Counsel To Counsel - Career Advice For Lawyers

In this episode, Michael Katz, returns to Counsel to Counsel after a 3 year hiatus. In 2019, Michael and I spoke about how to use newsletters as an effective marketing tool. Check out Episode 29 of this podcast. Newsletters have only grown in value, especially during the pandemic when in-person marketing went away. As many of us have resumed in-person activities, however, live relationship building is moving back to center stage. Of course it never truly went away and Zoom made sure of that. But more than ever, we now have the chance to build strong referral relationships by participating in activities that we enjoy. One of the challenges of relationship building is how to stay top of mind so that our prospective clients and referral sources will think of us when they hear about an opportunity that is right for us. If you are like me, it is easy to deliver a lengthy discourse when someone asks what you do. In all likelihood, you do a lot of things. And some of those things are actually hard to explain. While

The pandemic was a mixed bag for me. As some of my listeners know, both of my parents died of COVID in April 2020. While that was very sad, it wasn’t tragic. My dad was 95, my mom was 94, neither suffered, and neither knew the other one was gone. At the same time, the lockdown created some great new opportunities to expand my network both here in New England and throughout the country. Zoom existed long before COVID. But going on-line in March of 2020 dramatically expanded my professional connections. Through my ProVisors business network, I met hundreds of great professionals in every corner of the United States. I now coach clients in New England, New York, Texas, South Carolina, Chicago, California, and Seattle. Beyond that, I’ve also met some other great people thanks to virtual platforms including today’s guest Rudy Rivera. Rudy is Chief International Counsel at Fidelity National Financial. He has extensive international litigation and business experience in Latin America, Europe, and Asia. I reached out

IMHO, the two most important words in the English language are "Thank You". As lawyers, we can be stingy in offering thanks to our colleagues and the people who support our work.  In addition, as we enter the holiday season and are thinking about showing more gratitude, now is a great time to start thinking about the changes we'd like to make in the coming year. In this special addition of Counsel to Counsel, I share my thoughts for Thanksgiving in the run up to 2023.

The subject of attorney well-being is a topic of conversation at most major law firms today.  Several years ago, the Report of the Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being was issued by the American Bar Association, Conference of Chief Judges, and other legal organizations.  It called well-being an essential element of a lawyer’s duty of competence. More recently, Law.com and ALM Intelligence  conducted a survey of lawyers and staff members, mostly from large firms, has found that anxiety, depression, and isolation remain at concerning levels.  And about 74% of the respondents thought that their work environment  contributed to their mental health issues. When asked about the factors  that had a negative impact on mental health, top concerns were always  being on call, billable hour pressure, client demands, lack of sleep, and lean staffing. In January of 2020, The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts created a Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being.  And there are similar initiatives in jurisdictions all over th

Is it possible to practice in the public interest at a major law firm?  How can you build a legal career working on complex commercial real estate deals while serving a higher purpose?  David Abromowitz has been doing that for almost 40 years. David Abromowitz is a real estate attorney who is nationally known for his work on complex development and finance deals.  A major focus of his practice has been on affordable housing and economic development.  He also has significant experience in workforce development issues supporting youth opportunities. David is a longtime partner in the law firm Goulston & Storrs, where he headed up the firm's real estate group and its pro bono committee. For the past dozen years he has been moving more into the non-profit and political realm. Most recently, David launched the New Power Project, a national effort supporting people who’ve grown up in underserved communities run for local and district elective office. Before that he served six years as Chief Public Policy Office

In the 25 years that I’ve been coaching attorneys, one of the common themes I hear is the desire to go in-house. We have spoken a number of times on this podcast about that. Conventional wisdom says that going in-house means becoming more of a generalist and many of the in-house counsel I have interviewed have found that their work broadened a lot once they left private practice. My guest in this episode, Misty Leon, took a different path. She has parlayed a niche practice into a great in-house role.  In this interview, we talk about her path into a corporate law department, what it is like to be in a compliance role in a rapidly changing legal environment, and how her life has changed since leaving private practice. What I love about having the chance to talk to Misty is that we have only met virtually. But since the pandemic, our paths have crossed many times on LinkedIn, on webinars, and in ways that would never have happened since Zoom took over the world. Misty Leon is legal counsel to Texas Instruments

One of the things I love most about doing this podcast is that I get to meet really interesting people and interview them. My guest in this episode takes the meaning of “interesting” to a whole new level. Susan Ibitz is a face reading profiler who  describes herself as a Human Behavior Hacker.  Through her company, Human Behavior Lab, Susan has trained, consulted, and worked with lawyers, politicians, law enforcement, managers, sales teams, and literally anyone who wants to be more effective in reading body language. She was trained in profiling by the CIA, FBI, U.S Military, and international militaries.  She is certified as a Level III Hostage Negotiator and has many other certifications to her name.  Susan’s mission is to reach, teach, and train others to unlock the science behind human behavior.  She has worked with police departments, trial lawyers, sales teams, governments, and corporations as well as many other institutions.  She helps her clients utilize profiling skills to increase sales, team produ

