LibGuides: Career Success Resources Guide: Career Success and Satisfaction

About This Page

This page collects library resources (books) and some articles and websites that focus on how to succeed in law practice and remain satisfied with your career.. These resources complement the resources that are available through The Office of Career Resources.

Articles About Career Success and Satisfaction

8 Essential Soft Skills For Legal Professionals In 2023: A Comprehensive Guide
From the Above the Law blog, August 18, 2023
Career Choice and Satisfaction in the Legal Profession
from Findlaw Careers, last updated June 20, 2016
Legal Keys to Become a Successful Lawyer
From Law Practice Today, April 13, 2018.
Personal & Career Goals for Lawyers: A Complete Guide (2021)
From Lawyerist.com, last updated March 19, 2021.
Top 10 rules to be a successful lawyer
From the ABA Journal, June 20, 2019
Want career satisfaction? Don't chase money and prestige, lawyer survey suggests
from the ABA Journal, July 1, 2013

Locating Additional Library Resources on Career Success and Satisfaction

Not every Library resource is listed in this guide. The LUC Library Catalog is where you'll find a record of every book, e-book, set of books, and journal (by title) in LUC libraries. The Library Catalog also provides access to many but not all titles that LUC provides access to via subscription databases.

Searching by the following subject headings is another way to locate relevant resources on career success and satisfaction.

