Introduction
My name is Nkechi Nnachetta and I am an attorney originally from Nigeria. I graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 2021, after which I did my Master’s in Bankruptcy Law (LLM) at St. John’s University School of Law in New York. Before that I studied International Relations and Political Science for my bachelor’s degree at the University of Indianapolis. I took those majors because of my interest in international law at the time (a big reason why I came to the US in the first place). But ironically during law school itself I became more interested in corporate and bankruptcy law rather than international law.
After my master's in law, I worked for a time as a corporate bankruptcy lawyer, which was a great experience, but will likely be pivoting to general corporate law in future.
For fun, I crochet (mainly cardigans and scarves), read mystery and fantasy novels and play the occasional video game.
Law Fellow
career options
A lawyer is a professional with a law degree that has passed a state bar examination. A law degree opens many career options, even non-legal ones such as compliance officer, mediator, etc. Some of the common and uncommon career paths include the following:
Law Fellow
skills
What are the main hard skills you use on a daily basis in your current job?
One of the core skills a lawyer learns is how to conduct legal research. I was first taught this skill in my first year of law school and have used this skill constantly afterwards, both in my later years of school and in the workplace. It is this ability to research that allows you to find the information needed to form legal arguments and advise clients.
Another skill a lawyer needs is that of legal writing. Legal writing generally takes 2 forms: objective and persuasive. Objective writing is one which simply lays all the information out, an example would be a research memo sent from a lawyer at a law firm to their supervisor. Persuasive writing is one which seeks to sway the reader to one position or the other, its purpose is to convince its audience of something. I was first taught this skill in my 1st year of law school, but like legal research, it is a skill which I used throughout law school and continued to use in the workplace.
The ability to negotiate effectively is another skill that is useful to have as a lawyer. A lawyer will need to be able to negotiate with outside parties on behalf of the client. I first learned the basics of negotiation in law school, but this is a skill that I continue to hone and practice in the workplace.
Data analysis skills are crucial in biotechnology and biomedical engineering, allowing for interpreting and extracting insights from complex datasets. Proficiency in statistical analysis, knowledge of data analysis techniques, and familiarity with software and statistical packages commonly used in these fields are essential for effective data analysis.
What are the main soft skills you use on a daily basis in your current job?
The ability to communicate effectively with people, whether orally or written, is a soft skill useful for a lawyer to have. I use this skill in all aspects of lawyering, whether it’s conveying information to a client or trying to persuade a judge in a pleading.
Being able to properly manage your time is another skill helpful to have as a lawyer. There are few industries where abiding by a deadline is as important as it is in the legal industry. Being able to structure and prioritize your tasks to complete them all on time is a soft skill that I first really had to develop in law school. I use the same methods in the workplace as I did back then. Use what works for you.
Another soft skill is the ability to understand complex material and draw logical conclusions and arguments. This is a skill that develops the more it is used.
Nkechi
’s personal path
Tell us about your personal journey in
Law Fellow
:
I decided to study law in the US partly because I was interested in international law at the time, and I knew a school like Georgetown would be a great place to start off in that branch of law. I, however, ended up becoming interested in bankruptcy law and corporate law instead. As a result, I did a Masters in Bankruptcy law after my first law degree and worked as a bankruptcy lawyer.
My job search at the time mostly consisted of firing off hundreds of applications through sites like LinkedIn, Indeed, and so on. Reaching out to people already in the field I was interested in, whether via email or LinkedIn, was something I found helpful at the time. These talks gave me valuable insight into how to structure my job search, and sometimes even led to interviews.
One piece of advice I remember getting was to also reach out to alumni. People are generally willing to chat when it comes to informational interviews, but alumni even more so because they’ve been in your shoes before. This advice ended up being instrumental in landing my first job. While sending off applications on LinkedIn, I noticed a job listing posted by an alumnus of the school I attended for my master's in law. I applied and got an interview, and the fact that we both went to the same school (and even took similar courses) made for great conversation during the interview itself. I ended up getting the job and worked there for a time. I must have sent off hundreds of applications before I got my first job as a bankruptcy attorney. It was of course a strenuous process, and both becoming a lawyer and securing a job as a lawyer takes resilience. But it always helps to remember at the end of the day, all you need is one yes.
What would you tell your younger you regarding building your current career?
I would tell my younger self to participate in more extracurriculars during law school. Outside of classes, there is so much available to involve yourself in during law school, such as practical legal clinics, branch-specific clubs, law review, etc. These activities not only make for great conversation fodder during interviews but are also usually pretty fun!
Final thoughts & tips
To conclude, there is so much that can be done with a law degree, from working in government to becoming a judge. There are also many skills that are developed in the practice of law. I encourage anyone that finds themselves interested in the legal industry to give it a try and remember to be adaptable and open to new learning opportunities.
Resources to dig in more
Legal Writing in Plain English by Bryan A. Garner
This book gives practical advice on how to improve the quality of the reader’s legal writing skills.
How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates How to Write Like the Nation's Top Advocates by Ross Guberman
This book is helpful in improving the quality of a lawyer’s persuasive writing.
Vault Law
This website has several resources helpful to those interested in/already in the legal industry, such as their Practice Area Q & As that give overviews of specific areas of law, as well as their law firm guides.
