Legal Commentary

The Morning After for Campaign Junkies

Posted on November 05, 2008
One of the best ways to enhance your law practice is to find an interest that connects you with a lot of other people (particularly individuals who are potential clients and referral sources). But what if your passion was the Presidential campaign of 2008?For the past two years, I have been pouring over polling data, reading political blogs, sharing political humor with friends and colleagues (at least the ones who share my political beliefs) and generally engaging in a lot of political discussions...

Using Stories to Sell Yourself

Posted on October 31, 2008
BCG's CEO talks about the importance of using stories to sell yourself in a job interview. He explains how the technique is used effectively in selling rugs in Turkey.

Finding Opportunity in Times of Trouble

Posted on October 29, 2008
Lawyers have a tendency to see a glass that is half full. It is a useful trait if you want to be a good manager of risk. But it can be crippling at a time when change is in the air. If you are finding yourself focusing too much on bad economic news and simply waiting for "the inevitable", here are some suggestions from a sales trainer on how to get out of a mindset of negativity...

Getting the Cold Shoulder

Posted on October 23, 2008
That and other tell-tale signs that you may want to start fine tuning your resume.

To access this complete feed in the blog feed reader login or register for free.

Mastering the Art of Small Talk

Posted on October 18, 2008
A down economy is a good time to build your network and reconnect with old colleagues, classmates etc. If you avoid this kind of activity because small talk does not come easily to you, here are some good tips for keeping the conversation going over lunch or coffee.

Adding Value

Posted on October 15, 2008
Worried that prospective clients will think you charge too much? Try focusing on the value that you bring as a legal professional. How? By identifying problems that the business has not yet recognized and by offering solutions.

Success in Scary Times

Posted on October 10, 2008
My colleague Dan Binstock in BCG's DC office just forwarded this to me. It contains some very good tips for getting through these "scary times".

Firms Offer Comfort to Associates

Posted on October 08, 2008
Will I have a job in six months? That is the question that many associates are asking themselves these days. Some large firms are trying to comfort the troops with "hang-in-there, your-jobs-are-safe-memos." While it is certainly a good HR practice to keep employees informed, particularly during a time of crisis, these memos should not be an excuse to stick your head in the sand...

Clarification on Palin

Posted on October 05, 2008
I just reread my Friday post about Sarah Palin and realized that some clarification is in order. I did not mean to suggest that Sarah Palin is an impressive debater or that she "beat" Joe Biden. If you look closely at her "answers", she spoke largely in talking points and and in many instances, she simply did not answer the question that was posed by Gwen Ifill...

Getting Back in the Saddle

Posted on October 03, 2008
First let me say that I don't like Sarah Palin's politics and I do not believe that she is qualified to be either Vice President or President of the United States. But inspiration can come from strange places and politicians teach us so much about how to advance our own careers...

My Latest Career Column

Posted on October 01, 2008
The Legal Times asked me to write an article providing career advice to lawyers for surviving these turbulent times. Click here to read it.

In Turbulent Times, Pay Someone a Compliment

Posted on September 26, 2008
For the past few weeks, I have been trying to come up with relevant career advice for these turbulent times. Admittedly, it is hard to give advice in the middle of a storm. As I write this, no one knows whether Congress will succeed in rescuing the economy...

Weathering the Financial Storm

Posted on September 25, 2008
It is very unclear how the failure of major financial institutions and the federal bailout of some of these institutions will effect the legal profession. But like most of you, I?ve been doing my best to make sense of all this uncertainty. On the one hand, law firms are likely to see a large uptick in litigation, particularly in high stakes litigation...

Should You Write a Book?

Posted on September 15, 2008
Penelope Trunk, who writes the career blog the Brazen Careerist, argues that book publishing is an outmoded way of distinguishing yourself. Her arguments have some merit. We live in a fast paced digital world where blogging is a much quicker way to get your ideas published...

Best Firms for Women--Round II

Posted on September 10, 2008
I noted a month ago that Working Women magazine has come out with it's second annual list of best law firms for women. Yale has now come out with it's own third annual list. For my Boston readers, WilmerHale and Mintz Levin have made the cut.While I think these lists are instructive as to which large firms are most focused on creating better work/life programs (and implementing them as well), don't miss the big picture...

