Law Firm Associates

Making the decision to start a law firm is difficult. It’s nothing but nerve-wracking until you press start and you’re into it — without a safety net, and too busy to care about hypotheticals anymore. The choice to move forward with launching is ...

In an issue of Strategy+Business, management guru Tom Peters suggests a number of books he considers valuable to read. In the interview, he quotes a respected business leader friend who argues that the No. 1 problem with big company CEOs is ...

There's a saying that goes, “If you want something done, ask the busiest person in the room.” Many of us have been that person at one time or another or felt a pang of guilt or envy because we weren’t. As lawyers, we are expected to burn the ...

Turnover in law firms, especially with young lawyers, is at its highest level ever. Nothing law firms have done to date has reversed this trend and the damage to firms is almost unfathomable. Thanks to turnover, the top 400 law firms lose ...

A personal brand is the thing that sells you when you’re not there to sell yourself. Here’s a primer on lawyer branding. To borrow a phrase from Charles Dickens, for young lawyers in today’s legal market, it’s both the best of times and ...

In the years it takes before your lawyering skills develop to where you can produce work product that clients will pay for, you cost your firm a lot more than you generate. That’s expected, but it doesn’t mean that in the interim you can’t ...

In an earlier post, "Money Management Tips for New Associates," we focused on how freshly minted lawyers can start their financial life on the right foot. Now let's fast-forward a few years and consider some guidance for mid-level associates and ...

Unfortunately, there is no template or set of instructions that works for every lawyer. I have seen a lot of tactics executed with varying degrees of success. What seems to work best is engaging in an activity that is natural to you. What do I ...

You passed the bar and got your first job in a law firm. Congratulations. Now it’s time to start becoming a rainmaker lawyer. “Whoa,” you say. “Slow down. Become a rainmaker lawyer? I still have to become a real lawyer. You know, one whose work ...

Congratulations! You survived law school, passed the bar and got a job. By now you’re somewhat settled in. Some partners have learned your name, and you’ve received a few paychecks. So, what will you do with the steady earnings? Since it is ...