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Skill-Building Strategies for Early Career Attorneys

Planning and preparation are key to making the most of your legal career from the very beginning. This program will review foundational skills for attorneys’ development, including professional responsibility and ethics; communication and teamwork; and written and oral advocacy. Attendees will gain practical tools to improve their performance, preparedness, and working relationships with colleagues, clients, and the courts.

Topics covered include:

Professional Development Law Practice Legal Research Legal Writing Trial Skills

Agenda:

Introductory Overview

Brief introduction of the presenter;
Icebreaker poll of attendees; and
Review of agenda, topics to be covered, and anticipated take-aways.

Professional Responsibility and Ethics

Becoming familiar with ethical rules and guidance;
Getting involved in professional organizations; and
Continuing Legal Education (CLE) overview.

Communication

Effective communication;
Recognizing that communication is a professional responsibility; and
Tips for civil and responsive communication.

Teamwork and Delegation

Team participation and leadership;
Types of teams;
Effectiveness tips for team members and leaders; and
Strategies for better meetings.

Legal Research and Writing

Research and writing skills throughout one’s career;
Developing research and writing skills; and
Tips for editing effectively.

Oral Advocacy and Courtroom Skills

Typical differences in skills development by firm size and type; and
Strategies for developing oral advocacy and courtroom skills.

Duration of this webinar: 60 minutes

Originally broadcast: December 18, 2025 12:00 PM PT

Webinar Highlights

This webinar is divided into section summaries, which you can scan for key points and then dive into the sections that interest you the most.

00:00 Introduction

Keisha Stokes-Hough, the speaker, is the Deputy Director of Legal Management at the Southern Poverty Law Center. Keisha discusses her background and encourages attendees to connect with her on LinkedIn for further resources. A poll is conducted to gauge the experience level of the audience. Keisha plans to address skill-building strategies for both early career and experienced attorneys.

05:42 Professional Responsibility and Ethics

Keisha outlines the agenda, starting with professional responsibility and ethics, followed by communication, teamwork, and legal skills. She stresses the importance of understanding ethical rules and consulting the rules of professional conduct for one's jurisdiction. The ABA Model Rules and state bar ethics opinions are recommended as resources for ethical guidance. Keisha encourages involvement in professional organizations like the ABA and state bar associations for networking and leadership opportunities. Continuing legal education is emphasized as a lifelong necessity to stay informed about legal developments.

21:30 Communication Skills and Professionalism

Keisha discusses the importance of communication skills, emphasizing duties to clients and the court. She highlights the duty of candor, requiring honesty in court communications, and the duty of civility in legal interactions, even in challenging situations. Keisha provides tips for civil communication, such as taking breaks before responding to emotionally charged messages. She suggests setting communication reminders and reviewing written communications for tone and clarity.

31:52 Teamwork and Delegation

Keisha emphasizes the significance of teamwork and delegation in legal practice. She describes how internal case teams are often structured and stresses the importance of valuing contributions from all team members, including non-attorneys. Keisha also discusses co-counsel teams when multiple firms work together on a case. She highlights the need for civility and respect in interactions with external partners and experts.

51:32 Legal Research and Writing

Keisha discusses legal research and writing, recommending resources like the Bluebook and Justia for staying informed. She encourages participation in writing competitions and volunteer opportunities to enhance writing skills. Editing is highlighted as a crucial part of the writing process, with tips for providing constructive feedback.

Please note this AI-generated summary provides a general overview of the webinar but may not capture all details, nuances, or the exact words of the speaker. For complete accuracy, please refer to the original webinar recording.

Speaker

Keisha Stokes-Hough Deputy Director of Legal Management
Southern Poverty Law Center

Keisha Stokes-Hough is the Southern Poverty Law Center’s deputy director of legal management, where she assists with overseeing the operations of the SPLC’s legal department, and coordinates programming for attorneys and law students. Her experience includes a range of legal and advocacy work seeking economic justice, as well as habeas litigation on behalf of indigent petitioners.

Keisha received a bachelor’s degree from Jackson State University and a law degree from Harvard Law School, where she was a member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

Continuing Legal Education (CLE) Credits

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California CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: June 30, 2026

New Jersey CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.20 General

Earn Credit Until: October 23, 2026

North Carolina CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: February 28, 2026

Texas CLE

Status: Approved

Credits: 1.00 General

Earn Credit Until: November 30, 2026

This presentation is approved for one hour of General CLE credit in California, and North Carolina. This program has been approved by the Board on Continuing Legal Education of the Supreme Court of New Jersey for 1.20 hours of total CLE credit. This course has been approved for Minimum Continuing Legal Education credit by the State Bar of Texas Committee on MCLE in the amount of 1.00 credit hours.

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