Legal Commentary

Blogging is Good For Your Health

Posted on May 30, 2008
I always wondered why I derive so much pleasure from spending time working on CounseltoCounsel. It turns out that blogging is actually good for your health!

Language Skills and Practicing in Asia

Posted on May 23, 2008
Above the Law has an interesting post for anyone thinking about working in the Far East. While it may seem obvious that fluency in Chinese is a good thing if you are planning to work in China, there may actually be some down sides to fluency. Of course it depends on where you want to be and what country interests you (in Japan, fluency is a big plus...

Should You Reapply to a Firm that Rejected You?

Posted on May 19, 2008
That's the question answered in this week's career column by a New York recruiter [free subscription required.] In a nutshell, the advice is: why not? But the advice is tempered with reality. If the firm rejected you initially because you lacked experience, then why not try again once you have the experience...

Multi-tasking is a Myth

Posted on May 13, 2008
The human brain is not actually capable of doing two things at exactly the same time. Of course if you get proficient at something, you can get very good at switching quickly between two activities (to create the illusion that you are multi-tasking)...

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

How NOT to Recruit Laterals

Posted on May 12, 2008
Law firms are not always known for having the most advanced management practices. As a recruiter, I've seen many firms miss the chance of hiring great talent simply because they did not pay enough attention to the candidate. A recruiter in Texas has some good anecdotes about this...

Keeping it All in Perspective

Posted on May 08, 2008
We have so much to be thankful for in this country. Having a bad day at work? Think about the people of Myanmar.

Depression and the Legal Profession

Posted on May 07, 2008
Robert Ambrogi writes about the issue of depression in the legal profession. Does practicing law cause more people to be depressed than other professions or are individuals who choose to practice law more susceptible to depression?I don't personally have the answer but I can offer these thoughts: lawyers spend their days thinking about what can go wrong (in a corporate transaction, in a courtroom, etc...

If You Feed Them, They Will Come

Posted on May 01, 2008
I was reminded yesterday that food is the universal marketing tool. If you want to gather a crowd, good food is the key. Are you thinking of planning an event for clients or prospective clients? Make sure the publicity clearly states that food and drinks will be served...

The Rich Get Richer

Posted on May 01, 2008
Biglaw profits continue to outpace the rest of the legal profession. That's my take on the just released AmLaw100.

Survey on Job Interviewing Etiquette

Posted on April 23, 2008
Vault has some interesting findings. Sounds like everyone should send thank you notes by e-mail.

Legal and Accounting Malpractice--Growth Areas?

Posted on April 23, 2008
According to the NLJ, lawyers and accountants are increasingly being sued by bankruptcy trustees for malpractice (in connection with misrepresenting a bankrupt company's true financial position.) In Boston, we are still waiting for a wave of bankruptcy and litigation to replace the heavy deal flow that was fueling law firm profits for the past several years...

Risky Business for In-House Counsel?

Posted on April 21, 2008
I've written in the past about the pro's and con's of leaving private practice for a corporate job. Overall, GC's seem to have a high level of career satisfaction. Here is more evidence of that. But GC jobs can be less secure than law firm jobs because partners have a more diversified portfolio of clients...

Dress for Success

Posted on April 21, 2008
A partner at Womble Carlyle believes that lawyers should dress like lawyers. Personally, I rarely find myself wearing a tie or sport coat. It has been over 10 years since I worked in a job where I was expected to put on a suit every day and frankly, I don't find them that comfortable; but I think this partner is on to something...

Which Way is Your Elevator Moving?

Posted on April 19, 2008
Assuming you are reasonably intelligent, success in law school is largely determined by effort. If you do the work, the grades will follow. In the real world, effort matters too; but once you are in practice, there are many other variables that affect your overall success...

Measuring Success

Posted on April 07, 2008
Success is much more than the money in your bank account. While it?s nice to be well compensated for your work, there are many other important variables in measuring your success as a professional. Is the work you do challenging? Do you find it engaging and do you get good results? Do you like your clients? Are you respected by your colleagues and lawyers in the legal community at large? Are your personal and professional lives in balance? As a recruiter, I actually score pretty high with respect to these intangibles...

