Writing your attorney profile

Okay so I’m a lawyer (or I wouldn’t be asking) or maybe a demi-lawyer since I’m still waiting on my results but my boss just flounced by and asked me to give him an attorney profile/biography. How does one go about writing this? I work for an executive agency…not that I’ve ever seen this stuff published for government lawyers but the general counsel wants them apparently.

I perused some big law firm websites…do I write about myself in the third person or what? Obviously undergrad and law school are a must but what else really goes in there?

No offense, but have you actually done anything? It appears (but is not completely clear) from your email that you are just starting, and perhaps have not even received confirmation of passing the bar.

In that case, what is an “executive agency?” Not fully descriptive, or maybe I’m missing something obvious. What you write must also obviously be tailored for what you are doing right now (and intend to do for the intermediate future).

So, the only general advice I can give (if you have not yet actually begun practicing law and developed any experience) is undergrad institution, law school, any graduating honors, law journal, any exceptional other awards from law school (perhaps undergrad), intended areas of practice (if relevant), and any affiliations you have with societies, clubs, etc.

Typically, you get at least a little bit of time to draft these things after you have some experience, so you can say things like, “X practices in the general business law area, with a focus on mergers and acquisitions and securities. X represents numerous public companies, all of whom adore him and would gladly kill any other attorney who stands in his path. Illustrative of X’s practice history: X represented the King of Siam in the purchase of the first Siam McDonalds franchise; X . . . .”

yeah, no kidding I’m at a loss for something to write because I just graduated but the General Counsel has requested all attorneys write up their profiles and I’m being forced to do it even though I’m staring at the screen blankly. I actually just wrote up a brief synopsis of my pre-law career + some of my summer work and packed it off with my educational credentials. We’ll see what the head honcho has to say.

An executive agency is an agency that carriers out some business of the executive branch of government a la the SEC, EPA and so on and so forth. There are quite a few of them and I work for one.

Actually, I take both of those back…I think both the SEC and EPA aren’t under the executive. But like Labor and the DOJ and Education and stuff.

Now I’m laughing at how bad a lawyer I really am.

I think you face two imperatives:

  1. Be truthful.
  2. Be consistent.

*Truthful * because lying and/or exaggerating is wrong, and nothing will more quickly ruin your reputation at the very outset of your professional career.

*Consistent * so that you don’t look like an idiot. Take a careful look at how other profiles are written in the firm’s brochure or on its website, especially for those with your level of experience. Write your profile in a similar format, whether that means first- or third-person, long or short, funny or by-the-book.

Generally, I think it’s better to keep it short and to the point, esp. since you may not YET have much to say about yourself that would be of interest to those who’ll be reading your profile (coworkers and prospective clients, most likely). They won’t care, and might think you’re an egotist with a laughably-thin resume’, if you blather on and on about being Third Assistant Executive Vice President of the Defenestration Club at State U.

For a newly-minted lawyer (and congrats, BTW!) you might want to just go with where you were born and raised; undergraduate college and degree; law school and degree, and BRIEFLY any professional associations and/or memberships in any (respectable-sounding) clubs or organizations.

Good luck!

Ooops. Just read the OP again. For “firm,” read “agency.”