The Law Library



Researching Legal Careers

by Barbara Swatt Engstrom

Introduction

Putting some time into background research is one of the most important steps in successful job hunting. Before you approach potential employers, you should have a solid understanding of the main aspects of the practice area and a general understanding of what attorneys in that specialization do. Acquainting yourself with the emerging issues in the field will allow you to focus the information in your resume and cover letters on matters that will make your application stand out from the crowd.

This legal research guide will provide resources that will help you think about your legal career both in the broad sense and in terms of specialization. It also provides resources for alternative careers and non-legal careers that benefit from having a JD.

Legal Careers in General

Directories:

National Association for Law Placement, NALP Directory of Legal Employers (BAR-BRI Group 2002)
LOCATION: KF297 .A1D573 2002-03 LAW – Reserve
See also www.nalpdirectory.com.

Martindale Hubbell Law Directory (Martindale Hubbell 2005-)
LOCATION: KF190 .M37 2006 LAW – Reserve (new volumes published yearly, superceded volumes in Court Level)
See also www.martindale.com.

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > The Martindale-Hubbell Directory

Books:

Christen Civiletto Carey, Full Disclosure: The New Lawyer’s Must-Read Career Guide (ALM Pub. 2001)
LOCATION: KF300. C295 2001 LAW – 4th Floor

Susan Echaore-McDavid, Career Opportunities in the Law and Legal Industry (Facts on File 2002)
LOCATION: KF297 .E245 2002 LAW – Reserve

Carl Horn III, Lawyerlife: Finding a Life and a Higher Calling in the Practice of Law (ABA 2003)
LOCATION: KF297.Z9H67 2003 LAW – 4th Floor

Hilary Jane Mantis & Kathleen Brady, Jobs for Lawyers: Effective Techniques for Getting Hired in Today’s Legal Marketplace (Impact Pub. 1996)
LOCATION: KF316.5.M36 1995 LAW – 4th Floor

Schulyer M. Moore, What They Don’t Teach You in Law School (F.B. Rothman 2001)
LOCATION: KF300.M66 2001 LAW – Reserve

Kathy Morris & Jill Eckert, Direct Examination: A Workbook for Lawyer Career Satisfaction (ABA 2001)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9 M672 2001 LAW – 4th Floor

Kathy Morris, Objection Overruled: Overcoming Obstacles in the Lawyer Job Search (ABA 2000)
LOCATION: KF297. Z9M67 2000 LAW – 4th Floor

Kathy Morris, Ask the Career Counselors: Answers for Lawyer’s on Their Lives and Life’s Work (ABA Career Resources Center 2003)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9M67 2003 LAW – Reserve

Gary A. Munneke, Careers in Law (VGM Career Books 2004)
LOCATION: KF297 .M86 2004 LAW – Reserve

Gary A. Munneke, The Legal Career Guide: From Law Student to Lawyer (ABA Law Practice Management Section 2002)
LOCATION: KF297 .M85 2002 LAW – 4th Floor

Gary A. Munneke, Opportunities in Law Careers (VGM Career Books 2001)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9M84 2001 LAW – Reserve

Kathryn A. Plonsky, Balancing Law and Parenthood: Part-time Careers in the Law (The Graduate Group 1999)
LOCATION: KF297 .P56 1999 LAW – 4th Floor

Deborah Schneider, Should You Really Be a Lawyer? The Guide to Smart Career Choices Before, During & After Law School (Niche Press 2005)
LOCATION: KF297 .S36 2005 LAW – 4th Floor

Kimm Alayne Walton, What Law School Doesn’t Teach You – But You Really Need to Know: Expert Tips & Strategies for Making Your Legal Career a Huge Success (Harcourt Legal & Professional Pub. 2000)
LOCATION: KF297 .W352 2000 LAW – Reserve

Kimm Alayne Walton, America’s Greatest Places to Work With a Law Degree: And How to Make the Most of Any Job, No Matter Where It Is (Harcourt Legal & Professional Pub. 2000)
LOCATION: KF297 .W338 1999 LAW – Reserve

Kimm Alayne Walton, Guerrilla Tactics for Getting the Legal Job of Your Dreams (Harcourt Legal & Professional Pub. 1995)
LOCATION: KF297 .W35 1995 LAW – Reserve

Web Sites:

American Bar Association Career Counseling Center

Findlaw Career Center

Martindale Hubbell Legal Careers

National Association for Law Placement

Law.com Career Center (check out the Advice for the Lawlorn column archives)

