Leadership Development

How midsize firms are achieving growth through adaptation

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Debbie Foster, the CEO of Affinity Consulting; Jennifer Sherman, the chief product and experience officer at Caret Legal; and Laura Wenzel, the global marketing and insights director at iManage.

Aug 23, 2024 10:14 AM CDT

These firms are ‘ceiling smashers’ for having highest percentage of women in equity partnerships

Women lawyers still lag behind their male counterparts in leadership positions, according to Law360 Pulse's 2024 Women in Law Report.

Aug 22, 2024 2:44 PM CDT

7 steps to successful crisis management

How you manage a crisis is critical and may be the difference between a swift resolution and a prolonged public nightmare. Consider these seven lessons to help guide your clients successfully through their next crisis.

Jul 26, 2024 9:12 AM CDT

You were probably not taught to market yourself; now what?

Few law schools offer their graduates LinkedIn self-branding workshops as an employment game-changer before law firm hiring managers. Today, even when taught, self-branding coursework is outdated, even at the best law schools. Or, as widely lamented by attendees in my recent online seminar, marketing courses not offered at all.

Jun 21, 2024 9:21 AM CDT

How to strike up conversations that build your book of business

Networking is something that comes naturally to some people. But if the idea of talking to strangers makes you break out into a cold sweat, there's help and hope, says Deb Feder, author of the book After Hello: How to Build a Book of Business, One Conversation at a Time.

May 29, 2024 8:55 AM CDT

How Sullivan & Cromwell is scrutinizing potential new hires after campus protests

If you want to get hired by Sullivan & Cromwell, be prepared for an “extremely vigilant” review of your background for clues that you participated in or created “a climate of harassment, intimidation and discrimination,” according to the law firm’s senior chair.

May 9, 2024 12:23 PM CDT

5 ways motherhood has leveled up your lawyer skills

From one mom to another, you may feel like you’re losing, but let’s discuss all that you have gained from motherhood. Here are five ways that being a mother has enhanced your skills as a lawyer.

May 1, 2024 8:58 AM CDT

Why I Created a Legal Podcast: To learn, connect and grow

I don’t know about you, but I didn’t have a law school class on networking, business development or client service. Even during my time as a law firm associate, training on these professional skills was informal (at best) but mostly observational as I listened on speakerphone or sat quietly at a client lunch while the partner carried the conversations. There was no structured training in these essential business skills.

Mar 1, 2024 11:15 AM CST

Small firm hiring deserves greater scrutiny

As a law professor, one of the most rewarding parts of my job is helping students navigate their burgeoning legal careers and find positions that bring professional satisfaction and success. I am always delighted when students appear in my office with an offer in hand or a story about an amazing case that they worked on over the summer.

Feb 23, 2024 1:17 PM CST

What to do when friends or family members ask for legal advice

“It’s never going to go well,” Arizona attorney Lynda C. Shely says about the prospect of representing anyone you are close to, including family members and friends. Shely, the immediate past chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, works in private practice and has advised more than 2,500 law firms around the country on legal ethics matters.

Jan 25, 2024 8:34 AM CST

At least 30 large law firms have announced leadership changes in the past year; is burnout to blame?

At least 30 large law firms announced leadership changes in the past year or so, corresponding to a period in which firms are focused on growth.

Dec 20, 2023 8:18 AM CST

Now is the time to consider a lawyer exchange

As lawyers, whether we practice in a corporate legal office, a global law firm or an independent firm, we are all trying to position ourselves for success in a changing and more globalized legal landscape. We are also all facing challenges in recruiting and retaining the young lawyers who will help us get there. Lawyer exchanges are one tool that can be effective on both fronts.

Dec 12, 2023 12:22 PM CST

Martin Scorsese and Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear discuss making of ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’

The film Killers of the Flower Moon “underscores the critical importance of the rule of law and the pursuit of justice,” said ABA President Mary Smith, who interviewed director Martin Scorsese and Principal Chief Geoffrey Standing Bear of the Osage Nation in the latest installment of the ABA Presidential Speaker Series.

Nov 15, 2023 2:09 PM CST

Leadership, growth and profitability in a post-pandemic era explored in new report

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Lydia Flocchini, the chief marketing officer at SurePoint Technologies, Debbie Foster, the CEO at Affinity Consulting, and Laura Wenzel, the global director of product marketing at iManage.

Jun 26, 2023 8:47 AM CDT

Lawyers who know their role can become ‘Rainstars’

My grandfather used to say, “Life is a movie, and we’re all just actors in that story.” And just as all good stories have heroes, understanding who they are and what they want can help lawyers learn to become what I call a “Rainstar.” A Rainstar is a lawyer with a tremendous ability to generate significant revenue for their firm while excelling at client satisfaction and retention.

Jun 1, 2023 2:00 AM CDT