Though most readers likely took and passed the bar exam some time ago, perhaps this post will be of interest nonetheless. This may be old news to some, but it was new to me… On August 22, Judge Fullam of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania entered an Order and judgment on behalf of the National […]
It’s tough to be married to a lawyer. I should know, since my husband is a lawyer; pity for him that I am too. The careers that our spouses or partners engage in may determine quite a bit about our lives. Lawyers are often accused of arguing in a relationship as if in court, or […]
An important skill to learn for practicing law is how to delegate. All lawyers delegate; few lawyers delegate well. Whether you’re just starting out in practice or whether you’ve been in practice for many years, part of your responsibilities will include delegation. If you’ve ever received an incomprehensible assignment, consider these tips so you don’t […]
Working Mother magazine released its annual list of the top 100 places for moms to work, selected on the basis of each company’s flexibility, leave time for new parents, child care, elder care and the number of women occupying top jobs. Three law firms made the cut: Arnold & Porter, Covington & Burling, and Pillsbury […]
One of the ways that I describe the work I do is “professional and personal coaching for lawyers.” Although I occasionally do what amounts to life coaching for someone who happens to be a lawyer, my passion lies in helping lawyers develop their professional lives, which often relates in some way to their personal lives. […]
We all have email and web access these days, and it’s difficult to limp along without it. My DSL went down for about 6 days recently, and I realized for the first time how dependent I’ve become on Internet access to get information, to touch base with friends and clients, and for recreation. Amazing. Many […]
What word holds the most promise for both positive change and hopeless atrophy? Tomorrow. Lawyers are, by nature, planners. We also tend to be pessimistic and, therefore, risk-averse. Those tendencies conspire to incline us to create great plans for career or business development — and then to let them sit on the shelf, unexecuted. Whether […]
One of the emotions that marks new associates (and, in some firm cultures, all associates) is fear. Law demands excellence, and clients — whether internal or external — require perfection. That isn’t unreasonable. But those expectations can cause enormous stress, followed quickly by a lawyer’s fear of what details he may have overlooked. I’ll never […]
As we enter the second full week of September, it’s probably safe to say that the vast majority of new associates have arrived at their law firms. Beginning is almost always a wonderful time: expectations are high (as are hopes and fears) and just about everything seems possible. That phase doesn’t last long when it […]
So often, people talk about “rainmakers” as if rainmakers are born, not made. Not true. I’ve never seen a survey of great rainmakers to see whether they believe they were born to develop business, but every one I’ve asked asked tells me that, although there may be some personality traits that they were able to […]