Never Wait to Be Invited: A Law Firm CEO on What Gets Students Hired Back

Law school teaches you the law. A summer or articling job also asks you to work with busy people, take usable instructions, understand a business, and keep learning before you feel confident. Kurt Schlachter has mentored students as a practicing lawyer and now leads a law firm. He shares what makes him want to invest in a new lawyer and what can affect a hireback decision. Kurt and I get practical about approaching a lawyer who looks too busy to interrupt, getting clarity before an assignment goes sideways, taking notes without switching off your brain, and asking for feedback. We also talk about the business of law, why competence comes before confidence, and the legal careers available in smaller communities. Takeaways for law students: • Mentorship works best when you seek it out, listen, and show that you want to learn how to do the work. • Before starting an assignment, confirm the deliverable, deadline, time budget, and how to ask follow up questions. • Record your time honestly. It gives the lawyer a chance to see where you need guidance. • Learn how the firm serves clients and runs as a business. The lawyers assigning your work are also your internal clients. • Ask for feedback and opportunities to see a file through. You are not expected to know everything on day one. • A hard day is part of the job. Repeatedly abusive responses to appropriate questions are a reason to seek support and examine the environment. Lawyer Launcher links: Instagram:   / lawyerlauncher   TikTok:   / lawyerlauncher   YouTube:    / @lawyerlauncher-btb   LinkedIn:   / susanpvandyke   Chapters: 0:00 Meet Kurt and the episode focus 3:07 Why mentorship works both ways 5:37 The busy lawyer who looks grumpy 11:43 Build a working relationship with your mentor 16:17 What to do with unclear instructions 19:44 Take notes while you listen 25:51 The business side law school may miss 31:17 Time, internal clients and communication 39:40 Mistakes that can hurt a hireback 46:39 Curiosity matters more than knowing everything 50:16 Ask for feedback and opportunities 55:26 Legal careers in smaller communities 1:02:04 Why senior lawyers want to help 1:04:11 Ask for help and find your people