Counsel to Counsel - Career Advice for Lawyers

I've had a number of guests on this show speaking about leadership. A large part of this is that I'm very interested in the subject. But I also feel that this is a skill set that is often neglected in the legal profession. As lawyers, we learn a lot about our craft in law school and even more once we are in practice.   As professionals, we are taught to analyze the law and help our clients to iden...

The practice of law has evolved a lot in the three decades since I graduated from law school. Technology has replace many monotonous functions and computers have replaced paper.   The internet has revolutionized how legal research is done and how law firms market themselves.   It has enabled remote work and interaction in a way that was unimaginable in the 1980s. At the same time, there are some f...

For a long time, I've been meaning to invite a judge onto Counsel to Counsel to talk about judicial careers.   Going on the bench is a logical next step for many litigators and I wanted to speak to a judge who could offer some practical wisdom on the subject. When I met Paul Wilson at an ABA conference in late 2022, I realized right away that I had a great prospect.   At the time, Paul was still s...

In the legal press and even in popular media, larger law firms tend to get a most of the attention.   In truth, a high percentage of lawyers in the United States practice in firms that are under 20 attorneys.   And many of those are solo practitioners or very small firms that have broken away from larger firms. While I know that there are many lawyers who are satisfied with practicing in a large o...

When I graduated from law school in the late 1980s, there was no internet, no email, and fax machines were widely in use.   I used a Dictaphone to generate correspondence and had an assistant to transcribe the tapes.   While working remotely was possible because of the telephone, going into an office was the norm. In the intervening years, the rate of technological change has been truly astounding...

We talk a lot on this program about finding ways to build a more satisfying legal career.   While many attorneys are drawn to the profession because they care about justice, they like the idea of becoming a trusted advisor, or they just enjoy the intellectual rigor of being an attorney, status and money are important too.   But if you are like me, one of the reasons you chose law school rather tha...

In this episode, I speak with my first "threepeat" guest, Lauren Rikleen.   This is Lauren's third appearance on Counsel to Counsel. She was actually one of my first guests when I launched the show in 2018.   In that episode, we spoke about success strategies for women and the work she has done on that issue.     In the Spring of 2022,I invited Lauren back to talk more about her legal career inclu...

December is a great time to take stock, hit the reset button, and do some planning.    With 2024 around the corner, I've been speaking with my clients about setting goals for the new year.     I'm not talking about making New Year's resolutions.   It's important to understand that resolutions and goals are not the same. Resolutions often lack specificity and a plan of action, making them easy to a...

As attorneys, we share many qualities that make us effective in representing our clients.  Our skepticism, aversion to risk, sense of urgency, competitiveness, and pessimism, can all be good for out clients. But when it comes to building a practice, advancing our careers, or taking on leadership roles, we are more effective when we remove our lawyering hats. As it turns out, these qualities can al...

It is axiomatic that if you want to have a successful legal career, you need to learn your craft. Most areas of legal practice require highly refined analytical abilities coupled with good judgment. For the most part, the first developmental task of any new lawyer is to learn how to practice law. But if you want to advance in your career, you need to be more than a good technician.   Demonstrating...

Artificial Intelligence continues to be a big unknown in the legal space.   It holds tremendous promise for streamlining the delivery of legal services and is already being deployed to expedite discovery, to help draft contracts, to assist with client intake, and to streamline many other functions that once required a lot more human labor.   AI is now being used by some lawyers to help assess the...

In the past year, I've done a number of interviews with lawyers who have transitioned from the traditional practice of law into other corporate or consulting roles. In this episode, I speak with Shawn Hoyt about how to transition into an operations role in a corporate environment. Shawn is someone who has thought a lot about managing his own career and he has a unique perspective on career advance...

Achieving partnership was once the goal of most  law firm associates.   The rules were relatively simple.   Work hard, do a good job, and after several years, get rewarded by being elevated. Today the law firms are more complex.   Many associates entering the practice of law do not aspire to become partners, at least not at the first firm they join. And at many firms, there are different paths to...

