Professional Development

Here’s how a conference can be a source of new topic ideas and a way to maximize your investment in speaking or attending.

Ida Abbott | Why don't more men sponsor women? As partners and leaders, men have accepted the responsibility to develop all the best talent — but they are losing the female half of that talent pool.

Your competitors are shouting “I’m an expert” across the web. Here's how successful thought leaders stand out amid the noise.

The next time you walk into a seminar and decide where to sit, consider sending the message that you’re attentive, respectful and came to learn a thing or two.

While the most self-serving among us give the profession a bad name and justify nearly every bad lawyer joke, most of us became lawyers because we genuinely want to help people. You need only speak to a class of first-year law students to get a ...

I participate in a lot of law firm retreats and meetings, but one will always stand out. I was talking with representatives of the firm before the retreat kicked off when one of the partners pulled me aside, pointed out another firm partner and ...

Do you get nervous before speaking in front of people? Even worse, do you have trouble letting go of your performance once it's over? For lawyers especially, it can be hard to shut off your mind. So it’s useful to think about another context ...

As a judge reviews your brief, they’re evaluating your argument and your professionalism. Consider the words of the Hon. Raymond M. Kethledge, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge, in an article he wrote for the ABA.(1) “When I read a brief, the first ...

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 ...

It’s highly unlikely that your law practice is anywhere near as noisy and chaotic as Times Square. Quite the contrary: When you go to meetings, or present to groups of lawyers or potential clients, the space is relatively calm and quiet. Most ...