Hustle! According to IP lawyer Marc Lieberstein, ’92, partner at Kilpatrick Stockton LLP, that is what Cardozo students need in order to make a career for themselves.
In my efforts to learn more about the many ways Cardozo is promoting innovative thinking regarding the future of lawyering, I’ve been speaking with administrators, faculty, students and alumni, and everyone I’ve talked to has, in one way or another, trumpeted the value of the “hustle.” Dean Diller kicked off his Speaker Series this semester with a presentation from William Greenblatt, ’82, CEO and founder of Sterling Infosystems, a worldwide pre-employment screening service provider, who told a rapt crowd about what it takes to be an entrepreneur and law student. Greenblatt spoke of the importance of integrity, a healthy mind and body and a driving need to succeed, but gave one overall piece of advice: “Never take a job.”
After speaking with Dean Diller and Prof. Eric Pan, director of The Samuel and Ronnie Heyman Center on Corporate Governance, I think they might second that advice, but with an important caveat: Never simply take a job. Instead, go into any job thinking of the ways you can bring added value to the organization so that you can really shine and so that you get the most out of the experience. Consider how your life experiences and skills can make you a distinct asset to the enterprise.
Dean Diller stressed the need to keep the big picture in mind, the trends in the legal world that will shape and guide current students’, and future lawyers’, careers. He noted that students who build concrete skills and engage in unique experiences will be better able to take advantage of changes in the legal industry. “There is no crystal ball” Diller said, but getting involved in projects that reach beyond the classroom and the school—clinics, externships and work with local bar associations—are a constructive way to make yourself stand out in a tough market. Also think about where the industry is going—what types of lawyers will be in demand in the coming years? Where will the jobs be?
One key development he wants students to understand is the convergence of business and law. Successful young business lawyers have a real edge if they are comfortable with business principles, corporate structure, finance and accounting. Many law firms report that new associates have a phobia when it comes to understanding or learning these considerations that underpin the legal work they are assigned to do. Fortunately, Cardozo students have the Heyman Center, and professors like Eric Pan, to help develop their business savvy.
Since coming to Cardozo and the Heyman Center in 2005, Prof. Pan has developed programs that aim to give Cardozo students insight into current business issues, and build Cardozo’s reputation within the business world. Over the years, approximately 4,000 professionals have come to Cardozo to attend Heyman Center events featuring leading minds in business, finance, regulation and law. Every January, the Center takes students to China to study international securities in a program similar to trips that business schools offer. The Center hosts a wonderful lunch series where prominent professionals discuss hot topics with students, and everyone eats well. In an effort entirely unique to Cardozo, leading practitioners are teaching classes focused on specific business issues, such as distressed investing and private equity, which build the practical skills students need. The Heyman Center is also creating exclusive internship opportunities for Cardozo students with business employers; JP Morgan Chase is now one of the single largest summer employers of Cardozo 2Ls. Professor Pan says the Center is like “an incubator fund,” here to support students develop and lead new projects. He invites interested students to reach out to him with their ideas.
When William Greenblatt first started his studies at Cardozo, just two years after the school was founded, he had to build his success on his own. And now, even with the advent of organizations, externships, centers and programs, and wide networks of administrators, faculty, students, industry professionals and alumni, we still need to hustle.