Job interviews can cause a lot of stress.   Over the years, I've come to appreciate that this is true whether you are the candidate or the interviewer. The stakes can feel high.   Both sides are trying to assess whether they are right for each other.   The candidate may be imagining that they are interviewing for their dream job. They may be worried about the competition. The interviewer may have...

  The Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Reader Rankings Awards are out, and I'm pleased to report that once again, I did very well. This year I came in first for Lawyer Outplacement and for Business Development Coach.   I also came in second for Executive Coaching.   So the subject of awards is top of mind for me this week. I'm happy to be in the winner's circle and very thankful for the great clients...

It has been over a year since I finally left the legal recruiting business to focus exclusively on coaching.   Since the market has changed a lot since early 2022, I thought this would be a good time to invite someone who is still in the business to talk about the state of legal hiring.   I also thought this would be a good time to revisit the topic of legal recruiting in general and who can benef...

In the last two episodes of Counsel to Counsel, I spoke with a lawyer who left corporate practice for management consulting and a trial lawyer who has built a trial consulting business but continues to try cases. In this episode, I speak with a corporate lawyer who cut his teeth at international law firms, went in-house, moved into a business role, and is back again at an international law firm. C...

In Episode 112 of Counsel to Counsel, I spoke with David Lesser, a corporate lawyer who transitioned into management consulting and quit his day job as a corporate lawyer.   In this episode, I speak with a litigator who has transitioned into jury and trial consulting while keeping his day job as a litigator. Marc Diller is the managing partner of Diller Law, LLP . He concentrates his practice on p...

When lawyers approach me to speak about their careers, one question they often ask is "what else can I do with my law degree". The answer to that question is of course complex.   As lawyers, we are trained to spot legal issues, evaluate risk, document deals, and litigate disputes.   Most employers are not actively recruiting lawyers to do anything other than practice law. But that is not to say th...

Relationship building is the key to growing your practice. But who should you be focusing on when it comes to relationship building?  In this episode, Steve Seckler explains how the acronym C.H.I.L.L. can help you to make smart choices in finding the "right" professional relationships to cultivate. Additional Resources Episode 100-Word of Mouth Marketing with Michael Katz Episode 85-Peristence, Fo...

Like most lawyers, I went to law school because I wanted to enter an honorable profession.   I wanted to have a career where the emphasis is on intellect and not on business.   Not long after graduation, I realized that law IS a business and if you want to be successful, being a great lawyer is not enough.   You need to learn how to run your practice efficiently.   You need to learn how to manage...

This episode was recorded during Well-Being Week in Law 2023.   In Massachusetts and around the country, there are a lot of programs being offered to get lawyers thinking about the many mental health challenges that are widespread in the legal community.   This particular week was designated to align with Mental Health Awareness Month which is May, and many organizations ran workshops and gatherin...

In this Episode of Counsel to Counsel, I'm bringing you the feed from Steve Fretzin's great podcast, Be That Lawyer . Steve is an outstanding business development coach for attorneys. He is an author and friend who has taught me a lot about BD coaching. In this episode, Steve interviews me about why coaching can be a great tool to help lawyers achieve higher levels of career satisfaction and marke...

  I don't spend a lot of time talking about technology on this podcast. But I use technology all the time to manage my business and to increase my marketing efficiency. In fact technology is a critical reason why I am able to operate as a solo and while I don't have to outsource much of my own marketing. While I haven't focused on technology on Counsel to Counsel, my interest in technology is actu...

Coaching is a field that has exploded since I graduated from law school in the late 1980s.   There are now life coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, marketing coaches, career coaches, and coaches like me who borrow a little from each.   Coaching is about achieving your goals and moving past roadblocks that are getting in the way of your success. A good coach is a sounding board and holds...