Hildebrandt’s blog).    

FYI — We’ve blogged about the extremely helpful Peer Monitor Index before here and here.  The Peer Monitor system is essentially a service that allows law firms to access their peers’ financial data (in the aggregate) in exchange for supplying their own data to the system for others to access (on a normalized and aggregated basis).  There are 35 Am Law 100 firms, 35 Am Law 200 firms and 30 NLJ 250 firms in the system.