You At Work

Who are these “enterprising lawyers”? Look for the more engaged and happier lawyers in the crowd. Deeply invested in the power of the work they do, they have ample interests beyond the practice of law as well. And they seem to have more energy ...

“I won’t dignify that with a response” may sound very "Downton Abbey," but it won’t get you far when dealing with a potentially reputation-damaging crisis. Still, many litigants and their lawyers choose to handle a crisis in that way, which is ...

Successful lawyers have many contacts willing to introduce them to prospects or others who can help them. Too many of these introductions are squandered because the lawyer being offered the introduction doesn’t manage the proffer properly. The ...

Why is it that we take care of everyone and everything else before we take care of ourselves? Why do we neglect our needs in ways we would never tolerate from another person? Why do we accept this self-treatment? Perhaps it's because no one ...

It’s something you hear when you’re starting your career (and something you’ll hear constantly, throughout your career, if you’re a nonconformist): "You have to be more professional." Of course, that begs the question, just how does one "be ...

“What is the most important thing to your successful career?” Shelly asked earnestly.It was flattering to be asked. This young associate was interviewing the more successful senior attorneys in the firm to help her figure out how to manage her ...

Lawyers often lament: “I’ve been on LinkedIn for years, but I’ve never experienced any benefit from it.” What most mean is: “I’ve never gotten any work from it.” Lack of LinkedIn success is due to two factors. The first is lack of understanding ...

The joke goes that some lawyers lack both competence and confidence; call them newbies. Some lawyers have competence, but lack confidence. Some lawyers are competent and have the confidence to let others know about it. A fourth group can project ...

In the attorney discipline business, privilege waiver is a central issue. When a client files a state bar complaint against his attorney, privilege is waived, subject to nuances. (Of course, isn’t everything in law subject to nuances?) What this ...

Clients bring issues to you every day that aren’t, strictly speaking, legal issues. Maybe your business client needs a new accountant because the last one got her sued. Or your litigation client is so distraught he can’t work with you (or anyone ...