The Modern Lawyer

World’s Best $20 Tie

Editorial Staff — Thu, 20 Dec 2007 17:44:47 +0000

The aspiring young lawyer is allowed one bold tie in the wardrobe. Our recommendation for that precious slot is a $20 tie from Target. The Royal Stewart Plaid Tie is marketed under Target’s house brand called Merona. Despite the low price tag, the tie is 100% silk and produces a knot typically found on much more expensive neck wear. (more…)

Summer Clerk Wardrobe

Big Law — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:30:23 +0000

Congratulations on landing a summer clerkship. Whether it is with a big firm that is going to pay you $2,800 per week to be taken out to lunch and dinner every night, or a small firm that treats you like an inexperienced paralegal, a few clothing requirements are in order. (more…)

13 Legal Blogs

Editorial Staff — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 19:29:29 +0000

There is no shortage of blogs written by those in the legal profession. Below are thirteen blogs worth checking out either because they provide useful information or because they are entertaining. This is the first part of an ongoing series profiling the many blogs out there written by lawyers and law students. (more…)

RSS Hugger for Blog Promotion

Flying Solo — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 00:28:10 +0000

More and more lawyers are starting to maintain a blog. There are any number of reasons why this makes sense whether it is for marketing purposes, or just educating the world on a particular area of law. While having interesting content is a good start, every legal blog faces the obstacle of attracting readers. There are a variety of sources to help determine who your audience is and general advice on maintaining a good blog. While choking down all of the information out there, a simple and cheap solution to consider is a brand new service called RSS Hugger. The concept is fairly simple: A blogger buys a page at RSS Hugger for $10-$20 which they then “own” for ten years. That page is registered in the site’s directory in up to five categories and receives a feed from the blog. The end result is frequent links back to the actual blog and (hopefully) new readers who find the blog via RSS Hugger. The links back to the blog are important for increasing the blog’s performance in search engine results. It is unclear if RSS Hugger will take off, but it is worth taking a flier on just to see since the better the site does the more valuable the links back will be for your blog.

No Cufflinks

Big Law — Sat, 10 Nov 2007 21:19:42 +0000

In the last few years cuff links have become a popular accessory for men in the business world. Flashy cuff links of the alma mater’s mascot and diamond encrusted dollar signs inspired by Ted DiBiase are shockingly prevalent. This is a trend for which young lawyers need to pass. The goal of a young lawyer is not for his clothing to draw attention to itself, and no matter how bland the cuff links, they will draw unnecessary attention by virtue of still being relatively uncommon. Instead stick with a one button cuff, with a rounded or angled corner. Also, make sure the buttons are not made of plastic. Plastic buttons will look cheap, and damage easily.

Esquire Best Dressed Man Contest 2007

Editorial Staff — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:21:19 +0000

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The Hanger Project

Flying Solo — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:14:59 +0000

One of The Modern Lawyer’s goals is to give sound advice on the types of products lawyers need to own, and to point out particular brands that might go unnoticed. A product everyone who owns a nice suit should own is a well crafted hanger. It is surprising how many $1,200 suits do not come with a hanger that will preserve the suit’s shoulder construction. (more…)

The Law School Suit

Mr. Law School — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:34:22 +0000

So you wanna be a lawyer? I will not try and talk you out of it, but you are going to need a suit. The first suit you are going to need is “a law school suit.” Notice, that is suit singular, not suits plural. Despite being able to borrow significant sums of money while in law school, anyone who needs to borrow money for law school would be wise to focus initially on getting one very solid all purpose suit. If chosen correctly, this suit will not only get you through the first year of law school, but also a compliment or two along the way. Hopefully, it will also help you nail spring on-campus interviews (OCI), a summer clerkship, and the need for two more suits. (more…)

Should You Consider J. Crew?

Mr. Law School — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 17:44:58 +0000

J. Crew for the legal industry? The short answer is yes. For lawyers their new winter line is full of great pieces for Fridays and weekend office visits, for law students (almost) an entire wardrobe can be built out of their classic look.

For lawyers their new winter line is full of great pieces for Fridays and weekend office visits, for law students (almost) an entire wardrobe can be built out of their classic look.

It was not long ago I would have laughed at anyone who suggested J. Crew and lawyers could go together. It seemed as if they were trying marry Eddie Bauer to Express for Men. The result was they were in no man’s land. I had just about written J. Crew off completely before stumbling into a store recently. What I found surprised me. They still have many of the off the wall sweaters and cardigans, but they also have a number of perfect pieces for the right occasion. The last bit being key. You need to be careful when going into a store like J. Crew. Much of what they sale is not appropriate for a lawyer to wear under any circumstance. The requirements for young lawyers and law students are different, here is what I recommend for each: (more…)

Jawbone Headset for Lawyers

Lady Lawyer — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 23:54:43 +0000

Technology is just another way to spend money if it does not make life better in someway: more efficient, more fun, less painful, ect. The Jawbone Bluetooth Headset from Aliph is a product that will make lawyers more efficient and possible safer. I will be the first to admit, people who walk around talking on little bluetooth headsets are not only annoying but also ripe for ridicule. However, there is an underlying practical purpose to those devices: in the car. (more…)