Hieros Gamos Career Center

LexisNexis Career Development Library: Legal > Reference > Career Development

West Careers

Legal Careers by Area of Practice

Lisa L. Abrams, The Official Guide to Legal Specialties: An Insider’s Guide to Every Major Practice Area (National Association for Law Placement 2000)
LOCATION: KF297 .A758 2000 LAW – Reserve

Admiralty and Maritime Law

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Admiralty; database identifier WLD-ADMIR

Books:

William D. Henslee and Sara Vlajcic eds., Careers in Admiralty and Maritime Law (ABA Law Student Division 1993)
LOCATION: KF299.A33J37 1993 LAW – 4th Floor

Web Sites:

Maritime Law Association of the United States

Admiralty and Maritime Law Guide

Corporate / Business Law

Directories:

Chambers USA: America’s Leading Business Lawyers (Chambers & Partners 2003-)
LOCATION: KF190 .C43 2006 LAW – 4th Floor (view on-line version via the library’s catalog)

American Lawyer’s Guide to Leading U.S. Law Firms (American Lawyer Media 1999-)
LOCATION: LAW – Court level (serials) 2001

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > Martindale-Hubbell Law Directory - All Corporate Legal Department Listings

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Corporations and Business Law; database identifier WLD-BUS

Books:

John R. Sapp, Making Partner: A Guide for Law Firm Associates (ABA Law Practice Management Section)
LOCATION: KF300 .Z9G74 2002 LAW – 4th Floor

Suzanne B. O'Neill & Catherine Gerhauser Sparkman, From Law School to Law Practice: The New Associate's Guide (ALI-ABA 1998)
LOCATION: KF300 .O54 1998 LAW – Reserve

Harvard Law School, The Insider’s Guide to Law Firms (Moibus Press 1993)
LOCATION: KF190 .I45 1993-94 LAW – 4th Floor

Clifford R. Ennico, A Primer for New Corporate Lawyers: What Business Lawyers Do (Clark Boardman 1990)
LOCATION: KF1414 .E55 1990 LAW – 4th Floor

Web Sites:

American Corporate Counsel Association In-House Jobline

Greedy Associates

Criminal Law

Directories:

Directory of Legal Aid and Defender Offices in the United States (National Legal Aid and Defender Association 2003)
LOCATION: KF336 .A332 2007-08 LAW – Reference Desk

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > National Directory of Legal Aid and Defenders Offices

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Criminal; database WLD-CJ

Books:

F. Lee Bailey, To Be a Trial Lawyer (Wiley 1994)
LOCATION: KF8915 .B343 1994 LAW – 4th Floor

Bradley M. Bittan, The Public Defender Experience: A Student Career Guide Into the Heads and Hearts of America’s “Real Lawyers” (Graduate Group 1997)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8B57 1997 LAW – 4th Floor

Alan Dershowitz, Letters to a Young Lawyer (Basic Books 2001)
LOCATION: KF373 .D46A3 2001 LAW – 4th Floor

Employment Law

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Employee; database WLD-EMPLE or Employer; database WLD-EMPLR

Books:

Mindy Farber, How to Build and Manage an Employment Law Practice (ABA Law Practice Management Section 1997)
LOCATION: KF300 .F37 1997 LAW – 4th Floor

Environmental Law

Directories:

Directory of Pro Bono Legal Services Providers for Environmental Justice (ABA Standing Committee on Environmental Law 1996)
LOCATION: KF195 .E6D575 1996 LAW – 4th Floor (on-line version available via library catalog)

Environmental Law Careers Directory (Ecology Law Quarterly, Boalt Hall 2001)
LOCATION: KF299 .E6E59 2004-05 LAW – Reserve

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Environmental; database WLD-ENV

Books:

Percy R. Luney Jr., Careers in Natural Resources and Environmental Law (ABA 1987)
LOCATION: KF299 .E6L85 1987 LAW – 4th Floor

Stuart L. Somach, How to Build and Manage an Environmental Law Practice (ABA Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources 2000)
LOCATION: KF300 .S662 2000 LAW – 4th Floor

Family Law

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Family; database WLD-FAM

Books:

Lynn M. Mather, Divorce Lawyers at Work: Varieties of Professionalism in Practice (Oxford University Press 2001)
LOCATION: KF535 .M38 2001 LAW – 4th Floor

Government Careers

Directories:

Federal Law Related Careers Directory (Federal Reports 1994)
LOCATION: KF299 .G6F433 1994 LAW – Reserve

