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“I need someone who’s already graduated,” he murmured half to himself. “A 3L might be acceptable, but anyone lower than that is too wet behind the ears.”
Lanie gave him a puzzled look. “What does that mean?”
“Ah, sorry.” He chuckled. “Basically, a third-year law student, someone who’s preparing to graduate.”
She nodded and grabbed a pen and paper from the drawer by the fridge. “Do they need to specialize in any area of law?”
“Not really. But their research skills need to be impressive, especially if they aren’t familiar with a certain area like estate planning or family law.”
After jotting that down, she peered over his shoulder. “That looks like a lot of work. How do you keep up with it?”
“Sandra helps,” he said, trying to ignore the growing panic in his belly. “But it’s why I work such long hours.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do you expect a law clerk to do that?”
Cocking his head, he considered her question. Do I expect a law clerk to keep my crazy schedule? From what he knew of the larger law firms, associates were often expected to work long hours, especially if they hoped to get on the partner track. But he wasn’t a large law firm, and he wasn’t hiring an associate.
“No, though I do hope they’ll be open to working after hours sometimes.”
“We’ll discuss that in the interview,” she said.
He turned to her. “You’re planning on joining the interviews?”
“Of course.” Her eyes widened. “Why wouldn’t I?”
He frowned and glanced at his computer. What does Lanie know about hiring anyone, let alone for a law practice? He figured she would assist with the day-to-day, performing more secretarial tasks like editing pleadings or mailing correspondence. But it appeared she had bigger plans for her time with him.
“I didn’t expect you to. I mean, no offense, sis, but do you even know what to look for in a law clerk?”
She glared at him. “I know what to look for in an employee, regardless of their job title.”
After searching her face for a moment, he nodded, though he wasn’t convinced. Still, it might be helpful to have another person evaluating the candidates. She might have a different perspective than him, and he wanted to be sure he made the right choice.
“All right. First things first, let’s decide what to put in this advertisement to attract quality candidates.” He leaned back and crossed his arms. “In addition to research skills, I need someone who’s a good writer. Sandra helps draft a lot of my pleadings, but I don’t want to rely solely on her. And if I have to spend all my time editing something poorly written, I’d be better off writing it myself.”
With a nod, Lanie jotted that down. “But I assume you’ll have to review everything since they won’t be licensed to practice yet, right?”
“Of course.” He waved a hand. “I’d review it even if they were licensed to practice since it’s my name on the letterhead.” Drumming his fingers on the table, he tried to think of what else might be useful. “Excellent customer service skills.”
She frowned. “Won’t most of the clients be handled by Sandra or your receptionist?”
“Not necessarily. If I’m not around, they may need to speak to the law clerk if they need something more technical explained. While the clerk can’t give them legal advice, they can at least explain the contents of a contract, for example. And they’ll likely be in regular contact with the court. I want to make sure they can manage.” He ran his fingers through his hair. “Besides, what if Sandra or Leslie are busy? At the very least, the clerk will need to know how to handle clients well enough to take detailed messages.”
“Duly noted.”
Nothing else immediately came to mind. He glanced at his sister’s notes. “Do you think you can draft an ad with what I’ve given you?’
She nodded, her face breaking into a smile. “I’ll go over it with Sandra tomorrow and bring it by when we’re done.”
“That’s great!” The tension in his shoulders eased. He hadn’t realized how much it would help to have a plan. “I appreciate your help.”
“Anytime.” After a quick glance at her watch, she moved toward the kitchen. “I’d better get started on dinner before Rose and Dad arrive.”
“If they’re still coming,” Steven said, crossing his fingers under the table in hopes that they wouldn’t. The fewer people there, the greater his chance of getting to work after Lanie left.
“Thanks for dinner.” Steven patted his stomach and gave his sister a warm smile.
Rose had been pulled into a double shift, and his father had preferred a night in with pizza and beer to Lanie’s cooking. Everything had turned out as he’d hoped. He just needed to see Lanie headed home, and he could get to work.
