Today we’re excited to embark on a new chapter for Vault and Firsthand with the launch of our new career engagement platform. We’re starting this new chapter with a unified new brand and a familiar name: Firsthand.

Starting as a 1L in law school can be extremely daunting. No doubt, you’ve seen movies and television shows portraying law school as a horrifying place where professors try to embarrass you, and your classmates are your worst enemies.

It’s disappointing when you don’t achieve the grades you were hoping for in law school, but don’t panic: Your career is not over, and you can improve. Here are some tips for what to do next.

In your 1L contracts class, you may read (or remember reading) a nineteenth century case called Hadley v. Baxendale.

If you've just finished your first year of law school, this is the time you might be thinking about applying to transfer law schools. The transfer application process can be confusing, and guidance isn’t always easy to find—especially because the process varies from school to school.

Even if a certain note-taking style worked for you in undergrad, you may find that your law school classes require a different approach. Below are some tips you may want to try.

For rising 2Ls, now is the time you may be going through a, erm, favorite law school tradition: the write-on competition. This competition, which involves hours of editing, reading, and writing, potentially results in the prize of a spot on your school’s law review or another journal.

There seems to be something about conquering 1L year that leads many law students to consider a life decision beyond the classroom: getting a dog. I adopted a dog at the beginning of 2L year, and many of my law school classmates did the same on a similar timeline.

Whether you're applying to jobs or seeking to transfer law schools, it can be intimidating to ask your professors for any required letters of recommendation. But there's no need to be shy when it comes to asking.

During law school, there will be at least one professor who sticks out to you. It may be your favorite professor, or it might be the professor you wish to get to know better because of their work history.

Do behavioral interview questions strike fear in your heart? You're not alone.

The single most important way to prepare for law firm interviews is to practice answering mock interview questions. You should, of course, have some lines prepared for standard questions like, “Why did you go to law school?

Searching for your next legal job is a job in itself. But with some help, you can use social media to your advantage in finding your next career step.

Diane Costigan is Winston & Strawn’s Director of Coaching & Well-Being. She offers bespoke, one-on-one coaching to attorneys and professional staff, and develops industry-leading programs that reflect Winston’s commitment to mental and physical health and well-being.

Networking, researching, and practicing interview questions are all key to preparing for your on campus interviews. Use the tips below to get ready for your screeners and set yourself apart from the applicant pool.

There is no doubt that OCI can feel like an intimidating process. But, it is also a very exciting and important process for many looking to transition from law school into practice at a firm.

1. Focus on building relationships whether you are in-person or you are working in a remote environment.

By now, you’re a skilled sailor in virtual seas. You’ve attended classes, social events, and panel presentations through Zoom and have customized your workspace for optimal connection and participation.

For the past several weeks, law students around the country have been through countless OCI screeners and callbacks, with the hopes of landing a competitive law firm gig. What should you do if OCI has come and gone and you don’t have a job offer in hand?

From financings to joint ventures to land use issues, and more, real estate lawyers tackle myriad areas, making the practice both challenging and exciting. For many, working in real estate law is exhilarating because they can see their efforts directly as they walk through their neighborhoods.

The most frequent question we receive from law students and fledgling attorneys is how to differentiate among legal practice areas. Launching your legal career with confidence can be difficult if you're not sure what each practice area entails and what kinds of tasks you'd tackle in certain areas.

Masters of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code and experts in wearing many different hats, bankruptcy lawyers are a nimble bunch who work across disciplines.

It’s the middle of tax season, so what better time than the present to shed some light on this legal practice area? For many law students and new lawyers, tax law is an area shrouded in misconception and mystery.

Vault’s Emerging Lawyers Series highlights the legal careers of recent law school graduates, exploring how they landed their first law job, what it’s like working as a junior lawyer, and any advice they have for law students pursuing similar paths. Christine Kearney is the Compliance Advisor at TASC, Inc.

Vault’s Emerging Lawyers Series highlights the legal careers of recent law school graduates, exploring how they landed their first law job, what it’s like working as a junior lawyer, and any advice they have for law students pursuing similar paths. John Pavletic, a 2018 graduate of Northwestern Pritzker School of Law, is currently employed as a judicial law clerk for a federal appellate judge.