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > Martindale-Hubbell(R) Law Directory - U.S. Government Attorney Profiles

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Government Agencies & Programs; database WLD-GVT

Books:

American Bar Association, Now Hiring: Government Jobs for Lawyers (ABA Law Student Division 1997)
LOCATION: KF299 .G6N6 1997-98 LAW – 4th Floor

Richard L. Hermann, Federal Careers for Attorneys: A Guide to Legal Careers in Over 80 Practice Fields (Federal Reports 1991)
LOCATION: KF299.G6F43 1991 LAW – 4th Floor

Web Sites:

USA Jobs

LexisNexis Government Jobs Library: Legal > Reference > Career Development > Government Jobs All

Washington State Department of Personnel

King County Human Resources Division

City of Seattle Personnel Department

Intellectual Property and Patent Law

Directories:

Attorneys and Agents Registered to Practice Before the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (Department of Commerce 2000; current on-line version available via library catalog)
LOCATION: KF3165 .A3A8 2000 LAW – Micromedia

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > Martindale-Hubbell(R) Law Directory - US Patent & Trdmrk. Practice Profiles

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Intellectual Property; database WLD-IP

Web Sites:

National Association of Patent Practitioners (must be member to search job bank)

ABA Section of Intellectual Property Law: Careers in Intellectual Property Law

International Law

Directories:

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > Martindale-Hubbell(R) Law Directory - All International Listings

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – International; database WLD-INT

Books:

American Society for International Law, Careers in International Law: A Guide to Career Paths and Internships in International Law (American Society for International Law 2005)
LOCATION: KF299.157C37 2005-06 LAW – Reserve

Bernard Koteen, Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide: Harvard Law School's Handbook & Directory for Law Students and Lawyers Seeking Public Service Work (Harvard Law School 2003-)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8P83 2005-06 LAW – Reserve (Volume II is International)

Stacy M. DeBroff & Dana Bullwinkel, Harvard Law School’s Handbook on Public International Work: A 1994 Guide to Domestic and Overseas Public International Opportunities (Harvard Law School 1994)
LOCATION: K118 .I54P43 1994 LAW – 3rd Floor

Careers in International Affairs (Georgetown University School of Foreign Service 1991)
LOCATION: JZ1238 .U55C37 1991 LAW – 3rd Floor

Web Sites:

Researching Careers in International Law: Resources in Print and Electronic Format

ABA International Internships Program

European Union Internships

United Nations Internships

International Criminal Court Internships and Clerkships

Personal Injury Law

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Personal Injury Plaintiff; database WLD-PIP or Personal Injury Defendant; database WLD-PID

Books:

K. William Gibson, How to Build and Manage a Personal Injury Practice (ABA Law Practice Management Section 1997)
LOCATION: KF1217 .G53 1997 LAW – 4th Floor

Andrew L. Benjamin chair., Setting Up Your Own Personal Injury Law Practice (Washington State Trial Lawyer’s Association Legal Education Seminar 1994)
LOCATION: KF318 .A2S47 1994 LAW – 4th Floor

David A. Middaugh & Julia A. Langley, co-chairs., The Bottom Line: How to Start Build and Manage a P.I. Practice (Washington State Trial Lawyer’s Association Legal Education Seminar 1988)
LOCATION: KFW539 .P4B67 1988 LAW – 4th Floor

Public Interest Law

Directories:

Directory of Pro Bono Programs (ABA Center for Pro Bono 1996)
LOCATION: KF336 .A336 1997-98 LAW – 4th Floor

Directory of Corporate Counsel Pro Bono Programs (ABA & American Corporate Counsel Association1991)
LOCATION: KF336 .A4D45 1991 LAW – 4th Floor

Vault Guide to Law Firm Pro Bono Programs (Vault 2004)
LOCATION: KF336 .A4V38 2004 LAW – Reserve

Directory of Legal Aid and Defender Offices in the United States (National Legal Aid and Defender Association 2003)
LOCATION: KF336 .A332 2007-08 LAW – Reference Desk

Books:

Ronald W. Fox (William D. Henslee and Sara Vlajcic eds.), Lawful Pursuit: Careers in Public Interest Law (ABA Law Student Division 1995)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8F69 1995 LAW – 4th Floor

Stacy M. DeBroff, The Great Firm Escape : Harvard Law School's Guide to Breaking Out of Private Practice and into Public Service (Harvard Law School 2000)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8G74 2000 LAW – Reserve

