ABA YLD

Latest Resources from the ABA YLD
By:  Baylor Wortham

The ABA YLD Young Lawyer Toolkit
As a young lawyer, it can often be difficult to find the guides and resources necessary to address the challenges of practicing law.  Some resources are outdated, while others tend to be not on point. 

To help solve this predicament, the ABA recently launched the Young Lawyer Toolkit, an online resource offering a curated collection of e-books, tutorials, and other online materials targeted toward young lawyers.  Most importantly, this resource is available for free to all ABA members. 

The topics addressed within the toolkit include:

First-Year Lawyers

The Business of Law

Diversity & Inclusion

Financial Wellness

Going Solo/Opening a Practice

Transactional Law

Trial Practice

This information is geared to help young lawyers regardless of whether they are starting at a big firm or in a solo practice.  Mastering the skills of networking with other professionals, managing student load debt, and handling litigation are but just a few of the many topics covered in this resource.  For more information about the ABA Young Lawyer Toolkit, go to www.ambar.org/younglawyertoolkit. 

TYLA’s “What do Lawyers Do?” Project Going National
For the 2015-2016 bar year, the ABA Young Lawyers Division is partnering with TYLA to expand the What Do Lawyers Do? project into a national resource.  “What Do Lawyers Do?” will continue to be an interactive web-based resource that educates high school and college students about the steps to becoming a lawyer.  

As you may recall, the project focuses on preparation for law school, the law school experience, and different career paths for law school graduates.  Among its many goals, the project seeks to encourage a discussion about the different aspects of a legal education and the seemingly endless options open to those interested in pursuing a legal education. Students from across the country will have a newfound understanding of the important roles that lawyers play in society, and that a legal education and a legal career are well within the reach of anyone willing to put in the time and effort to succeed.  In addition to the web-based tool, the ABA YLD is seeking opportunities throughout the country to bring the What Do Lawyers Do experience directly to local-area high school and college students via in-person events.  For more information about this project and how you can help, please contact Renee Lugo.