Counsel To Counsel - Career Advice For Lawyers

In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, host Steve Seckler interviews Naïs Mouret, a global leadership advisor and certified emotional intelligence consultant. Naïs shares insights on the critical role of emotional intelligence (EI) and physical well-being in the legal profession. Drawing on her experience working at the United Nations and her extensive background in leadership consulting, she highlights how empathy, resilience, and mindfulness are essential tools for both professional success and personal satisfaction. Naïs emphasizes the importance of developing EI to better connect with clients and colleagues, particularly in high-pressure environments like law firms. Naïs also discusses the profound impact of physical well-being on professional performance, advocating for small, practical steps that lawyers can integrate into their daily routines to enhance both mental and physical health. From mindfulness exercises to movement breaks, she shares tips on how busy legal professionals can foster resilience a

  In this episode of the Counsel to Counsel podcast, host Stephen Seckler is joined by Jordana Confino, a certified professional coach and founder of JC Coaching & Consulting. Together, they explore the pervasive issue of perfectionism within the legal profession, discussing how it often leads to anxiety, burnout, and career stagnation. Jordana shares her personal journey from practicing law while grappling with perfectionism to discovering the transformative power of positive psychology, which helped her redefine success and well-being in her career and life.   Jordana delves into the cultural and psychological roots of perfectionism in law, explaining how it can hinder career growth and creativity despite being viewed as a badge of honor in the profession. She outlines effective strategies for overcoming perfectionist tendencies, including self-compassion, distanced self-talk, and setting healthy boundaries. Through science-backed techniques and her own experiences, Jordana provides valuable insights f

In this episode Stephen Seckler speaks with Lana Manganiello, author of the new book Careers in Business Law: Forging Your Path to Success (American Bar Association 2024). Lana shares insights from her extensive experience working with AmLaw 200 firms on business strategy, attorney development, and implementing innovative growth initiatives. They discuss the evolving landscape of business law, the importance of aligning career choices with personal values, and how thought leadership can be a powerful tool for lawyers. Whether you're a law student, early-career lawyer, or seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable advice on navigating and succeeding in the legal profession. Tune in to learn more about Lana's career journey, her motivations for writing the book, and the key lessons she hopes readers will take away. Additional Episodes Episode 68-Are there Gender Differences in Legal Marketing?—What Men and Women Can Learn From Each Other About Building a Law Practice Episode 118-Paths to Partnership i

In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, I'm taking a summer pause from interviewing to catch up on some projects.  I share with you my thoughts on using time blocking as a way to get to the things that are important but not urgent.     Related Episodes Episode 123-Setting Your 2024 Goals and Creating Your “To Don't" List with Jennifer Forester and Wendy Merrill Episode 57- Billable Work v. Investment Hours (Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking on Time Management)      

Law is a conservative profession where change happens slowly. Law firms generally lag far behind accounting firms in creating new models. But since the explosion of the internet in the late 1990s, that rate of change has begun to accelerate. And with the rapid proliferation of ChatGPT and other AI tools, law will surely undergo a lot more change in the next five years. In this episode, we dive into the innovative legal model of Aliant with Managing Partner Jacob Stein. Aliant is a global network of independent mid-sized law firms that combines the credibility of a large firm with the flexibility and profitability of a boutique practice. Jacob discusses how Aliant LLP operates as a distributed/remote law firm in the US, offering back-office support while allowing lawyers to maintain high profit margins and operate independently. We explore the benefits for lawyers, including increased control over workload, high profit margins, and reduced stress, as well as the advantages for clients, such as personalized

Attorney well-being continues to be a hot topic in the legal community.  While the most severe effects of the pandemic are now behind us, mental health continues to be a significant issue in our profession. But there is a lot being done to address these challenges. To provide some context, several years ago, the Report of the Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, issued by the American Bar Association, Conference of Chief Judges, and other legal organizations, called well-being an essential element of a lawyer’s duty of competence. In Massachusetts, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers plays a vital role in supporting attorneys, and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has established a Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being to enhance the well-being of lawyers, judges, and law students in the Commonwealth. In this episode, my former colleague, Amy Levine discusses the many initiatives going on in Massachusetts and around the country.  Amy is the Director of Programs and Volunteers at Lawyers Concerned for Law

As the baby boomer generation of lawyers approaches retirement, many firms are facing the looming challenge of ensuring a seamless transition for their clients. This process is not just about maintaining business continuity but also about safeguarding the firm's legacy and client relationships. Unfortunately, many firms are not adequately addressing these issues, which can lead to significant disruptions. In this episode, I speak with a consultant who is working with law firms to change this. David Wood is a former senior partner with an AmLaw 100 firm, who planned and executed the succession of his entire $6 million practice to talented younger partners before he retired.  Recognizing that many law firms struggle to achieve this outcome, he now advises firms and practice groups on retirement succession issues and strategies. Key Takeaways Many law firms struggle with effective succession planning when senior partners retire Transitioning client relationships and revenue streams to younger partners is