Susan J. Feathers, Jacqueline Ortega & Janet Smith eds., Law School Guide to Public Interest Careers (National Association for Law Placement 1998)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8L38 1998 LAW – 4th Floor

Bernard Koteen, Serving the Public: A Job Search Guide: Harvard Law School's Handbook & Directory for Law Students and Lawyers Seeking Public Service Work (Harvard Law School 2003-)
LOCATION: KF299 .P8P83 2005-06 LAW – Reserve

Sports and Entertainment Law

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Entertainment & Sports; WLD-ENT

Books:

Kenneth L. Shropshire, Careers in Sports Law (ABA Law Student Division 1990)
LOCATION: KF299 .S6S57 1990 LAW – 4th Floor

William D. Henslee, Entertainment Law Careers (ABA Law Student Division 1998)
LOCATION: KF299 .E57H45 1998 LAW – 4th Floor

Gary Greenberg, How to Build and Manage an Entertainment Law Practice (ABA – Law Practice Management Section 2001)
LOCATION: KF299 .E57G74 2001 LAW – 4th Floor

Trusts & Estates

Directory:

Westlaw: West’s Legal Directory – Probate & Estate Administration; database WLD-PEA

Books:

Daniel B. Evans, How to Build and Manage an Estates Practice (ABA Law Practice Management Section 1999)
LOCATION: KF300 .E94 1999 LAW – 4th Floor

Alternative Careers

Deborah Arron, What Can You Do With a Law Degree? A Lawyer’s Guide to Career Alternatives Inside, Outside & Around the Law (Decision Books 2004)
LOCATION: KF297 .A872 2004 LAW – Reserve

Federal Reports, JD Preferred! Legal Career Alternatives (Federal Reports 1995)
LOCATION: KF297 .J3 1995 LAW – 4th Floor

Donna M. Killoughey, ed., Breaking Traditions: Work Alternatives for Lawyers (American Bar Association 1993)
LOCATION: KF297 .B74 1993 LAW – 4th Floor

Gary A. Munneke et al., Nonlegal Careers for Lawyers (American Bar Association 2006)
LOCATION: KF297 .M862 2006 LAW – Reserve

Forrest Mosten, Unbundling Legal Services: A Guide to Delivering Legal Services ala Carte (ABA Law Practice Management Section 2000)
LOCATION: KF336 .M67 2000 LAW – 4th Floor

David A. Robinson, Practicing Law Without Clients: Making a Living as a Freelance Lawyer (ABA Law Practice Management Section 1996)
LOCATION: KF300 .Z9B63 1996 LAW – 4th Floor

Changing Careers

Deborah Arron, Running from the Law: Why Good Lawyers are Getting Out of the Profession (Decision Books 2004)
LOCATION: KF297 .A87 2004 LAW – Reserve

Heidi McNeil Staudenmaier, ed., Changing Jobs: A Handbook for Lawyers in the New Millenium (ABA Law Practice Management Section 1999)
LOCATION: KF297 .C463 1999 LAW – 4th Floor

George H. Cain, Turning Points: New Paths and Second Careers for Lawyers (ABA Senior Lawyer’s Division 1994)
LOCATION: KF298 .C24 1994 LAW – 4th Floor

Salary Information

Findlaw Career Center: Lawyer’s $alaries

NALP: Salaries and Compensation

People Finding

Judges

Biographical Resources:

The American Bench: Judges of the Nation (includes state and federal court judges) (Reginald Bishop Forster & Associates)
LOCATION: KF8700 .A19A4 LAW – Reference Desk (new edition comes out yearly, superceded editions on the 4th Floor)

Almanac of the Federal Judiciary (Prentiss Hall Law & Business)
LOCATION: KF8700 .A19A45 LAW – Reference Desk (new edition comes out yearly, superceded editions on the 4th Floor)

Westlaw: Almanac of the Federal Judiciary – Database Identifier AFJ

Washington Judges Book (Washington Journal)
LOCATION: KFW515 .W37 1998 LAW – Reserve (Last updated 2002-2003)

Directories:

West Legal Directory – Judges WLD-JUDGE

LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Biographies > Legal Biographical Information Sources

Web Sites:

United States Courts Interactive Map – Click on state for contact information for federal district and appeals courts

Washington Courts

Attorneys (and Judges)

Directories:

The American Bar: Lawyers of the World (Forster Long Inc.)
LOCATION: K68 .A44 2006– LAW Reserve (new edition comes out yearly)

Martindale Hubbell Law Directory (Martindale Hubbell)
LOCATION: KF190 .M37 2006 – LAW Reserve (new edition comes out yearly, superceded editions on Court Level)

See also Martindale Hubble Law Directory – Lawyer’s Listing [electronic resource]

Lexis also has Martindale Hubble. Go to LexisNexis: Legal > Reference > Career Development > The Martindale-Hubbell(R) Directory. Use segments narrow your search by State, Law School or Practice Area. To do a Practice Area search go to Legal > Reference > Martindale-Hubbell(R) > Area of Law Listings.

