From the Executive Director
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Pages | 0014 |
| Citation | Vol. 28 No. 4 Pg. 0014 |
DAMON E. ELMORE
Executive Director
State Bar of Georgia
damone@gabar.org
Advancing Your Legal Career
I am frequently asked for advice on how to advance one's career in the legal profession. With so many talented and hardworking attorneys competing for a limited number of positions, it can be difficult to stand out and succeed. I usually remind those asking that I may not the best source for guidance, although I have been fortunate in the opportunities afforded me and the roles-legal, quasi-legal and business-that I have personally held. What I do know is that some things never change. Career development in the legal profession requires a combination of hard work, dedication and a willingness to continually learn and adapt.
Still, this discussion has come up several times over the past few months. It happened once with an attorney who is originally from Folkston, Georgia. It happened again over lunch with a leader in the attorney placement field. Finally, it happened again as part of the Corporate Counsel Institute in December. It was the presentation and discussion at that seminar that led to additional analysis and discussion with those directly involved with this process at varying points and their unique perspectives.
To get started, I solicited help from my old friend (like, back to my YLD days old), legal recruiter, networker extraordinaire, legal matchmaker and South Asian Bar Association of Georgia (SABA-GA) president-elect, Waqar Khawaja and his friends over at SABA-GA. Their practices vary across the metro-Atlanta area.
I asked them a few questions and some of the answers are outlined here for those of you who may be wondering the same thing. Professional development is important to many of our members, and the continued growth of attorneys is essential to improving the quality of legal services.
How can lawyers stay up to date on developments in their field, and what are some ways to continually learn and grow as a professional?
Gautam Reddy, a partner in the area of construction law with Kilpatrick Townsend and Stockton, LLP, suggested a number of resources including the Georgia updates in this publication, as well as legal websites like Law360. But he went further to suggest, "In addition to online resources, joining a Bar section or professional organization related to your practice area is a great way to...
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