Apparently I’m not the only one who found the comments to the WSJ Law School: Does It “Keep Your Options Open”? blog post notable. The WSJ law blog has posted a response from Professor Stracher himself, in which he provides the admirable advice: But if your only reason for going to law school is because you […]
Lawyers who regret attending law school are green with envy of those who made other decisions, while some aspiring law students are green in their naive approach to what it means to be a law school graduate. The grass is greener on the other side… And let’s not forget the green cash that magically appears (or is […]
This post is primarily directed toward those of you who have been in practice for 3-5 years, though the general ideas may be useful for a broader spectrum. So, it’s summer, and you’ve decided that it’s time for you to move on from your current position. Popular wisdom suggests that summer is not a good […]
Although I’ve titled this as a new lawyer skill, it’s applicable to all of us. One of the challenges in creating work/life balance lies in the fact that it doesn’t just happen. It must be created. And, once created, it must be protected. Zealously. One of the fastest routes to balance is to block out […]
Associate retention continues to be a hot topic, especially as law firms seek ways to hold tight to the associates they’ve attracted at least in part by paying top dollar… and as associates eye the rising pay scales. Arnie Herz of Legal Sanity has posted an interesting discussion (no longer available) on the disengaged employee, using […]
I don’t know a single lawyer who enjoys billing. I do know a bunch of lawyers who leave completing their time sheets until the end of the month. That means that I know a lot of lawyers who lose time. It isn’t a sexy topic . There’s no way that billing can be sexy, unless it’s […]
David Maister wrote a fascinating article titled, “Do You Really Want Relationships?” He suggests that lawyers generally say we want relationships with our clients, long-standing interactions that tend to lead to more work in the future, more referrals, fewer challenges on billing, and more effective working relationships. This, Maister describes as the “romance” view. However, […]
I recently posted about the negative view that some partners have of associates seeking work/life balance and suggested that perhaps transparency in employment is one answer to ensuring that those who want a “balanced” lifestyle (whatever that may mean) are able to find it in law firms composed of other lifestyle-focused lawyers. I wondered whether […]
Red letter day here: two posts in one day. This is a short one, though, just linking to an article worth reading. Remember the much-discussed New York Times article titled, “Why Do So Few Women Reach the Top of Big Law Firms?” A BCG recruiter has written an article that purports to recount a conversation […]
The May 2006 ABA Journal is full of interesting articles. The most fascinating to me is titled “The Great Divide: Partners and Associates Are at Odds over Opposing Approaches to Work, Play and the Practice of Law.” Unfortunately, the article is not (yet?) available online. Get to your closest law library, if you aren’t an […]