February 12, 2007
Craig Barbarosh, a partner at Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman, has published a succinct and well-targeted article on how to thrive in a law firm. He recommends that associates “learn all you can,” “develop personal relationships with clients,” “treat staff with respect,” “visualize your future,” and more. It’s a quick read, and well worth the time. (Thanks to Steve Seckler of Counsel to Counselfor referencing Barbarosh’s article and for sharing his own article on the same topic.)
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Last week, I attended the ABA midyear meeting in Miami. I’m quite involved with the Section of Science and Technology Law, and so I was in town mostly for the business meetings. But being there reminded me of the benefits of being a member of the ABA (or, really, any other large association of lawyers).
I was able to connect with other lawyers from across the country, and even one who traveled all the way from Bogota. I’ve known some of these people for over 10 years now, but there’s always an opportunity to meet someone new. My network has grown dramatically because of these connections, and I’ve both referred and received cases as a result.
We discussed a wide variety of topics that have some relevance to science and/or technology, and I learned about issues before the House of Delegates that range from a proposed revised canon of judicial ethics (should judges be required, for instance, to report any lawyer who seems to be impaired while appearing before that judge?), to a resolution that would recommend certain ways to protect and disseminate criminal record information, to another resolution that would give the Intellectual Property Section authority to speak to the Federal Circuit’s questions posed in In re Seagate, including whether a new duty of care should be defined for willful infringement.
And I took on a leadership role that will provide me further exposure to other lawyers, new issues, and a lot of work that will, I feel sure, be rewarding both professionally and personally.
In other words, I enjoyed social interaction, exposure to issues that I would not receive otherwise, and a chance to sip a tall, cool drink while looking out over Miami Bay. It was a good meeting. Will you attend the August 9-14 Annual Meeting in San Francisco? If not, I suggest you explore some other bar association that can meet these and other needs. Yes, it’s time away from work, but the rewards are hard to beat.
Julie Fleming Brown coaches attorneys on professional development, career management, and client development issues. Please visit www.LifeAtTheBar.com for more information, or contact Julie at 800.758.6214. Julie is offering free Success Strategy sessions during the month of February. More information is available on this blog or on the Life at the Bar website.
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