Professional Development

A great deal has been said and written about the epidemic of the unhappy lawyer. Surveys suggest that career dissatisfaction among lawyers, and even rates of depression, are on the rise. Law firm associates are not immune. In fact, a survey from ...

A law student is working on a direct examination during a trial skills program. She is practicing her presentation — how she stands, gestures and speaks. Each time through the examination, she asks exactly the same questions, with ...

I'll begin by pulling the Band-Aid off quickly: After 15 years, I'm leaving the e-discovery space. For those who know me, this will come as a really big surprise — especially given my longtime social media moniker "eDiscovery Gold.” In truth, ...

Your legal career comes down to a choice between two paths. One feels safe, the other fraught with risk. One requires conformity, the other originality. One leads away from fear, the other straight toward it. Building a successful personal brand ...

When we talk about generational issues — and we do that frequently — we tend to focus on millennials. That’s only natural because we depend on them to carry law firms into the future. But we also need to pay close attention to baby boomers, the ...

Every group of listeners is a multi-eyed monster that a speaker must confront, eyeball to eyeball.

Nothing draws a smirk or an arched eyebrow in certain circles as quickly as mispronunciation of the brand name of an automobile. This faux pas is especially damning when entertaining clients in businesses related to the auto industry, but ...

Presentation technology has come such a long way, “Death by PowerPoint” should be a thing of the past. How can you be sure the new visual and audio aids you are using enhance your message — and don’t detract from it? In ...

Expert witnesses often provide the information and insight necessary to make or break a case. Why, then, do we procrastinate, delegate or simply rush the process of selecting an exceptional expert witness? Yes, it’s one more thing to do, but ...

I coach one-on-one with hundreds of lawyers each year. When they plop their legal pads on the table as we work, I can see the notes they have created for public speaking or trial advocacy. With just a glance, it’s immediately obvious how ...