Weekly Rainmaker Activity 9/21/09
Pop quiz: Who are your best referral sources? List the top 10 of each right now. If you are a more junior lawyer in a law firm and don’t yet have your own clients, list the senior lawyers for whom you do the most work. Were you able to make the list? This information should […]
On Procrastination
Wednesday’s post Top Ten Tips to Overcome Overwhelm apparently hit a nerve with more than a few readers! In comments sent directly to me by email, procrastination was identified as the top challenge for many of you. In response, I’d like to offer you a video — which may be enabling procrastination, but it’s a […]
Top 10 Tips to Overcome Overwhelm
Overwhelm can tank a day faster than just about anything else. When you have more email than you can handle, an out-of-control task list, and phone calls that just won’t stop, it’s almost impossible to operate effectively. Even if you manage to limp along, you may find that you’re distracted and that things are falling […]
Weekly Rainmaker Activity 9/14/09: More on introductions
Last week’s WRA focused on the language to use in introducing yourself to potential clients and others. This week, let’s look at the substance of the introduction. Many lawyers seem to fall into the habit of the “just the facts, ma’am” introduction, which goes something like this: “Hi, I’m Bob Smith. I’m a litigator with […]
The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering
The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering by James A. Durham The Essential Little Book of Great Lawyering is aptly named: at just 52 pages (including the title page, copyright, and table of contents), you’ll need less than an hour to discover the essential skills of great lawyering. Some readers may be wondering why anyone […]
Weekly Rainmaker Activity 9/7/09
What kind of language do you speak when you’re talking with potential clients and referral sources? I don’t mean English or Spanish, but whether you use “jargon” or “regular” language. As with most anything else, each has its place, but you must select the appropriate language intentionally. If you’re talking with lawyers or legally sophisticated […]
Elite schools, unhappy lawyers?
The American Lawyer recently reported the results of a study titled After the JD, conducted on behalf of the American Bar Foundation. The study, which tracked 5000 lawyers who began practicing in 2000, found that “new lawyers working for firms of more than 250 lawyers are less satisfied with their jobs than their counterparts in […]