More than 1,000 members strong, the BBA New Lawyers Section has a reputation
for drawing a crowd. Speed Networking, a Friday Night Wine Tasting, and an
annual holiday party are popular events that foster a community of new lawyers
in Boston.
But what about providing new lawyers with the skills for coping in a
competitive job market, or helping them fine tune lessons learned in law school?
How about providing a platform for lawyers to sharpen their organizational
skills that will help them take the next step: practical experience in program
development, organizational management, relationship building, and marketing?
The New Lawyers Section is on it!
When asked about the value of co-chairing Anatomy
of a Purchase Agreement, part of the New
Lawyers Practical Skills Series, Jennifer Inhs
Charles of Proskauer Rose says:
"I decided to chair a program
because I thought it would be beneficial to put together a program on something
I was passionate about, and that could help new lawyers learn a lot from. I got
to know people I wouldn't normally run into. I've met partners, senior counsels
and associates from other firms that I would not normally come across in my
every day life."
Attorneys with ideas on specific topics must present their proposal to the
New Lawyers Section Practical Skills Committee for approval. As program chair,
the attorneys are responsible for developing structure and content for a focused
program on a specific topic relevant to new lawyers, communicating their ideas
to other Section Chairs to generate co-sponsorships, recruiting experts to be a
part of their panel and promoting the event with the help of the BBA, their firm
and their networking circle.
"Organizing an event was a chance
for me to pick a topic I thought would be useful to new lawyers and my practice
and to dive into it with the benefit of an experience panel behind me," says Crystal Lyons of Gesmer Updegrove. "I enjoyed getting
to know the panelists better and valued the chance to hone my public speaking
skills by moderating the panel."
Upcoming events in the New Lawyers Practical Skills Series include:
Jury
Instructions: Preparation, Presentation, and Potential Pitfalls - April
20
Stay tuned for upcoming programs on the following topics:
Intellectual
Property Basics - April
Ancillary Loan Documents - May
Alternative Dispute
Resolution - May
State Securities Law - TBD