Subject Guide

Tom Keefe

Email Me

Library Resources on Career Success

1L Success: Becoming a Lawyer, a Professional Identity Formation Workbook by Sara Berman
Call Number: West Academic Study Aids Subcription
ISBN: 9781685613310
Publication Date: 2024-03-25
1L Success: Becoming a Lawyer, a Professional Identity Formation Workbook takes you through the entire 1L year, providing solid and invaluable tips, along with reflections so that you can take a deeper look and find deeper meaning (and greater rewards!) from all the effort you are putting in. The book also talks about how to find the motivation and inspiration to study when you are not feeling it (and you won’t every day). This book looks at proven strategies to overcome challenges and techniques to help you achieve your success goals.
Accelerating Lawyer Success: How to Make Partner, Stay Healthy, and Flourish in a Law Firm by Juliet Aiken; Lori Berman; Heather Bock
Call Number: KF 297.B47 2016 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1634252691
Publication Date: 2016-09-07
Methods and background -- How do you ensure you make partner? -- Who is flourishing -- Health -- Context matters -- Does mentoring matter? -- Does gender matter? -- Does ethnicity matter? -- The superstars -- Second-career lawyers.
Advice for the Lawlorn: Career Do's and Don'ts from One of the Most Successful Legal Recruiters in History by Ann M. Israel
Call Number: KF 299.I5 I835 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1627222049
Publication Date: 2015-04-16
Being a Better Lawyer: A Short Guide to a Long Career by Eleanor Southers; American Bar Association, General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Division Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: KF 300.S668 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 162722601X
Publication Date: 2015-07-07
Where are you now in your career? -- What should my goals be to become a better lawyer? -- How do I get where I should be? -- Create an action plan for your career now! -- Outside factors that can affect your practice in the future -- Dynamic forces of the 21st century -- Keeping your body, mind, and career in sync -- Your strategic plan for the future -- Appendix A: for the solo and small-firm attorney -- Appendix B: how to deal with serious professional situations
The Best Lawyer You Can Be by Stewart Levine
Call Number: KF 297 .B47 2018 Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781641052177
Publication Date: 2019-08-06
Being the happiest, most effective lawyer you can be / Larry Krieger -- Lawyering as a spiritual path / Elizabeth Bader -- Mindful lawyering / Professor Nathalie Martin -- Transform lawyer well-being into a team sport / Anne Brafford, Esq., MAPP -- Using emotional intelligence to promote lawyer wellness / Dr. Larry Richard, Esq., PhD -- Resilient and ready / Paula Davis-Laack, JD, MAPP -- The lawyer in the lotus / Professor Nathalie Martin -- Healthy brands win / Katy Goshtasbi, JD -- Increasing well-being / Diane Costigan, MA -- Your best career path / Rachelle J. Canter, PhD -- Professional success and maintaining personal well-being / Steven Meyers, Esq. -- Financial impacts on health and well-being / Edward Poll, JD, MBA, CMC -- Using stress to your advantage / Eva Selhub, MD -- What you need to know to nourish yourself / Felicia D. Stoler, DCN, MS, RDN, FACSM, FAND -- Well-being and physical exercise / John Mitchell, Esq., MBA -- Psychological capital and lawyer success / Martha Knudson, JD, MAPP MORE
The Business of Being a Lawyer by Pamela B. Pierson
Call Number: KF 315.P54 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1628100168
Publication Date: 2014-06-16
Emotional intelligence : the ABCs of EQ for lawyers -- Financial planning -- Changes in the legal market -- How to survive and thrive in today's legal market.
Coaching for Attorneys: Improving Productivity and Achieving Balance by Cami McLaren; Stephanie Finelli
Call Number: KF 298 .M35 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781627223591
Publication Date: 2014-11-07
How to use this book or "taking a stand" -- What do you want from this book? : creating a well-formed outcome -- Accountability : your keys to the kingdom -- Are you committed? (and if not why not?) -- Values-based living -- The case for self-maintenance -- Managing your time and energy : a different way to practice -- Communication skills for lawyers -- Purpose and vision -- The art of enrollment -- Trust in our profession.
The Education of a Lawyer by Gary Muldoon
Call Number: KF 300.M85 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1627227539
Publication Date: 2015-06-07
In law school and before -- In search of a job -- In practice -- Areas of practice -- In court -- Writing and speaking -- Relationships -- Improving as a lawyer -- In life.
Essential Qualities of the Professional Lawyer by Paul A. Haskins; American Bar Association Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: KF 297 .E84 2013 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781627220521
Publication Date: 2014-10-07
The qualities of the professional lawyer / The authentic lawyer : merging the personal and the professional / Civility as the core of professionalism / The practical case for civility / Successful lawyer skills and behaviors / Inclusive thinking / Women in the law / Mastering the craft of lawyering / Diligence / Honesty, integrity and loyalty / Navigating the character and fitness process / Reputation / Finding and getting the most out of a mentor / Handling money / eProfessionalism / Pro bono and public service / Health and wellness / Mindfulness and professionalism / The importance of personal organization / The globalization of professionalism /
Excellence in the Workplace, Legal and Life Skills in a Nutshell by Kay Kavanagh; Paula Nailon
Call Number: West Academic Study Aids Subscription
ISBN: 9781634607766
