Legal Career Development

You might think the gift of the gab is an essential skill for a successful lawyer. And it's true that knowing how to think fast on your feet and verbalize points quickly and understandably can be important qualities. But it can be just as ...

"What you need is a mentor!" Everyone keeps telling you to find a mentor. But if you knew how to get one, you would probably already have one, right? When you look at the people around you, it may be that you already have a mentor—you just ...

In a previous post, How Much Does It Cost to Start a New Solo Firm?, Ruth Carter, Carolyn Elefant, Stephanie Kimbro, Debbie Foster, Donna Seyle & Greg Siskind told us how much they think it would cost a new lawyer to start up a solo practice ...

I felt like Indiana Jones. Instead of snakes, there were power cords slinking around my feet. Instead of a whip, I held a ballpoint pen. Instead of a hat, I wore, well, my hair was perfect. I was not looking for treasure. No, I was looking for a ...

Shel Silverstein's writing had a profound impact on me and my family. Thumbing through his classic Where the Sidewalk Ends recently brought back some nice memories, and then set me musing in another direction. My own "sidewalk's end"—retirement ...

I may not always know what I’m talking about, but I always know the time. Believe it or not, prior to 1988, over 97 percent of all lawyers wore watches. Yes, I made that stat up. However, it’s likely true. In today’s world, though, I am noticing ...

Legal puberty is real. I am not referring to one of those laws in the South regarding 12-year-olds getting married and when you can buy alcohol. I mean that, just as in your real life, you'll go through certain developmental stages in your ...

I have served as the commissioner of my fantasy football league for a decade. I've also never won. Perhaps I am a masochist. Or maybe insane. Regardless, I remain in charge of a frustratingly painful organization that requires me to spend ...

Like most attorneys starting a new firm, I want to know the best way to build my reputation—and my client base—so I asked for some advice from Erika Napoletano and Ari Kaplan. Napoletano is Redhead Writing and author of the book, "The Power of ...

Here at Attorney at Work, we're suckers for stories of personal reinvention, and second (or third) careers. So when we heard Darlene Quinn's first novel was published when she was 70 (and it won a national award), we were intrigued. And we ...