Great Networking Opportunities This Fall

Posted on September 05, 2008
There are 60 days left in what promises to be a very exciting (and probably a very close) presidential race. Unless you live in a state where your candidate is expected to win by a landslide, the Democrats or Republicans need you more than ever. Working on a political campaign can be a lot of fun; but it is also a good way to increase your network of contacts...

Beware of "Chicken Little" Pundits

Posted on August 22, 2008
It's easy to read a well crafted article and conclude that 2008 will be a terrible year for most law firms. Maybe it will. But the problem with articles like this is that they are widely circulated in the legal press and you end up with the equivalent of the CNN effect (i...

Best Firms for Women

Posted on August 12, 2008
The results are in. Working Mother Magazine and Flex-Time Lawyers have released their second annual report on the top 50 best law firms for women. As I've written in the past, I do believe that rankings should be kept in perspective. Large law firms are complex institutions that offer many different realities to individual attorneys (i...

Don't Ask "Why"

Posted on August 07, 2008
On the eve of the Beijing Olympics, my local public radio station interviewed a sports psychologist, JoAnn Dahlkoetter, on the subject of achievement. Dahlkoetter, who won the San Francisco marathon in 1980, had numerous interesting things to say about achievement...

The Opportunity Maker

Posted on July 18, 2008
There's a simple principal in saving for retirement: start early. If you begin making small and regular investments when you are in your 20's, you will be well off by the time you reach 65. It turns out that the same principle can be applied to building a law practice...

In a Down Economy, Time is of the Essence

Posted on July 16, 2008
My colleague Deborah Acker has written a good post about job hunting in hard times. She argues that in a down economy, it is important to act quickly when job opportunities present themselves. She writes "see the opportunity, jump on it, and address it square on"--kind of like playing Whac-a-Mole at an arcade.

Keep it in Your Pocket

Posted on July 14, 2008
Never look at your blackberry during a job interview. It's rude! That's the advice in this week's Advice for the Lawlorn (free subscription required.)

Is Taking a Detour a Good Idea?

Posted on July 08, 2008
A litigation associate at a mid-sized firm wants to know if taking a non-legal writing position at a well know financial services firm will enhance his career prospects at a large law firm. The answer is a definitive NO! (free subscription required.)

Get Out of Your Zone

Posted on July 02, 2008
Your comfort zone that is.

Playing Politics

Posted on June 27, 2008
Unless you work for yourself, you will always be surrounded by people you like and people you would rather not spend time with. This is particularly true in a law firm environment where there are a large percentage of very smart and analytical people who are not equipped with the best social skills...

How You Play the Game

Posted on June 20, 2008
My colleague Lisa Pavia has a nice post on BCG's new blog, The Lateral Attorney Report. She holds up Tim Russert as an example of someone who achieved success while playing nicely in the sandbox.

Reading Mixed Messages

Posted on June 17, 2008
Large law firms are very good at delivering mixed messages to associates. "Make sure to participate in firm functions, outings, sporting events, etc." But understand that work always takes precedence. This and other advice to summer associates courtesy of the "Snark" in Atlanta.

How Do Law Firms Suceed?

Posted on June 12, 2008
A consultant offers the Ten Habits of Highly Successful Law Firms. My favorite is #5 (Emphasizing that Clients Belong to the Firm and NOT the Lawyers.) But given the power that large rainmakers yield at large firms, I think many firms are unfortunately headed in the opposite direction.

IQ vs. EQ

Posted on June 12, 2008
IQ (or intelligence) will help you land your first job out of law school. But as you become more senior, EQ (emotional intelligence) becomes increasingly important to your success. That is why feedback from partners is so important. Without feedback, it is much harder to develop your emotional intelligence/interpersonal skills...

New Blog on the Block

Posted on June 03, 2008
My colleagues at BCG Attorney Search have banded together to launch a new blog entitled the Lateral Attorney Report. While the content will overlap with what I have been posting on Counsel to Counsel, I am excited to welcome another blog aimed at helping associates and partners sort through difficult career issues...

Bloggers, promote your law blog by nominating your blog for inclusion in USLaw.com's Law Blog Directory and RSS Reader. Benefits described.