How to Be a Star Associate - by James J McDonald (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

A PRACTICAL GUIDE FOR YOUNG LAWYERS TO ENSURE PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS

Applying lessons learned during his forty years of law practice, and from hiring, training and mentoring dozens of lawyers, McDonald shows new lawyers and lawyers-to-be how to survive and thrive in today's larger law firms.
Covering all the basics of law firm associate life, such as:

• Picking the right firm
• Interviewing and getting the job
• Learning the craft of practicing law
• Finding the right mentors
• Learning how to write persuasively
• Going to court
• Managing the workload without becoming overwhelmed

It also shows lawyers how to provide five-star client service in a two-and-a-half-star world, how to hone their client development skills in the "internal marketplace" in their law firm, and how to be thinking about business development from day one. This book provides a practical guide for lawyers who hope someday to become successful partners in their law firms.
With advice and personal experience from a seasoned lawyer, How to Be a Star Associate lays your foundation for a successful legal career.

About the Author

James J. McDonald, Jr. advises and advocates for employers in labor and employment matters. He is a partner in the Irvine, California and Tampa, Florida offices of the international law firm Fisher & Phillips LLP. McDonald started with Fisher Phillips as a summer associate, and he practiced with the firm for six years in its Atlanta office. Then he went to California to build a practice for the firm, establishing an office in Irvine, California, which he managed for 24 years. That office grew to become the firm's largest, and it was the foundation for the firm's growth throughout California, and in Nevada and Arizona. Now McDonald splits his time between California and Florida, where he maintains busy counseling and litigation practices on both coasts.

McDonald is author of the ABA-published book, How to Be a Star Associate: A Guide to Excelling in Your Early Legal Career. He is also the author of California Employment Law: An Employer's Guide, published annually by the Society for Human Resource Management, and he was editor of two editions of the treatise, Mental and Emotional Injuries in Employment Litigation, published by BNA Books (now Bloomberg).

McDonald received his law degree cum laude from Georgetown University and his undergraduate degree from New College of Florida.