Mahta Talani

As we head into the fall and wake up from our summer fog (don't worry, you're not alone), it's the perfect time to take stock of how this year has gone and whether there is anything you want to change for the second half. One thing is certain: the legal market isn't standing still. This is where I do all my best thinking and career check-ins. From major law firm mergers like Ashurst Perkins Coie to yet another Big Law Cravath scale salary increase, the market continues to evolve. While these...

This photo just makes me think of pure summer. Summer associate programs are officially at the halfway mark. Hopefully you've settled into your firm, met some great people, and started getting a feel for what life in Law actually looks like. (and are also enjoying summer as a whole) The good news? You still have three or four weeks left to make a lasting impression. Here are a few things I'd focus on during the second half of the summer. Pay Attention to Feedback By now, you've likely...

In my last post, I wrote about the recent wave of law firm mergers and what they mean for associates more broadly. Here, I want to take that one step further and look at what these mergers actually mean in practice. Not just bigger firms, but which practice areas are growing, where firms are investing, and how that impacts the work associates will see. While merger headlines often focus on firm size, the real impact is usually in the practice areas that are strengthened or expanded. Troutman...