Publication Date: 2018-01-12
A people-skills book for new lawyers, law students, paralegals, and pre-law students. Identifies skills lawyers need; addresses getting practical lawyering skills and help you need—on the job and in law school.
The Flourishing Lawyer: A Multi-dimensional Approach to Performance and Well-Being by Heidi K. Brown
Call Number: KF 300 .B755 2022 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781639050949
Publication Date: 2022-07-01
Edging into the eudaimonic turn -- The field of positive psychology : a booster shot for human flourishing -- Let's get to work cultivating our multiple dimensions -- Awareness amplifiers -- Awareness amplifier #1: crafting character through flexing strengths, like muscles -- Awareness amplifier #2: finding flow and getting gritty -- Let's thrill, amaze, inspire : ourselves and others -- Our physical dimension -- Our emotional dimension -- Our artistic/creative dimension -- Our social dimension -- The dimension of culture -- Our spiritual dimension -- Our occupational dimension -- Our intellectual dimension -- Our moral/ethical dimension -- Our "caring" or caregiving dimension.
The Good Lawyer: Seeking Quality in the Practice of Law by Douglas O. Linder; Nancy Levit
Call Number: K 115 .L56 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9780199360239
Publication Date: 2014-06-02
The Lateral Lawyer: Opportunites and Pitfalls for Law Firm Partner Switching Firms by Adam S. Weiss; American Bar Association, Solo, Small Firm and General Practice Division Staff (Contribution by)
Call Number: KF 297.W4475 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1627227822
Publication Date: 2015-11-07
Choosing and using a legal recruiter -- Goals of the recruiting process -- The lateral partner recruiting process -- Case study of Caesar Desist, lateral partner candidate -- Transitioning to the new form.
Law and Reorder: Legal Industry Solutions for Restructure, Retention, Promotion & Work/life balance by Deborah Epstein Henry
Call Number: KF 315 .H46 2010 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781616320720
Publication Date: 2011-07-16
Change is good -- The rise of new models of legal practice -- The large law firm of the future -- Redesigning lawyers' career paths -- Designing a woman-friendly employer -- Why work/life works : the business case -- Creating a work/life-friendly employer -- Making flexible and reduced-hour schedules work -- Facing FACTS: reconstructing the billable hour -- Reduced hours and other alternative cost saving measures in a recession -- Connect four : maximizing your productivity and satisfaction -- Navigating parental leave -- Flexible and reduced hours : ready, set, go! -- The ABCs of time management -- Advice for reentry lawyers and lawyers in transition -- "Blueprinting" women law students and lawyers for success -- Networking and business development for women beyond rubber chicken dinners -- Sticky gender and generational issues among women : developing advocates in women and women and men.
Law Firm Survival Manual: From First Interview to Partnership by Nancy B. Rapoport; Jeff Van Niel
Call Number: KF 297.R37 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1454836121
Publication Date: 2013-10-01
The interview : there's never a second chance to make a first impression -- The informational interview : the interview that helps you get the interview -- The foundation : common issues for all jobs -- Clerkships : summer and judicial -- Before you begin: working ethically -- The first year of law practice -- Moving up through the ranks : life as a junior associate and life as a senior associate -- Ten career mistakes that junior lawyers make -- I've made it! life as a new partner -- Being a great lawyer (as a partner) -- Moving on, moving out.
The Legal Career: Knowing the Business, Thriving in Practice by Katrina Lee
Call Number: West Academic Study Aids
ISBN: 9781684671496
Publication Date: 2020-05-26
This first-of-its kind business of law coursebook covers critical topics in the evolving legal profession. A fascinating, informative read for any law student or lawyer or person hoping to learn more about today’s legal landscape, the book features chapters on the structure and business of a law firm; the corporate law department; the emergence of law companies; legal technology; access to justice; employment and diversity in the legal profession; lawyer well-being; and legal education reform. Students will learn from detailed, insightful interviews of people working in law. Interactive exercises and questions for reflection and discussion are included throughout the book.
Managing Your Legal Career: Best Practices for Creating the Career You Want by Richard L. Hermann
Call Number: KF 297 .H45 2010 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 1604429003
Publication Date: 2011-07-16
A Short and Happy Guide to Being a Lawyer by Kenney Hegland; Paul Bennett
Call Number: West Academic Study Aids Subscription
ISBN: 9781647084127
Publication Date: 2021-04-14
A concise and entertaining tour of some basic lawyering skills for law students and new lawyers. The authors – two experienced law professors – use humor and apt quotes to introduce (or refresh) readers in many of the basic competencies that lawyers need to acquire. This short guide offers insights into interviewing, counselling, legal writing, trial preparation, trial skills and other stuff with some “Advice for All Seasons” – all designed to help young lawyers approach the many challenges and rewards of being a lawyer.
Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer by Randall Kiser
Call Number: KF300 .K597 2017 Law Permanent Reserve
ISBN: 9781108416443
Publication Date: 2017-08-07
1. Introduction -- 2. Essential soft skills -- 3. Self-awareness -- 4. Self-development -- 5. Social proficiency -- 6. Wisdom -- 7. Leadership -- 8. Professionalism -- 9. Conclusion.

