Amanda Taylor, appellate lawyer with Butler Snow in Austin, shares about how the Coronavirus is impacting their firm and clients, the importance of appellate law throughout the entirely of the litigation, and the importance of treating the law as a profession and not just a job.

Coronavirus impact on
the firm
Firm was prepared to move to remote working quickly, so that has been an advantage
Zoom Happy Hours to maintain connection
Themes are fun!
Tiger King making its way into briefs
clients
labor/employment questions are big
restructuring questions
regulatory/healthcare
courts
litigation is down
Texas Lawyer report from Angela Morris on filings - number down 50% versus March 2019
Should see a surge in filings in Q3 and Q4
hearings via zoom
the local bar
mostly encouraging
Blake Hawthorne at Texas Supreme Court has done great job of getting information out to lawyers
working together with opposing counsel on deadlines
the future
prepare for emergencies before they come
hurricanes hit Houston every year and occasionally drive people from the office as well
Her practice
Butler Snow is a large law firm with a large presence in the southeast
labor/employment
pharma lit
drug/device lit
products liability
bankruptcy
appellate (Amanda)
Board certified in appellate law
Yes she's in front of the appellate courts, but she is in the trial court quite a bit as well
important to be part of the strategy from the beginning (procedure, jurisdiction, etc.)
motions
Started out wanting to the a plaintiff's trial lawyer
legislature passed tort reform while she was in law school, and her job offer from a plaintiff's firm was deferred
Had impressed an appellate judge during a moot court competition, and wound up hiring her as a law clerk
Fell in love with appellate work and stayed at the appellate court for three years (under Justice Jan Patterson and Chief Justice Ken Law?)
When things change and your plans are thwarted, things can still work out for the best if you have a passion for what you're doing and keep moving forward
Appellate practice news/updates?
Surrounding jurisdictions are following the lead of Texas appellate courts
more sophisticated, stand-alone practice
transition of trial lawyers to valuing having an appellate lawyer on their trial team
Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia going this way
Big following of the hashtag #appellatetwitter on Twitter
Advice for Associates
Understand this is a profession, not just a job
positive attitude
inquisitive
jumping in to help
Not focused only on money/bonuses/etc.
you'll be much happier
Showing initiative
Internally
follow along with cases happening in the firm; read the pleadings and motions and do some research
become an expert in a specific issue that is likely to come up
THEN swing by the partner's office and offer specific thoughts/assistance
Externally
become a thought leader in a specific area of the law that is changing or becoming critical issues
Force majeure anyone?!
Advice for lawyers seeking a job
Highlight experiences that demonstrate maturity or life experience
if you were a receptionist in an office that allowed you to absorb skills, knowledge, etc., highlight it
doesn't have to be in the legal industry
Show you line up with key values of the firm (Butler Snow - diversity and inclusion)
In the interview
Being conversant is the most important part
lack of ego
showing a passion for the profession
Dress the part
(Daniel - video interviews now raise new issues for how to present professionally online)
If you can get to a private room in an office or library, take advantage of that (once we are out of shelter-in-place)
Access to justice is a big issue and opportunity for young lawyers to give back and get great experience doing pro bono work
Advice for women lawyers
Decide what you want, and it doesn't have to be the same as all women or all lawyers
It also doesn't have to be the same in each season of life
Develop a 1, 3, 5, 10 year plan
Maybe at one time you are focusing on work and sacrificing other areas
Another time you might reduce hours/pay but still do high quality work on a more limited basis
Get a mentor / advocate who can communicate your worth to the firm in a broader way than just billable hours
Rapid fire Qs
important trait/characteristic in an associate - DEDICATION
key habit - ORGANIZATION
app/tool - LEGAL PAD
social distancing activity - LONG WALKS WITH PODCASTS
legal movie - LEGALLY BLONDE