Law is Cool Podcast – Episode #16

Alternative Lawyer Jobs

On today’s show Omar Ha-Redeye interviews Stephen Fine, creator of Alternative Lawyer Jobs. They discussed how many law school graduates and practising lawyers are looking for careers that are slightly off the beaten  path. The site, which is North American is scope, seeks to connect employers with legal professionals for in-house counsel positions, business and entrepreneurial opportunities, or other possibilities. Fine says that Alternative Lawyer Jobs fills a void in the market that is not covered by other job sites.

Fine noted that the job listings on the site are drawn from a variety of sources, including other job sites such as Monster and Law Jobs in order to collect as many resources as possible in a single location. Jobs postings can also be submitted directly to the site and are screened before being published. Fine says that the site’s philosophy is to be as open as possible. The site also features a career blog that serves as a resource in terms of news related to alternative jobs for lawyers.

Fine claims that many law school graduates are not sure what direction they want to go in with after obtaining a law degree, and they should consider alternative careers that fit well with their interests and skills. He notes that lawyers develop many skills that are transferable to other areas such as writing, negotiating, and analytical thinking.

Finally, Fine acknowledges that users should exercise common sense when disclosing personal information to prospective employers because of privacy concerns.

Podcaster Meetup: Law is Cool meets Stuttering is Cool

Omar Ha-Redeye also attended a meetup for podcasters where he had a conversation with Daniele “Danny” Rossi from Stuttering is Cool, a show that describes itself as an “open-mic podcast for stutterers.” Omar and Danny discussed public speaking and techniques for overcoming “butterflies” by channeling nervousness into something positive.

Omar mentioned that one of his sources of inspiration to improve his public speaking is a quote from martial arts master Bruce Lee: “Someone who doesn’t feel butterflies in his stomach before a fight is probably going to lose.” The trick, according to Lee, is to channel the butterflies in the right direction. Omar has tried to apply that same principle to public speaking.

Omar also pointed out that stuttering as well as “ums” and “ahs” are completely natural. In fact, in many scripted interviews for professional radio, “ums” and “ahs” will be added in afterward in order to make the speech sound more natural. He claims that the key to public speaking is to listen to recordings of oneself, practice, and to keep things in perspective.