Moving From Theory to Practice: Combining Work and Study in the Legal Profession

1
Moving From Theory to Practice Combining Work
and Study in the Legal Profession

• Artem Toropov
• Legal Assistant
• White Case LLC

Higher School of Economics13 April 2007
2
Principal reasons to combine work and study

• Legal education in Russia today does not give
  students the sufficient opportunity to acquire
  practical skills and expertise
• Graduates without work experience in the legal
  profession have limited employment opportunities

3
Negotiations with the prospective employer

• Determine your academic schedule in advance and
  find out how it fits the employers requirements.
  
• Negotiate your work schedule during exam periods
  specify when your academic workload is at its
  heaviest and lightest.
• When devising your work schedule, do not make
  commitments you clearly will be unable to meet or
  undertake obligations that infringe on your
  academic interests (e.g., a full workday for a
  full-time student).

4
Organizing your studies

• Legal training at the university is your priority
  even though you have started working in the legal
  profession.
• Do not cite pressure at work as an excuse for not
  meeting academic requirements.
• Use quiet periods at work to visit libraries and
  conduct legal research you may not have the time
  later.
• Try to take part in legal competitions and to
  attend specialized courses but only to the
  extent your schedule permits.

5
Organizing your work process

• Take your workplace assignments seriously.
• Be accessible to your colleagues by phone,
  e-mail, etc. This is particularly important when
  you are absent from the office because you are in
  class.
• Be predictable. Your academic tasks should not
  be a surprise to your colleagues give advance
  warning.

6
Advantages of combining work and studies

• Opportunity to apply legal knowledge you have
  gained in law school.
• Work with recognized legal professionals.
• Opportunity to research, in law school, the legal
  matters you encounter at work.
• Opportunity to gain a comprehensive view of the
  legal profession acquisition of professional
  skills.

7
Drawbacks of combining work and studies in the
legal profession

• Less time to devote to studies
• Less leisure time

8
Conclusions

• Combining work and study is an attractive, but
  not the only way to attain success in the legal
  profession.
• The wrong priorities could adversely affect your
  academic results.
• A successful combination of study and work is
  possible when you strike the right balance
  between your objectives at work and in law
  school.

9
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