Retirement today is very different than it was 50 years ago. People are living longer, and lawyers, like many other knowledge workers, have the ability to work well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg was productive well into her late 80s. But for many lawyers, continuing to work is a default option rather than something that has been carefully planned out. Part of the reason is that lawyers have very strong professional identities. Part of the reason is finances.     As high-income earners, many lawyers fear that they won’t have enough money to last them throughout retirement. That fear needs to be addressed before decisions can be made.  From my perspective as a career coach, I see lawyers creating meaningful and productive “third chapters” of their lives. A crucial part of this is to look at finances.  Given how long many Americans are now living, taking the time to prepare to finance your possibly lengthy retirement is essential in making a successful career transit

The pandemic put a damper on international travel.  It also reduced the opportunities for American lawyers to practice law overseas.  But as travel has returned, the demand for legal talent trained in the United States has never been stronger in the Far East. One country where the need is particularly strong is Japan. So what does it mean to practice in Japan? How do you find opportunities? What are some of the cultural differences and what do lawyers who are thinking about an international adventure need to know? My guest, Catherine O'Connell, has practiced law in Japan for over 20 years and has a lot of the answers. Catherine O’Connell is originally from New Zealand, and has worked for major firms in New Zealand, Tokyo and London. She has held several in-house positions for well know Japanese companies. Today, she has her own boutique law firm in Tokyo where she serves as a fractional lawyer providing on demand legal services to big and small companies. She also serves as an outside general counsel on retai

Over the last 25 years, I’ve spoken to many lawyers who have expressed interest in going in-house.  When I graduated from law school in the late 1980s, opportunities to work in a corporate environment were more limited.  Today, there are many more lawyers working in-house. So what has changed?  And more importantly, what does it mean to leave behind a law firm job.  Since most in-house jobs are no guarantee of lifetime employment, how should lawyers position themselves for future career success after they shift their careers in-house? My guest, Amy Katz,  is someone whose career I’ve been following for over 20 years.  She began her career in a large firm, but has experience working for a major biotech company, going back into private practice, and more recently, has been working in non-practicing roles as a recruiter. Today, Amy is the Chief Talent Officer for Outside GC. Prior to rejoining Outside GC she did in-house recruiting for Major, Lindsey & Africa where she focused on recruiting general counsel a

In the legal profession, AmLaw100 law firms get most of the attention.  With eye popping salaries now being given to first year associates, it is easy to conclude that getting one of these jobs means you are at the pinnacle of the legal profession. While starting your career at a major firm has a lot advantages salary, and otherwise, the open secret is that many lawyers who work at these firms will end up leaving by the time they are midlevel associates. Some will go in-house, some will go to the public sector, and others will go to smaller firms. I’ve spoken to many lawyers who have stayed and continue to have fulfilling careers. But in my experience, many of these lawyers are much happier after they leave.  And the happiest lawyers are attorneys who have gone in-house or who have launched their own practice. In this episode, we talk about the latter. The decision to open your own practice is a daunting one. Lawyers as a group are somewhat risk averse. But it has never been easier to operate on your own or i

In law school, we learn how to think like a lawyer.  We develop the analytical skills we need to analyze a case, draft documents, research legal issues and provide sound legal advice to our clients.  But like many  professionals,  we don't spend a lot of time studying the human  component of the practice of law. While some of us come to the practice with strong interpersonal skills,  many of us  have not been in a position to lead prior to entering the profession.  As lawyers move up the ranks  this can create problems. Lawyers who are individual contributors  may provide outstanding legal services to their clients.  But as they move into leadership roles in their firms,  they need a different set of skills.  And if they don’t have those skills, that can create a bad culture. Moreover, a bad work environment  can cause numerous problems for a law firm.  For starters, it can cause turnover which can be costly. As someone who spent many years earning a living in the recruiting business,  I know how much it can

If you listen to this podcast or spend any time around me, you know that I am an enthusiastic member of ProVisors, a nationwide business networking group that is home to some great lawyers, accountants, financial planners, bankers, and many other trusted advisors. The thing I love most about the group is that I get to meet great professionals from all over the country.  One of those individuals who I met early on was Frank Rudewicz.  If you meet Frank, it won’t take you long to like him. He is the consummate professional who truly enjoys what he does. He is clearly invested in the success of those around him. And from his days at the FBI, he has great stories. I invited Frank on the show because Frank has deep experience doing investigations.  Since some of my audience are lawyers looking for alternatives to the traditional practice of law, I thought it would be great to have Frank on as a guest. In this episode, Frank and I talk about how he got to where he is today. He shares some thoughts about why lawyers

Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a big consumer of podcasts.  For me, podcasts are a significant part of my own ongoing professional development.  As someone who is not a big reader, I have also found podcasting an entertaining way to keep up on law, politics, marketing, and a host of other subjects that interest me including behavioral economics, psychology, mindfulness, true crime, health, and pop culture. And so I was very excited to stumble upon The Lawyer's Edge Podcast a few years ago.  My guest, Elise Holtzman, is the host of that podcast and I’ve now become a regular listener. I was even fortunate enough to be one of Elise’s guests last year. More importantly, I have been learning a LOT from Elise and her guests about a broad range of career and marketing topics. Lately, Elise has been focusing a lot of her conversations on the advancement of women in the law and given the depth of Elise’s own knowledge on the subject, I thought it would be great to invite her on to talk about some of the challenges

I met Jim Durham in the early 1990s when legal marketing was just taking off in law firms.  For decades before, law was thought of more as a profession. And while it is still very much  profession, there has been a dramatic shift in the way law firms think about marketing.  While there a few remaining firms that rely on longstanding institutional relationships to keep associates and partners busy, most firms today are actively looking for ways to promote their reputations. The most successful and most highly compensated lawyers are the ones who have figured out how to create a niche and build strong relationships with potential clients and referral sources. In the late 1980s and early 1990s when law firms began hiring marketing professionals and lawyers began working with outside marketing consultants and coaches, I had the good fortune to meet some of the pioneers in this new field. One who really made an impression on me was my guest , Jim Durham. I recently reconnected with Jim and spoke to him about my wo

If I had to name one thing I work on with almost every client, it would be FOLLOW UP! Follow up and persistence are critical if you want to build your business relationships, generate referrals, find that great in-house job, or get alignment from the partners you are trying to lead. The explosion of email and the added proliferation of spam filters, has made this all the more challenging. If you add in the fact that many lawyers don't like "sales", follow up is challenging....but critical. If you want to generate work, leverage your network to find your next great career opportunity, or be an effective leader in your law firm or corporate law department, follow up is a core skill to cultivate. But at some point, you actually can overdo it!  Listen in for some practice tips on how to follow up in a professional and effective way.

Bruce La Fetra calls himself The Client Whisperer. He works with the leaders of law, finance and other professional services firms who can't scale or can't exit because they depend on a single rainmaker. His tag line is “Think Like Your Best Clients”. According to Bruce, the ability to consistently attract great clients sets the best lawyers far above their peers.  Your best clients are:

We speak all the time on this podcast about the many ways, lawyers can advance their careers and find more satisfaction in an out of the law. If you at a law firm that emphasizes professional development, chances are, you are learning how to be successful in your practice area. If you are fortunate to have a good mentor, perhaps you are also learning how to succeed at your firm and maybe how to begin to build your own practice.  But if you are like most law firm associates, it is on you to decide what direction you want your career to go.  Career counseling has not traditionally been provided by your employer.  That was for your law school career services office. But if you have been practicing for a few years, maybe you are unsure what comes next. Is partnership in your future?  SHOULD you be building a practice? Is in-house an option and how do you get there?  Is an alternative legal career in your future?  Do you want to leave the practice of law altogether? Most law firms leave those questions for you to

There is a lot of talk in my business networking group ProVisors about building a personal brand. But what is a personal brand?  How can it help you build your law practice?  Why should all lawyers create one? In this episode, I speak with an expert on branding.  Barbara Kaplan is CEO of BSK Strategies, a business development consulting practice helping individual lawyers and law firms build their brands, target and win new and higher-value work, establish thought-leadership, and develop innovative strategies and approaches to distinguish themselves in a competitive marketplace. She brings to her consulting and coaching work over 20 years of experience helping clients define, pursue and win the business they want. She is devoted to helping them make that skill second nature. Join us for a great discussion about how to differentiate yourself in the marketplace by creating a personal brand, taming your inner critic so it doesn't interfere with your efforts to self brand, and a host of related topics.

Lauren Rikleen knew from a very early age that she was destined to become a lawyer.  She was the one in her family who was always questioning. She was the one who was always concerned about injustice. One of her earliest childhood memories was trying to stop bullying on the playground.   Today, Lauren is President of the Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership.  She is a nationally recognized expert on developing a thriving  diverse and multi-generational workforce. I recently sat down with Lauren to reflect on her career and what she has been doing since she left the practice of law.  Lauren was a guest on one of the first episodes of C2C where she spoke about success strategies for women in the legal profession. I invited her back to update us on her work since then and to talk about what inspired her to do the work she now does. She is an inspiration to me and to many women in the legal profession!