I ran across a cute article today that, tongue-in-cheek, seeks to define common slang as used in large law firms. Tricky stuff, like associate, partner, paralegal, etc. Check it out here.
What’s notable to me about this article and about the lifestyle at which it (not entirely gently) pokes fun? First, humorous as it is, there’s [...]
Just about every lawyer is aware of the conventional wisdom that it’s important to have a mentor. Law firms often establishing mentoring programs, and it’s quite common to see article like this onefrom the ABA’s Law Practice section discussing why it’s important to have a mentor, why it’s important to be a mentor, and how [...]
As soon as I finish typing this post, I am going on retreat for the weekend. I’ve checked into a hotel that has a nice view, a good desk, 24-hour room service, and oodles of peace and quiet. The high-speed ‘net connection is working here — unlike at my office — and I am preparing [...]
David Maister recently profiled Christopher Marston, a 29-year old Boston attorney who founded a 9-person law firm known as Exemplar Law Partners immediately after he graduated from law school. The firm bills exclusively on a fixed price model, offering more budget-friendly services to its clients and a good work environment for its lawyers.  The firm touts its [...]
There’s a key skill for balancing work and life, and it’s one that doesn’t come naturally to many of us. Cheryl Richardson, author of Take Time For Your Life and Stand Up For Your Life (among others) calls it “passing up good for great.”Â
As children, we’re taught the old saw that a bird in the hand [...]
As attorneys, we’re often faced with statements, actions, arguments, behavior, etc. that is galling in the extreme. It’s a common practice in litigation among some to make an effort to find their opponents’ hot buttons; push the button and out pops an ugly, crazy person — not someone a jury would respect or believe. (Same [...]
Very few people have truly short commutes these days. I know of only one woman who lives within 15 minutes of her office, regardless of the time of day she makes the trip — and that’s because she’s only a 15-minute walk away. The rest of us put up with anywhere from 30 minutes to a [...]
The true impact of yesterday’s security changes to prevent terrorist attacks on airlines likely won’t be revealed for some time. We’re now in the initial period of confusion and revelation, rebellion and adaptation. That will pass, I assume, and we’ll likely settle down to a new style of air travel, one that will probably be even [...]
Kudos to Tom Collins on his recent post, entitled Law Firm Culture and the Work/life Issue.Â
This insightful post identifies the “Seven Life Phases” that individuals put time and energy into: job, family, religion, civic activities, health, recreation, and self-development. Since time and energy are finite, choosing to focus on one area necessarily reduces the ability to focus on other areas. [...]
Generally speaking, law firms use the phrase “client development” to refer to the process of signing clients that the firm will represent in litigation, transactions, etc. This blog has previously discussed client development for associates here and here. But today, I’d like to consider another type of client development associates must consider: internal client development.
As [...]
August 30, 2006 