West Legal Directory – WLD (narrow your search by using fields such as: State, Area of Practice or Law School). To search by Practice Area go to choose Directories and Reference Materials – then scroll down to folder that says by Practice Area.

Opinions:

Search for opinions that the judge or attorney was involved with. On Westlaw use the JU( ) or AT( ) fields. On Lexis use JUDGES or COUNSEL segments.

Articles:

Look for articles that the judge or attorney may have authored.

On Westlaw use the JLR or TP-ALL database.

On LexisNexis follow the Legal > Secondary Legal > Law Reviews & Journals search path.

You can also use the LegalTrac, Index to Legal Periodicals or Hein-on-Line databases. To access these databases search the SU law library’s list of Electronic Databases by Title.

Books:

See if the judge or attorney has authored any books. To see what is available locally, first check the Law Library Catalog. If you want to broaden your search to academic libraries in the pacific northwest, then check the Summit catalog. To do a comprehensive, nationwide search, use the WorldCat database from Lemieux Library. It is a union catalog of all the major academic libraries in the country and includes some law firm libraries as well. WorldCat is available via Lemieux library’s list of Databases by Title. When conducting your search, put the attorney or judge’s name in the author field.

News Stories:

Searching news databases is one of the best ways to research cases that are at the trial level and therefore not available as published opinions on Westlaw or Lexis. You can also review news stories to see if the attorney or judge has authored any opinion pieces, received awards or is involved in other, non-legal pursuits.

On Westlaw use the ALLNEWS database for national searches or WANEWS database for Washington searches.

On LexisNexis start with the News tab: News & Business > News > News, All (English, Full Text) for national news or News & Business > News > By Country & Region > United States > Washington News Sources for Washington news.

You can also search for news stories via Lemieux’s databases. For national news use the ProQuest database and for Washington news use the Washington State Newsstand database. These databases are available via Lemieux library’s list of Databases by Title.

Resume Resources

Books:

VGM eds., Resumes for Law Careers (VGM Career Books 2002)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9R47 2002 LAW – Reserve

Richard H. Beatty, The Resume Kit (Wiley 2003)
LOCATION: HF5383 .B33 2003 LAW – Reserve
See also, The Resume Kit [electronic resource]

Joan Fondel and Mary Jo Russo, Best Resumes for Attorneys, (J. Wiley & Sons 1994)
LOCATION: KF297 .F66 1994 LAW – Reserve

Adele Lewis & David A. Saltman, Better Resumes for Attorneys and Paralegals (Barron’s Educational Series 1986)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9L48 1986 LAW – 4th Floor

Web Sites:

Legal Authority: Career Center: Your Resume

Interviewing Resources

Books:

National Association for Law Placement, An Insider’s Guide to Interviewing: Insights From an Employer’s Perspective (NALP 2002)
LOCATION: KF297 .Z9I57 2002 LAW – Reserve

Susan J. Bell, Interview for Success and Satisfaction (ABA Young Lawyer’s Division 1989)
LOCATION: KF297 .B44 1989 LAW – 4th Floor

David Hendrickson, Conducting Job Interviews: A Guide for Federal Judges (Federal Judicial Center 1999)
LOCATION: KF8770 .H46 1999 LAW – 4th Floor

Clifford R. Ennico, The Legal Job Interview (Biennix Corp. 1992)
LOCATION: KF 297.E56 1992 LAW – Reserve

Joseph D. Ryan, Stating Your Case: How to Interview for a Job as a Lawyer (West 1982)
LOCATION: KF297 .R9 1982 LAW – 4th Floor

Web Sites:

JurisResources: How to Master the Art of Interviewing

Legal Authority Career Center: Interview Tips

Business Etiquette

Books:

Sandi Gelles -Cole ed., Letitia Baldridge’s Guide to Executive Manners (Rawson Associates 1985)
LOCATION: BJ2193.B33 1985 LAW – 3rd Floor

Web Site:

Seattle University Career Development Center

 

Last Updated: February 6, 2007

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