How to Be a Lousy Lawyer

Here are 7 good tips for being a bad corporate attorney.

Open vs. Closed Pay Systems

Is there a trend towards closed pay systems (i.e. where partners do not know what other partners earn?) Seems like a good idea to me. This is particularly true in larger firms where you may not know a lot of your partners. Of course, then you have to trust that your compensation committee operates fairly and according to clear guidelines.

Tips for Recruiting Great Talent

I could probably add a lot more to this list. In truth, many firms are not good at selling themselves to prospective candidates. While not every candidate is right for every firm, if you want good talent, take time to identify what really sets you apart from other firms. Generic statements like "we are a collegial firm", are much less effective than more specific and well thought out advantages of practicing at your firm (e.g. "our support staff turnover rate is less than 5% a year, one of the lowest in the industry".)

In-house Law Departments Facing the Squeeze

Going in-house may offer a number of advantages over law firm life. Most in-house lawyers do not have to track billable hours (at least not in 6 minute increments.) Also, working more closely with your client can mean fewer last minute deadlines. But in-house law departments are increasingly asked to do more with less. Corporate America may not offer a reprieve from the long hours that attorneys work in law firms.

Pay Attention to the Warning Signs

It is easy to ignore negative behavior during a job interviewing process. This is particularly true if a job seems like a great opportunity to develop new skills, work with certain choice clients or build your resume. But if an interviewer arrives late, has poor eye contact, takes phone calls during your interview, etc., don't expect life to get better once you start working there.

Partner Moves on the Rise

According to the American Lawyer, the rate of partner defections is increasing at the top firms in the country. There are lots of theories on how to slow down departures but unlike other professionals, lawyers cannot be bound by non-competes. Money remains a large lure.

The CEO of Greenberg Traurig (one of the firms that has grown rapidly in the past 5 years) offers his own thoughts on how to keep partners happy. He believes that partners should not be allowed to become isolated. On the other hand, he does not advocate running a firm like a democracy. He believes that a closed compensation system avoids intrafirm competition. Other firms try the democratic approach. Here in Boston, for example, Goulston & Storrs adheres to a democratic model of decision making to maintain partner buy in. My guess is that different models are attractive to different kinds of people. There is no "one size fits all" for law firm management/partner retention.

Confidence vs. Arrogance

There is a fine line between projecting confidence and projecting arrogance at a job interview. Here is some advice for graduating MBA's but it is relevant to attorneys as well.

Should You Bypass the Recruiter?

If you are looking at in-house opportunities, it is probably not a good idea to bypass a search firm. The company has specificially brought in the search firm to do the screening. But don't rely on recruiters to identify in-house opportunities. It can be a part of your strategy; but networking is probably more important.

Broken Promises in Lateral Hiring

My latest MLW article.

Billings and Originations are Leading Factors

Altman Weil has released the results of its 2006 survey of compensation systems. Billings and originations remain the top two most important factors in determining compensation, particularly at large firms. Also worth noting is that almost 85% of firms with 100 or more lawyers now have 2 tiers of partnership (up from about 65% in 2003). At most firms, good citizenship gets relatively little weight. Strange way to run a business!

Surefire Ways to Fail at Business Development

Coach Ellen Ostrow offers some ways to ensure that you will be unsuccessful at business development (inter alia: chose a specialty that does not interest you, start networking only when pressured to do so, focus only on getting the business when meeting with prospects.)

Should You Have an Elevator Speech?

Maybe. But it is much more important to engage prospects by finding out about what they do and what their needs might be. No one likes to listen to a monologue and pithy "hooks" can backfire.

Interviewing Tips for In-House Jobs

Some very good advice for lawyers who are interviewing for in-house jobs.

Learning to Apologize

Some thoughts on something that is difficult for many lawyers: the act of contrition. For major mistakes, show up in person so that you can make use of your full arsenal of verbal and non-verbal communication tools.

Boot Camp v. Summer Camp?

One firm in DC continues to shy away from the traditional "wining and dining" that summer associates experience at most large firms. Howrey Simon just launched its sixth Boot camp. For two weeks, summer associates work on a mock case. Sounds like a good option for would be litigators.