Law as business vs. law as profession is a conversation that has largely lost its meaning and relevance, especially in today’s economy. Lawyers must understand some of the basic law firm economics from day 1, if not before. I happened across an article that presents these basics along with a handy acronym, RULER:
Share and Enjoy:
These […]
An anonymous email I received shortly after I began coaching haunts me. This person (I don’t know whether male or female, but I’ll assume male here) wanted desperately to leave the practice. He was responding to something I’d written, and he explained that he’d practiced law for nearly 20 years and hated it. He never liked […]
Generally speaking, law firms use the phrase “client development” to refer to the process of signing clients that the firm will represent in litigation, transactions, etc. Today, I’d like to consider another type of client development associates must consider: internal client development.
As an associate, particularly a junior associate who receives work from more senior lawyers, […]
In my experience, newer associates often have challenges in determining what they do and don’t have the authority to do. Some may take on too little authority, undermining their usefulness to more senior lawyers who need not be consulted about every decision, and others may too on too much, possibly compromising strategic decisions that should be […]
Susan Carter Liebel of Build a Solo Practice LLC is the host for Blawg Review #142. Styled as a Letter to a New Lawyer, Susan has done a masterful job of delivering advice by using the titles of the legal blogs that have featured such letters this week.
Here’s a short taste of this week’s review:
And […]
Some months ago, Stephanie West Allen requested that fellow bloggers write a “letter to a young lawyer.” Susan Carter Liebel has recently renewed the request and I am delighted to join in, at last.
To the new attorney:
Welcome to the practice! You’ve learned much over the last three years of law school, and you may be […]
What’s your “brand”? There’s a lot of discussion about “brand” these days — not just for products, but also for companies and increasingly even for individuals. “Brand” encompasses who you are in your career, and conscious management of “brand” can help you to craft how you come across and how others think of you. As you […]
Survival tips for new associates: David Dummer, an associate in the Dallas office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges, has written an article with 10 survival tips for new associates. Although the tips are not particularly revolutionary, they set a good framework for new associates and might serve as a reminder for more advanced lawyers. Some […]
One of my favorite parts of The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law (previously reviewed here) is the section debunking the myth that a new lawyer is a potted plant. It’s easy for a new lawyer to get tripped up by the knowledge that he lacks experience and the desire not to appear arrogant. So, what’s […]
I’ve sometimes talked with lawyers (especially associates at large firms) who believe that another lawyer has stabbed them in the back: withheld critical information, misrepresented some aspect of the lawyer’s work to a more senior lawyer or client, or taken credit for the lawyer’s work. These experiences are enraging and painful, and it’s easy for […]
July 15, 2008 