For many lawyers in private practice, going in-house is the ultimate goal. For transactional lawyers and for some specialties like employment law, the path to a corporate role is more obvious. For litigators, less so.  Most companies outsource a lot of their litigation because the need tends to fluctuate. But litigators can bring valuable skills to a corporate environment. And there are many examples of litigators who have gone on to have successful in-house careers. In this episode I speak with Matt Campobasso, a litigator who has built a solid in-house legal career after having a successful career in private practice and public service. Matt Campobasso is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Enfusion, Inc., a publicly traded fintech company headquartered in Chicago.  He joined the company in 2020 as Deputy General Counsel and helped take the company public.  Prior to that, he served as in-house counsel to two other companies. He began his career as a prosecutor and then spent ten years litiga

I was beginning to think that live conferences were in my rear view mirror...until I attended the Annual Education Conference of the National Association for Law Placement.  It was my first live conference in over four years.  And I was like a kid in a candy shop. While I've made a point of going to an occasional live event, especially in the last two years (including speaking at live events), I had pretty much give up on conferences. Attending the NALP conference changed that for me.  The quality of the networking and the quality of the workshops convinced me that going to live conferences is still an important part of marketing and professional development.  Listen in to hear my story. Additional Resources Checklist for Networking Functions (before, during, and after) Active Listening-Do I Really Need to Say This?

We’ve talked a lot on this show about sales and marketing and how selling legal services is different than selling a product.  That’s good news for those of us in the legal industry because many of us don’t like the thought of being a salesperson. Selling legal services is about relationships building. The challenge, however, is that clients generally don’t need your services all the time. You don’t know when a client, potential client, or referral source will have a need or hear of a need. That’s why it is important to stay top of mind over a long period of time.  But how do you do that?  How can you make yourself memorable whether you are delivering a pitch, giving a presentation, or simply building relationships in the community. In this episode, Merry Neitlich talks about that. I’ve know about Merry for years, but we only met more recently through the ProVisors business network.  Back in the early 1990s when legal marketing was starting to take off, Merry was one of the pioneers in the legal marketi

I've had a number of guests on this show speaking about leadership. A large part of this is that I'm very interested in the subject. But I also feel that this is a skill set that is often neglected in the legal profession. As lawyers, we learn a lot about our craft in law school and even more once we are in practice.  As professionals, we are taught to analyze the law and help our clients to identify legal risks. Our job is to be skeptical and to apply dispassionate reasoning to the situation so that our clients can protect themselves from legal exposure and comply with the law.  We work to get our clients the best possible outcome whether it is in a litigation matter or in a corporate or real estate deal.  We help our clients to achieve their personal or business objectives in a way that avoids legal risk or accomplishes their legal objectives. But the same skills that we cultivate in practicing law can interfere with our ability to be an effective leader. Whether you are a managing partner, a practice

The practice of law has evolved a lot in the three decades since I graduated from law school. Technology has replace many monotonous functions and computers have replaced paper.  The internet has revolutionized how legal research is done and how law firms market themselves.  It has enabled remote work and interaction in a way that was unimaginable in the 1980s. At the same time, there are some fundamental things that have not changed.  The practice of law is still a service business that requires a lot of human interaction. Law firms are still challenging places to work. Clients can be demanding, the stakes can be high, and the billable hour can create unwanted incentives. In addition, lawyers like their autonomy.  Managing a group of lawyers is not for the faint of heart and takes a skill set that is very different than the skill set needed to practice law. So what do you need to know to be an effective law firm leader?  How can you inspire partners, associates, paralegals, and administrative staff to g

For a long time, I’ve been meaning to invite a judge onto Counsel to Counsel to talk about judicial careers.  Going on the bench is a logical next step for many litigators and I wanted to speak to a judge who could offer some practical wisdom on the subject. When I met Paul Wilson at an ABA conference in late 2022, I realized right away that I had a great prospect.  At the time, Paul was still sitting on the bench, so we decided to wait until he reached mandatory retirement. Paul is in fact now retired; but he remains very active in a number of law related activities. In this episode, Paul shares his wisdom on judicial careers.  What does it mean to transition from litigator to judge?  What are the pluses?  What are the potential minuses?  And how do you position yourself for a judgeship? In the Spring of 2023, The Honorable Paul Wilson retired from the Massachusetts Superior Court, the highest trial court in the Commonwealth.  He sat for over a decade on the Superior Court after being in private practi

In the legal press and even in popular media, larger law firms tend to get a most of the attention.  In truth, a high percentage of lawyers in the United States practice in firms that are under 20 attorneys.  And many of those are solo practitioners or very small firms that have broken away from larger firms. While I know that there are many lawyers who are satisfied with practicing in a large or mid-sized firm, as technology has continued to improve over the last two decades, I have seen many attorneys realize the benefits of running their own practice. Being your own boss is not for everyone, but I can say as a solopreneur, it can be very rewarding. I have worked with quite a few lawyers who have left comfortable law firm jobs to go out on their own or join forces with a handful of colleagues.  Most of them are happier on the other side. The challenge for lawyers who are contemplating this type of move is that they have never run their own business.  Where should the practice be located?  What services

