I recently read a sentence (in a non-public email, so I won’t cite the source) suggesting that most lawyers and law firms are opportunists, not strategists. That brought me to a dead stop. Lawyers are trained (and generally self-selected as well) to think logically and analytically, and most lawyers put a high stock on strategic [...]
I spent nearly two hours sitting at an airport gate today. I’d assumed that between business travel and people headed home after the Easter weekend, the airport would be jammed, but I got through security in an astonishingly short time. So, I sat about 5 feet behind a Delta American Express table. You’ve probably seen them: [...]
If there’s one question that I hear more than any other, it’s probably “What do women lawyers want?” I’ll admit that the question usually causes me to sigh, because the truth for me and, I suspect, for many others is that women lawyers want pretty much what any lawyer wants: a strong practice, good clients, [...]
I often notice that lawyers with whom I talk have some good ideas about client development activities. They know what to do, and they implement some of that knowledge. But when someone hires me to work on business development and we take a good look at what they’re actually doing on a consistent basis, the [...]
The Lost Generation of Associates Former GE General Counsel Ben W. Heinemann, Jr. and Harvard Law professor David B. Wilkins have written an article outlining some of the challenges that associates in large law firms face:
At the 250 largest law firms, the arrows are pointing up for many associate indicators. Summer internships are up. Incoming [...]
In my experience, newer associates often have challenges in determining what they do and don’t have the authority to do. Some may take on too little authority, undermining their usefulness to more senior lawyers who need not be consulted about every decision, and others may too on too much, possibly compromising strategic decisions that should be [...]
I almost titled this post “The Bad Blogger,” because that’s how I feel! I’ve been away from Atlanta (my primary home) for all but 3 scattered days since mid-January. I’m accustomed to travel, but doing this much of it all at once is truly a challenge. One thing I’ve learned is to be a little [...]
March 27, 2008 