A Bizarre Take on the Spitzer Story

Posted on March 27, 2008
Several days ago, I suggested some career lessons we can learn from Eliot Spitzer so I couldn't resist linking to this latest post by career "guru" Penelepe Trunk (I put the "guru" in quotations because she evokes both strong praise and equally strong criticism from her readers...

Returning to Law Firm Practice--Another View

Posted on March 27, 2008
In my post yesterday, I linked to my colleague Gloria Cannon's article about in-house careers. In the article, she made the case that it is difficult to go from a law department back to a firm (unless you can bring a significant amount of work from your corporate employer...

What Women (and Men) Can Learn From Hillary

Posted on March 25, 2008
We can learn a lot by watching politicians stumble (to wit, Eliot Spitzer.) But we can also learn positive lessons for our own careers from public figures. Hillary Clinton is a politician who offers us both (i.e. guidance on how women in particular can advance and examples of how men and women can damage their careers...

Going In-house: Potential Risks and Rewards

Posted on March 25, 2008
My colleague Gloria Cannon has written a nice piece about the pro's and con's of going in-house. She suggests that a ticket out of a law firm is likely to be a one way ticket--so think long and hard before you attempt the move. Gloria, who works out of the Pasadena office of BCG Attorney Search, has good personal insights because she practiced at a large firm and worked in-house for an investment management company (i...

Listening is More Powerful than Talking

Posted on March 19, 2008
A reader weighs in on my latest article on telling the truth in an interview. He suggests that the problem for many lawyers is that they are too concerned with their own technical qualifications when they are in an interview situation. He suggests that the key to success in any business interaction (job interview, meeting prospective clients or referral sources, etc...

Do You Have Friends in the Right Places?

Posted on March 18, 2008
I learn so much by watching politicians stumble. Sometimes I feel a sense of schadenfreude (i.e. rejoicing in the misery of others.) But I actually feel sorry for Eliot Spitzer (and especially his wife--who looks like she has aged years in the last month...

A View from the Interviewer's Seat

Posted on March 11, 2008
In response to yesterday's post, a reader writes:Good article, and I literally "LOL" at the "institutionalized" comment. I think the premise is right. I think the reality is that good interviewees just know how to spin it. Also, interviewers (except for a few sociopaths) like it spun...

The Truth and Nothing But the Truth

Posted on March 10, 2008
Some advice about telling the truth at a job interview (my latest article in Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly.) Hint: you don't have to tell the "whole" truth.

Don't Cover Up Your Mistakes

Posted on March 06, 2008
That's today's advice from the Snark. And what if you are criticized for your shortcomings? I wrote a piece about this several years ago.

Reading Past the Headlines--Part II

Posted on March 03, 2008
In November, I commented on the first signs of layoffs in the legal profession. While we are seeing a continuing trickle of similar headlines including today's news about Dechert, it is still important to read the article before drawing any broad negative inferences...

Blocking the Exits?

Posted on February 29, 2008
Do law firms need to block the exit doors to stop associate attrition? Should they keep raising associate salaries so that other options become uncompetitive? In the long run, I'm not sure that higher salaries will keep unhappy associates from seeking alternatives to the large firms; though in my experience, these increases certainly make other options look less attractive...

Exceptional Client Service

Posted on February 27, 2008
I just had a really interesting experience I wanted to share with all you lawyers out there.I was at a doctor appointment (first time meeting this doctor), and this is somebody about whom everybody raves. Always awarded ?Top Doctor?, best bedside manner, etc...

Distinguishing Yourself from the Rest of the Herd

Posted on February 20, 2008
If you made it to a large law firm, chances are you did a good job of distinguishing yourself in college and in law school. Now that you are working at a premier firm, however, it is not so easy to set yourself apart. But finding ways to distinguish yourself are key to your long term survival at at big firm...

Does Multi-tasking Increase Productivity?

Posted on February 16, 2008
Electronic tools have made multi-tasking more possible than ever. If you wear a headset while you speak on the phone, you can rearrange files and even edit a document while you listen in on a conference call. You can drive safely to your court appearance and continue to catch up with clients who have left messages...

What We Can All Learn From Mitt

Posted on February 07, 2008
It's official. One of the leading "flip floppers" is out of the presidential race. For a while, it seemed like charisma would propel Mitt Romney towards the Republican nomination (along with a personal fortune that he was willing to spend.) But I'm happy to report that money alone still doesn't buy you the presidency...

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