When I graduated from law school in the late 1980s, there was no internet, no email, and fax machines were widely in use.  I used a Dictaphone to generate correspondence and had an assistant to transcribe the tapes.  While working remotely was possible because of the telephone, going into an office was the norm. In the intervening years, the rate of technological change has been truly astounding.  And while the internet, email, and social media have continued that evolution, in my opinion, the explosion of AI in the practice of law has been the most significant change in my lifetime. Never before has it been easier to run a practice as a solo.  The array of tools for research, communication, analysis, and drafting are replacing human labor. I’ve always been interested in technology and while I do try to keep up, technology is not my major. So I’ve invited Colin Levy to talk about the state of the art in legal tech in the practice of law. Colin S. Levy is a lawyer and legal tech author and speaker. Throu

We talk a lot on this program about finding ways to build a more satisfying legal career.  While many attorneys are drawn to the profession because they care about justice, they like the idea of becoming a trusted advisor, or they just enjoy the intellectual rigor of being an attorney, status and money are important too.  But if you are like me, one of the reasons you chose law school rather than business school is because math is not your jam. If you are a lawyer who has been practicing for a few years and thinking about your financial health and your financial future, you may have questions about paying off your student loans or figuring out how much to start saving for retirement. Maybe you aren’t sure how to organize your finances now that you are planning for life’s big events like buying a house or starting a family. Maybe you are thinking about eventually starting your own law practice and you aren’t sure how to get your financial house in order. James Grace has joined me for a very practical con

In this episode, I speak with my first “threepeat” guest, Lauren Rikleen.  This is Lauren’s third appearance on Counsel to Counsel. She was actually one of my first guests when I launched the show in 2018.  In that episode, we spoke about success strategies for women and the work she has done on that issue.    In the Spring of 2022,I invited Lauren back to talk more about her legal career including working in the field of environmental law as it was just taking off. We also spoke about what inspired her to make a career shift away from the practice of law.  If you haven’t already listened to it, I invite you to go back to episode 81.   I met Lauren in the early 1990s when I was at Massachusetts Continuing Legal Education and later had the privilege of sitting on her Standing Committee on Work/Life Balance when she was President of the Boston Bar Association.  I knew soon after I met her that Lauren is someone who is not afraid to speak up when she sees injustice.   She is also a person with a big heart wh

December is a great time to take stock, hit the reset button, and do some planning.   With 2024 around the corner, I’ve been speaking with my clients about setting goals for the new year.    I’m not talking about making New Year’s resolutions.  It's important to understand that resolutions and goals are not the same. Resolutions often lack specificity and a plan of action, making them easy to abandon. On the other hand, setting clear, well-defined goals lays a foundation for measurable progress and sustained success.   In this episode, I’m pleased to welcome Wendy Merrill and Jennifer Forester, two great coaches who also work with the legal community.  Jen and Wendy are also talking right now to their clients about goal setting and they have some great tips to share.   In our conversation, we speak about setting marketing and business development goals for your law practice. But Wendy and Jen also have some thoughts about other areas in your professional and personal life where setting goals can help ensure

As attorneys, we share many qualities that make us effective in representing our clients.  Our skepticism, aversion to risk, sense of urgency, competitiveness, and pessimism, can all be good for out clients. But when it comes to building a practice, advancing our careers, or taking on leadership roles, we are more effective when we remove our lawyering hats. As it turns out, these qualities can also have a pernicious effect on our mental health. In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, I share my thoughts on why it is important to stop thinking and acting like a lawyer in social situations. Additional Resources Stop Thinking (and Acting) Like a Lawyer–unless you are giving legal advice! Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers of Massachusetts- free and confidential mental health and substance abuse services for attorneys (check your state bar for similar resources in other states) Episode 70-Shailini George on Doing Well and Being Well in the Law

It is axiomatic that if you want to have a successful legal career, you need to learn your craft. Most areas of legal practice require highly refined analytical abilities coupled with good judgment. For the most part, the first developmental task of any new lawyer is to learn how to practice law. But if you want to advance in your career, you need to be more than a good technician.  Demonstrating executive presence is also key. In this episode, I am pleased to introduce John Buckley, Board Secretary and General Counsel for the North Carolina operations of a multinational mobility infrastructure company.  John talks about how building your executive presence is critical to advancing your career, especially if you want to want to take on leadership responsibilities. In a great conversation, John discusses what executive presence is, who needs it, and what it looks like. He offers his practical tips on how increase your own executive presence. Over the summer, I heard John give a great presentation on this topic