The RMN Agency

09/21/2026

Lawyers are creatures of habit, and the legal profession is not exactly known for embracing change. Indeed, many practices that were commonplace decades ago are still followed by some lawyers even though technological advances have made them unnecessary. In some instances, lawyers probably do not even know why they follow certain practices other than “this is how things have always been done.” Law firms should periodically evaluate their procedures and eliminate antiquated practices that waste time, money, and resources.

Meaningless traditions can consume a surprising amount of resources.

09/21/2026

If you want to become the associate partners ask for by name, start with this: make it easier for them to serve their clients. Finish what you start. Tell them what they need to know. Give them work they can use. And please, don’t make them chase you for an assignment you promised two days ago.

I think associates sometimes spend so much time trying to impress partners that they overlook what partners actually need. A partner with a hearing tomorrow, a client waiting for advice, and three drafts to review needs someone who will take responsibility for the work. There is plenty you can do to become that person, even when you are still learning how to practice.

Associates sometimes spend so much time trying to impress partners that they overlook what partners actually need.

09/21/2026

The July bar exam is over. Your job search should not be on pause. In Florida, the July 2026 results are scheduled for September 18. Some graduates have jobs. Others watch classmates announce start dates while their inboxes remain quiet. If you are in the second group, do not mistake a slow start for a final judgment.

Grades and school reputation matter because some employers use them as shortcuts. We should not pretend otherwise. They do not measure every trait that makes a strong lawyer, including judgment, discipline, resilience, curiosity, and the ability to earn trust. If your transcript does not create those assumptions, replace assumptions with proof. Your job search must show what your credentials do not.

I learned this when I searched for an associate position as a third-year law student. The market was brutal. I sent resume after resume, sat through interview after interview, and collected rejection after rejection. I did not need every employer to say yes. I needed one reputable employer to see what I could become. So do you.

Your first job matters, but it does not decide your entire career. You do not need every employer to choose you. You need one.

07/08/2026

It’s the case at any large law firm or big government legal office, or at least it used to be, that every new associate attorney is paired up with a more experienced senior attorney as part of a formal mentorship program. Mentors are supposed to help their mentees develop their legal skills, conform to firm culture, and, over time, build their own book of business.

Formal mentorship programs look good on paper. In reality, though, they are increasingly failing new lawyers.

Perhaps in eras past when people started at one firm and stayed their entire careers there was more incentive to invest in individuals. Now, with the mentor, mentee, or both almost sure to depart at some point for greener pastures, it’s understandably more difficult to commit.

Formal mentorship programs look good on paper, but in practice, they may not be so great.

07/08/2026

Gen Z is worried that using artificial intelligence will make them dumber — but they're going all in, anyways.

Overall, about 39% of employees in a recent survey by GoTo and Workplace Intelligence said their reliance on AI tools is making them less intelligent. Of the Gen Z respondents, 46% agreed, according to the survey. Meanwhile, half of employees said they rely too much on AI at work, rising to 62% of Gen Z respondents.

The results come at a time when employees are feeling the pressure to use AI to boost their productivity, though many agree that the technology limits a worker's ability to solve and reason on their own, which experts call "cognitive offloading." That concept, which has garnered headlines, is still being debated among experts, with many stressing that social and soft skills are a crucial part of career development and workplace advancement.

Gen Z is worried that using artificial intelligence will make them dumber — but they're going all in, anyways.

07/08/2026

Almost everyone has encountered a suspicious job opportunity — and that may be the defining feature of the current job market.

The new Monster’s Job Scam Report found that 95% of those surveyed have come across at least one job opportunity they found suspicious. But 98% agree that the current job market increases the risk of job scams.

The biggest methods workers reported job scams were through email, text messages and unsolicited recruiter contact.

Job seekers should be cautious in the current job market, experts warn.

07/08/2026

Having survived the “Great Resignation,” employers may have hoped the post-pandemic “Great Stay” would persist, leaving the labor market firmly in their favor. But as flexibility perks evaporate and career growth stalls, some workers are actively planning to move on.

That’s according to a new report from staffing firm Robert Half, which found that 46% of American professionals expect to look for a new job in the second half of 2026, up from 38% earlier this year and 27% a year ago. Among several major metros, that figure is even higher.

In Atlanta, about 48% of employees are hoping to change jobs later this year, with 30% having already begun their search.

After several years of market uncertainty, sustained inflation and cautious job search activity, many local white-collar employees are motivated to move on.

07/03/2026

The RMN Agency's Managing Director Bonnie Youn is running the Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race tomorrow on the 4th of July, celebrating America's 250th Birthday, and also raising money for charity in honor of Raksha, Inc. Please consider making a DONATION for her run, supporting South Asian survivors of domestic violence: bit.ly/bonniereturns -- every dollar counts, no matter how small!

Bonnie Youn hasn't run the Peachtree Road Race since 2022, the year she dedicated her race to her dear friend Hemanth Digumarthi, a passionate supporter of Raksha, Inc who had passed away. Now she's coming back, and she's dedicating this one to Raksha's work.
👉🏼 Read about Bonnie's journey and inspiration in her words on her campaign page:
🔗 bit.ly/bonniereturns
We are so inspired by Bonnie's strength and resolve to start prioritizing her health after dedicating the last few years to caring for her aging parents. She joined a gym, hired a trainer, started running again, and feels stronger than she has been in years.
Bonnie Youn, Esq. is the Managing Director of The RMN Agency, a recognized leader, legal talent cultivator and dream maker. She leverages decades of experience as an attorney and a community activist to recruit lawyers and legal professionals. https://thermnagency.com/bonnieyoun/
"Life is a marathon. My goal is to finish, injury free… Every day that inches closer, I believe I've got this."
You got this, Bonnie!! This race is more than just a finish line and we are rooting for you!
Thank you for your support!
***This Spotlight is a part of a series celebrating some of the amazing registrants who are walking/running at the 2026 Northside Hospital Peachtree Road Race on July 4th and fundraising for Raksha.

06/11/2026

Every day, people make promises to themselves. They promise to lose weight, bring in more business, improve their trial skills, write a book, learn a new technology, spend more time with family, or finally tackle the project they have postponed for years. For a few weeks, motivation runs high. Calendars fill up. New planners appear. Fresh goals seem exciting. Then reality arrives. Client emergencies happen. Trials get continued. Depositions get scheduled. Travel intervenes. Life gets busy. Within a few weeks, many goals have already been abandoned.

The problem is not ambition. Most professionals have plenty of ambition. The problem is that many people confuse goals with plans. A goal is simply a destination. A plan is the route. Yet too many people spend their time thinking about where they want to go rather than how they will get there. They imagine the result while ignoring the process. They focus on the finish line while neglecting the daily steps required to reach it.

The challenge has always been doing what works consistently enough for results to appear.

06/11/2026

For generations, law firm reputation rested on pedigree.

Where you went to school. Who you trained under. Which logo sat on your letterhead. Reputation was earned slowly and spent broadly. Once established, it carried weight long after the original achievement.

That system is quietly eroding.

Today, law firms are increasingly evaluated not by who they are, but by how well they operate inside their clients’ systems. Tech fluency, not pedigree, is becoming the differentiator that determines whether firms are retained, expanded, or quietly phased out.

This shift is not announced. It is not debated openly. It simply shows up in who gets the next call.

Reputation has become contextual.