The Essential Associate: Step Up, Stand Out, and Rise to the Top as a Young Lawyer

The Essential Associate is for young lawyers who aspire to grow, succeed, and advance on a partnership track at a law firm. It addresses the dual imperatives that young lawyers must grapple with: becoming an excellent lawyer and developing a book of business.

Building mastery as a lawyer and building a book of business both take a long time. No longer can young lawyers sit back and wait for opportunities. But never before have more tools and resources been available that allow entrepreneurial-minded lawyers to stand out and succeed.

From attorney, coach, and legal marketing expert Jay Harrington, The Essential Associate is a step-by-step guide that helps young lawyers, and law students preparing for a career in the law, not just survive, but thrive in today’s competitive law firm environment. It includes insights from dozens of successful lawyers at firms across the country, general counsel at Fortune 500 companies, and top consultants to the legal industry.

The Essential Associate has been praised by successful lawyers at law firms of all sizes. Foley & Lardner partner William McKenna calls it, “A must-read for every new "Biglaw" associate and, for that matter, young associates at every size firm.” McKenna believes that, “If every young associate reads this book within the first six months of beginning practice, and put its lessons to work in their daily practice, their careers will benefit immeasurably.”

The Essential Associate is an indispensable tool for any young lawyer hoping to achieve success in today’s competitive legal marketplace.

PRAISE FOR THE ESSENTIAL ASSOCIATE

"Jay Harrington's insights on how to become an Essential Associate are spot on. He provides practical advice on what action steps to take to succeed in becoming a valuable team member and a better lawyer." Brian McCarthy, Managing Partner L.A. Office, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

“Jay has been there, done it, and learned from it. His gift is succinctly communicating his and others’ lessons learned. An enjoyable read that will help you succeed.” Scott Wolfson, Partner at Wolfson Bolton

“The Essential Associate is a must-read for anyone starting a legal career or hoping to take their career to the next level. It's highly practical, and brimming with concrete advice from high-performing law firm partners on the qualities they are looking for in young lawyers. The first step to a successful legal career is graduating from law school. The next is reading The Essential Associate.” Felicia Perlman, Partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom

“Making the transition from a legal philosopher (law school) to a legal practitioner is the hardest step every lawyer must make. The Essential Associate is a vital resource to facilitate that process.” Paul H. Burton, Founder of QuietSpacing, LLC

“The Essential Associate combines a wealth of practical insights into a readable story well attributed to interesting historical figures, giants of industry, and hands-on practitioners who have been in the trenches in recent years dealing with a profession that has become a business.” William Gilbride, Partner at Abbott Nicholson

“If you're a new associate looking for fundamental advice on how to get ahead, The Essential Associate is a great place to start.” Keith Lee, Attorney, Author, and Founder of Associate’s Mind and LawyerSmack

“The Essential Associate is a must read for every new BigLaw associate and, for that matter, young associates at every size firm. It combines clear guidelines and action steps with real-life insights from a wide range of attorneys who have spent years navigating the shoals of legal practice. If every young associate reads this book within the first six months of beginning practice, and put its lessons to work in their daily practice, their careers will benefit immeasurably.” William McKenna, Partner at Foley & Lardner

Jay Harrington is an attorney, author, public speaker, and marketing expert, and is the owner of Harrington Communications, a leading creative services and business development training agency for lawyers and law firms. He conducts live and online workshops for attorneys at law firms across the country on issues related to professional development, business development, personal branding, building a niche practice, and achieving success on LinkedIn.

This is Jay’s second book. His first, One of a Kind: A Proven Path to a Profitable Law Practice, was published by Attorney at Work in 2016. He is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School, practiced at top law firms including Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom, and started his own firm in 2009.