Making Change in 2007?

For those who are gainfully employed, December is a good time to take stock. How well are things working at your current firm? I created a Career Audit for Associates last year to help in making this assessment. I also created a similar tool for partners which I can e-mail to anyone who is interested.

If your are pondering more fundamental questions like "To Be or Not to Be a Lawyer", there continue to be some great resources free for the taking on various websites. JD Bliss continues to offer some great content. I also recently discovered "The Complete Lawyer" which has devoted its most recent issue to the subject of change (I learned about this publication from blogger Idealawg.com .) Also, BCG's CEO, Harrison Barnes, raises some interesting thoughts for lawyers who wonder whether they might be happier in a business setting.

Even if you conclude that you should continue doing what you are doing, going through a process like this can inspire you to fine tune what you've got so it can work even better.

Keeping Up the Job Search in December

A phone call from a distraught recent law school graduate reminded me that December is a difficult month for anyone in a job search. But, as I reminded her, it is important to keep up your search activities during the holiday season. What you do in December can lay the groundwork for success in January and February. Career Journal offers some thoughts on the subject.

Does anyone have some suggestions on things you can do in December to keep a job search moving forward? Comments appreciated (on behalf of all those out there who are feeling the holiday job search blues.)

Great Podcast on Career Planning

David Maister has put together a terrific 15 minute podcast on planning your career. I don't know how finds the time to produce so much valuable information. I don't know any other consultant who makes so much information available for free. He continues to amaze me!

In this podcast, David quotes Calvin Coolidge on success:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.”
— US President Calvin Coolidge

Because persistence is the key to success, Maister suggests that we can only achieve success if we pursue our true interests. He makes a compelling argument that we are only persistent with the things we love. In this brief presentation, he even manages to offer some very valuable suggestions on how to identify your "true self".

ROI for Work Life Balance Programs

JD Bliss links to an article in Computerworld on work life balance and suggests that lawyers should bring this article to the attention of senior management at their firms.

Computerworld does do an excellent job of laying out the traditional business case for allowing flexible staffing (the high cost of replacing employees who leave, the positive impact on morale at firms that offer flexibility, the institutional knowledge that stays with the firm, the increased productivity of happier employees.) But the article focuses mainly on the IT profession. I would imagine that senior partners at many major firms would find ways to distinguish the practice of law.

The business case for allowing flexible work arrangements in the law is similar to the IT profession. But the attorney/client relationship is often a more personal relationship and anyone arguing that flexible staffing makes business sense in a law firm must also address the issue of client service (i.e. how to ensure that clients who are paying top dollar are getting the high level of customer service and the high quality of legal representation that they expect.)

Certainly law firms can save on recruiting and training if they find creative ways to reduce turnover. However, they also need to be more creative about finding ways to staff deals and litigation matters in a way that ensures the client always has access to a professional that he or she trusts.

Great Article on Burnout

Legal Sanity links to a great article in New York Magazine on the subject of burnout. While the New York article does not focus much on the legal industry, blogger Arnie Herz notes a reference at the end of the article to the American Lawyer survey of mid-level associates. The article points out that the number one and number three firms in this year's survey both had a perfect score on their support for pro bono work.

So what is the reason for this? Does pro bono work provide lawyers with a greater sense of purpose? Do these firms support pro bono by counting pro bono hours when calculating an associate's billable hours?

Explaining the Absence of Minority Partners

No one disputes the facts: i.e. that very few minorities have achieved partnership at the top law firms in the country. But the explanation for this reality is hotly disputed. A law professor at UCLA has ignited passions with a study that concludes that hiring practices are to blame (i.e. that in an effort to open up door for more minorities, law firms relax their academic standards when making offers to minority candidates.)

According to an article in today's NY Times (free subscription required), many dispute his findings and attribute the lack of minority partners to a lack of mentoring and a system of assigning work which leaves minority associates at a disadvantage. Others point to the fact that top minority lawyers are being recruited heavily by corporations for in-house counsel positions. Whatever the explanation is, it is clear that recruiting minorities out of law school is by itself insufficient to create long term diversity at a firm. Firms need to invest in cultivating minority talent long after the recruiting process is over.

How Corporations Compete for Experienced Counsel

Corporations have a harder time competing for experienced legal talent than they do competing for more junior talent. Large law firms clearly have the edge on base compesation. But corporations can use other incentives to attract more senior attorneys. An executive recruiter spells out the list which includes equity awards, incentive bonuses and more opportunities to get management experience.

Weil Gotshal Creates "Flex-time Partners"

Who would have guessed? Maybe large firms are finally getting worried about retaining talent.

Happy Days for Mid-level Associates?

The Boston Business Journal reports that lateral hiring opportunities are abundant for mid-level associates. In reality, it is associates with large firm credentials who are in demand. I suspect the market is not as robust for those associates coming out of smaller firms or for senior assoociates who lack a portable practice. Yet another manifestation of our "winner take all" economy.

Canadian Lawyers Resist Flexible Schedules

JD Bliss reports on a Catalyst of Canada study demonstrating that large numbers of Canadian lawyers who opt for flexible work arrangements believe that these arrangements have a negative career impact. Only 31% of women believe that choosing an alternative path will not have a negative impact. The problem is less accute for men (60% do not think that choosing a flexible path will have a negative impact.)

Serving Not Selling

Traditional sales techniques are largely ineffective when selling professional services. Instead of talking about your services, demonstrate your ability to serve through your actions. You will feel better about the sales process and more importantly, you will be more successful.