Law School Loopholes: Practical Training & Business Development

What do General Counsel and other corporate clients wish associates were taught in law school? Here is a list  law firms may want to study. It's taken from a New York Times article titled: What They Don’t Teach Law Students: Lawyering.

• A better understanding of modern litigation practice, which is about gathering facts and knowing how to settle a case.

• Greater familiarity with transactions law, including how to draft, evaluate and challenge a contract.

• Deeper knowledge of regulatory law and the ability to respond to a regulatory inquiry or enforcement action.

• Basic corporate legal skills, like how to perform due diligence.

• Writing skills. Partners at law firms say they spend a lot of time improving the writing of their first- and second-year associates.

• A stronger grasp of the evolving economics of legal practice, which will rely less on leveraging the time of new associates and more on entrepreneurship.

Law firms may want to add business development to the list, since getting a client is an essential skill that can be acquired over time.