One of the best parts about practicing law is the range of people with whom you will work. There is not one set background for a lawyer, so you will find yourself collaborating with former teachers, scientists, artists, doctors, writers, finance professionals, veterans—you name it.

Winston & Strawn’s Hiring Committee Chair William O’Neil offers advice to help aspiring lawyers stand out from the crowd during OCI and make the most of their summer associate experience. Vault: What are the key things you look for on a law student’s resume?

You may have heard the term “secondment” and wondered, “exactly what is a secondment and why should I consider doing one? ” Good questions!

As we quickly return to an almost pre-2020 normal, many of us have received announcements that in-person work days are about to resume. For some, it may be more than just a bummer to think about trading in the comfort of yoga pants; you may also be struggling to figure out what clothes you’re trading them in for—especially if your office has a business casual dress code.

Efat Elsherif is a 2L summer associate in White & Case’s New York office. Efat graduated from McGill University in 2016 with a B.A.

Taking a vacation as a BigLaw associate can be stressful. Clients are demanding, more-senior lawyers are demanding, and the workload is demanding—so how can you possibly step away?

The COVID-19 pandemic uprooted our traditional work habits and routines. But it didn't stall professional or business development.

Many BigLaw associates are celebrating their work anniversaries around this time of the year. For some, this milestone can also mean considering a potential career change, whether to a new practice area, new firm, or new career altogether.

If there's one thing most lawyers and law students love, it's trivia. Can you blame us?

Diversity. This word has generated much buzz in recent years, and shows no signs of losing momentum.

Beth George is the owner of BYOB BAGELS and has been designing and developing all-natural bagel formulas for more than a dozen years. With her precision techniques, she has developed a unique teaching method based upon spreadsheets to eliminate guesswork in bagel baking.

Dina Opici is President of Opici Family Distributing, a family-owned wine and spirits wholesale distribution company based in Glen Rock, NJ. Ms.

Steve McManus is Senior Vice President and General Counsel at State Farm. He is a first-generation college and law student, worked for State Farm while pursuing a law degree at Seton Hall University at night, and joined the Law department in 1991.

Neha Sampat is CEO and founder of GenLead|BelongLab, where she focuses on building belonging and true inclusion and developing authentic leaders. After earning her J.D.

David Van Zandt has served as the president of The New School (the alma mater of three of Vault’s editors! ) since 2011.

Paula Davis-Laack is the founder and CEO of the Stress & Resilience Institute, a training and consulting firm that partners with law firms and organizations to help them reduce burnout and build resilient leaders, teams, and cultures. She’s a former commercial real estate attorney who left law to pursue a Masters in Applied Positive Psychology, which led her to teach others about the detrimental effects of stress and burnout, and the skills needed to build wellbeing at work.

J. Kelly Hoey is a networking professional, speaker, and author of the book Build Your Dream Network: Forging Powerful Relationships in a Hyper-Connected World.

The bar exam is only a few months away, which means it’s time to start prepping. Bar prep seems like a daunting time, but it does not have to be.

You’ve mastered the Socratic method and hit your groove with law school exams, but the bar exam is entirely different animal. Instead of dreading the upcoming exam this July, however, take control of your bar exam preparation by preparing in advance.

It’s frequently recited that a scientific or technical background is a prerequisite to practicing patent law. But what does that really mean?

Studying for the bar exam is undoubtedly one of the most stressful steps in your legal career path, but there are some things you can do to help the process go a little smoother. The following tips for bar exam prep will go a long way toward bar exam success.

The February bar exam is just two weeks away (I know, you probably didn’t need the reminder). For many people, this is about the time you start to really freak out and wonder if you’ll ever feel ready.

If you are currently studying for the bar exam, you will most likely spend long nights in front of your books while memorizing various elements. Just because you are studying does not mean that you cannot take time out of your schedule to treat yourself and unwind to feel refreshed.

Did you know that this Sunday, June 20 is World Productivity Day? If you feel like you could get more out of your time, you're not alone—and this is a great time to assess and tweak your work or study habits.

The prospect of moving to another law firm can be overwhelming. Not only are you already busy with work, but you probably haven't touched your resume or thought about the legal interview process in quite some time.

The old adage is true: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. When making a lateral move, you want to put your best foot forward on day one and start off with a bang.

For more than a year, we’ve practically lived on Zoom, and video meetings don’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon. Making the right impression during video calls is critical, right down to what is in your background.