Relationships

“We can surely do better,” read the last line of the email. “What the hell does that mean?” asked Margaret. The young associate had just helped win a big case, and she was reading a "thank you for your efforts" email from the lead partner to the ...

Have you been avoiding a potentially difficult conversation with a client for fear of it going badly? The good news is that you are in solid company — some of the best and brightest lawyers procrastinate and avoid conflict. Introverts — and ...

For every attorney-paralegal relationship that is built on a foundation of mutual respect and admiration, there are several razed under constant consternation, engendered by a sense of entitlement on the lawyer's part. For every long-standing ...

It may surprise some to know that I hold some very strong opinions. One of the burdens of having strong opinions is knowing when to share and when not to. Really, is it conceivable that others would not want to hear the wisdom dripping from our lips?

The other day I overheard my grandkids talking about me, and lawyers in general. The older one was trying to explain what it is lawyers do by repeating a comparison I'd once made between myself and Indiana Jones: “See, when you go to court, it’s ...

I confess that I am annoyed when people call Google+ a ghost town. I have to bite my tongue and crack my knuckles to avoid furious screaming and typing "You're doing it wrong!" But wait. Wait. Let me back up a step and explain what Google+ is: ...

For my birthday a friend had a tree planted in my honor in my home state of Ohio. (A tad amusingly, the friend’s last name happens to be Sycamore, but be that as it may….) Her gift put a huge smile on my face and was doubly appreciated because ...

No one takes their baby to a gynecologist for a routine checkup. No one goes to a cardiologist for an ankle sprain, or to a dentist when they have chest pains. So why, I ask, do distant relatives call me to draft prenuptial agreements when: (1) ...

When I began consulting, it was my plan to focus on working with corporations. But one of the first calls I received was from the managing partner of one of the international accounting firms. When I said I wasn’t an accountant, he replied, “You ...

I arrived early for the deposition but somehow, in his mind, I was late. I was also young. This angered him. I went to shake his hand, but his arm never moved. Rather, he looked me up and down and sarcastically said, “Great, looks like we’re ...