Office of Career Services

The Office of Career Services should be a first stop for LUC Law students and alumni with career questions.

LOCATION
Philip H. Corboy Law Center
25 E. Pearson St.
Suite 1301
Chicago, IL 60611

CONTACT US
Phone: 312.915.7160
Fax: 312.915.7194
Email: law-career@luc.edu

OFFICE HOURS
Mondays - Fridays:
8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Appointments outside of regular hours may be scheduled upon request.

Career Satisfaction and Attorney Wellness

For additional wellness resources, please refer to our Wellness Resources for Law Students Guide.

The Best Lawyer You Can Be by Stewart Levine
Call Number: KF 297 .B47 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781641052177
Publication Date: 2019-08-06
The Creative Lawyer: A Practical Guide to Authentic Professional Satisfaction by Michael F. Melcher
Call Number: KF 300 .M45 2014 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781614389804
Publication Date: 2015-06-07
What happens now? -- 20 minutes a day -- Who you are now : identifying your values -- Living your values in work and life -- Be clear about your trade-offs -- Exercising vision -- Self-management and type -- The habit of experimentation -- How relationships matter -- Networking and social capital -- What you talk about : when you talk about yourself -- Managing time and attention -- Learning inside and outstide the job -- Knowing and owning your brand -- The rhythms of transition -- Money and other taboos -- The creative lawyer unbound.
Finding Bliss: Innovative Legal Models for Happy Clients and Happy Lawyers by Deborah Epstein Henry; Suzie Scanlon; Garry A. Berger; Suzie Scanlon Rabinowitz
Call Number: KF 300 .H457 2015 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781627226523
Publication Date: 2015-01-07
Innovation / William D. Henderson -- Value / Randal Milch -- Predictability and trust / James W. Cuminale -- Flexibility / Jean Molino -- Talent development / Daniel B. Rodriguez -- Diversity and inclusion / Thomas L. Sager -- Relationship building / Michele Coleman Mayes -- Conclusion: happy clients, happy lawyers /
The Happy Lawyer by Nancy Levit; Douglas O. Linder
Call Number: Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9780195392326
Publication Date: 2010-07-22
Are lawyers unhappy? -- Happiness : a primer -- What makes lawyers happy and unhappy -- The happiness toolbox -- Preparing for a satisfying career : the law school years -- What law firms can do to make lawyers happier -- Lawyers' stories -- Seeking happier ground.
How Lawyers Lose Their Way by Jean Stefancic; Richard Delgado
Call Number: KF 300 .S698 2005 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 0822334542
Publication Date: 2005-01-13
The caged panther: Ezra Pound -- Pinstripes: Archibald Macleish -- Formalism: a new/old disease -- Lawyers and their discontents -- Lawyers' lives -- Other professions: medicine -- High-paid misery.
The Lawyer's Guide to Job Security by Richard L. Hermann
Call Number: KF 300 .H468 2010 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9781607144984
Publication Date: 2010-03-02
Starting out on the right foot -- Building your value to the organization -- Securing your status -- Major workplace "don'ts" -- Personal growth = professional growth -- The legal manager's corner -- Dispensable... in spite of yourself.
Lawyer Wellness Is Not an Oxymoron by Andy Clark
Call Number: K 120 .C53 2013 Law Main Stacks
ISBN: 9780992157401
Publication Date: 2013-11-01
Why you need to care about wellness today -- The 3 uns: why many lawyers are unhealthy, unhappy, or unfulfilled -- Living a wellness lifestyle -- Stress and the dimensions of life -- Why lawyers are perfectly positioned to adopt a wellness lifestyle -- Best practices in the physiological dimensions of life -- Best practices in the social dimensions of life -- Best of the blog.