GC Wannabes

How can you increase your chances of becoming a GC? Competition is fierce for in-house jobs in general. Top law firm credentials are not enough to land one of these coveted positions. Law.com provides 10 tips from recruiters in Atlanta who place candidates in-house. For more on the subject, I wrote an article which answers some common questions attorneys have about going in-house.

If You Insist on a Summer Vacation, Bring A Really Good Book

If you have taken Steve's advice (immediately preceding post) and are taking a Summer break (or, if like me, your only "Summer break" is a stolen hour after lunch on a lonely Tuesday), you might as well make it worthwhile. After all, I know how you think. You might think you can really "keep your head in the game"--being of course the "family game"--but you are going to need a respite from all that lack of intellectual stimulation.

Might I suggest something, well, completely different.

You certainly ought not bring with you anything overtly "legal" in nature (your significant other will likely confiscate it anyway). So try something stimulating, but yet stimulating to parts of your brain that you aren't accustomed, maybe, to using.

To get right down to it, I'm suggesting you pick up a nice used, dog-eared version of Douglas Hofstadter’s Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid. I confess it is not a 2007 thriller. Actually, it's been out for 25 years--but I was afraid you might have missed it. It is an intriguing book alternately as clear as crystal, and murky as mud.

I love the book because it works on three distinct levels. On the one hand, it is an exposition of the thoughts of three genius: M.C. Escher (you remember, the guy famous for depicting the physically impossible); Kurt Gödel (the famous 20th-century logician); and J. S. Bach (him you know!).

On the next level, Hofstadter tries to communicate a very interesting (and in my book refreshing) concept: that our most treasured beliefs, ideas and constructs are based upon building blocks that cannot be defined, that are self-referential, in short, are “loops in logic.” I think you just might find that your lawyerly brain can relate to that--certainly it ought not be any stranger to "semantics as philosophy as formal logic". After all, just what were we doing as 1Ls if not getting our brains around that one?

Finally, on the third level, Hofstadter wraps up the whole in fable, in analogy, in poetry and prose. It is a heady mixture of fact, mind-bending "fictional" constructs, and statistics.

Okay, so maybe it's a tough read. But worth it.

Click here for more.

Summer's Ending--Time to Take Stock

Summer is a good time to reflect on your career. Work tends to move a little more slowly and many of our colleagues are off on vacation. But in reality, summer is an even better time for....well, vacation. So as we start the Fall, maybe now is the real time to do the reflecting. If you are an associate at a large firm, the Fall marks the start of your new associate year. You are one step closer to partnership (or perhaps one step closer to the door.) Here is an article I wrote on the subject. Think about it on your way to the beach and...take stock when you get back!

Dig Deep to Reach High: How Getting a Better Philosophy Might Help Your Career

Lawyers more than anyone should be able to appreciate the intimate connection between ideas and performance. After all, our stock and trade is the manipulation of abstract ideas and their application to real-world problems. Said another way, how we think about the world, our work, ourselves and our clients can make a profound and often unseen impact on the caliber, insightfulness (forgive the neologism) and quality of our work.

I write about the insight and "ah-ha" moment to be gained by taking just a peak at Heidegger's existentialist philosophy at the ad arguendo blog, a blog dedicated to law and its intersection with leadership. Anything that can get lawyers to break through that wall of "objectivity" that is so essential to their lawyering, but potentially harmful to their law practice, is worth considering. Click here to read more.

A Mid-life Crisis

A 55 year old law school graduate who has never practiced law, wants to know how to land her first legal job. She has many years of experience as a real estate executive; but she earned her JD 10 years ago. Click here for my suggestions on JD Bliss Blog.

The Brits' Clementi Commission: Our American Elephant in the Living Room

Where to begin!? I keep trying to write the law-blog version of the "Great American Novel"--which is of course some sort of definitive pronouncement on the impending Clementi reforms. (That's Sir David Clementi--the culprit--at left--otherwise quite a regular chap I've heard). This writer is, however, frustrated as all of his amazingly-insightful observations, warnings, hints, inferences and conjectures have, regrettably, all been said before. Sigh!

The British are Coming!

However, what perhaps has not been underscored is the intersection between the challenges presented by our neighbors across "the Pond" abandoning the ancient taboo of non-attorney ownership of law firms (and the attendant infusion of massive capital that it suggests) and the lack of leadership demonstrated in our "land of the Brave" with respect to it.

How Many Lawyers Does it Take . . . ?

I suggest that law firm leaders, and every one else concerned with the structure of our practice (which should be all 1.1 million of us), should be putting our collective thinking caps on to figure out how we are going to adopt such a strategy (I think whether is pretty much a foregone conclusion at this point given the relative economic disadvantages of NOT doing it), and in what degree, and how soon.

But, regrettably, our American penchant for last-minute heroics is the bane of forethought. We aren't doing a bloody thing about it, and the Brits are likely to have engaged in the process whole hog, by some estimates, as early as 2008, or perhaps 2010. Forgive me for pointing out the obvious, but this is rather startlingly soon considering we have only 51 systems of ethics to rewrite as well as legislation to fix, to say nothing of 10,000 partnership agreements.

That Hideous Silence

Well, regardless of your opinion of whether or how or when we will engage in Clementi-style reforms, it is telling, telling! that there has been almost no substantive discussion about it. I'm afraid the shrill beating of drums on the part of a half-dozen bloggers does not a national discussion make. Law firm leaders ought to be, if they are not in fact, the most brilliant, savvy, aggressive and in-touch lawyers on the planet. So where are the Jobs's, the Gates's, who will demonstrate the creativity and audacity necessary to push through major change--or perhaps perform the sociological version of "cold-fusion" by figuring out how to slip in sea-changes creatively without creating a ripple?

Trite Analogy

Regardless, the winds are changing in our global legal market and we must be ready and able to trim our sails accordingly to set the best course to our port of call: higher efficiency, greater customer service, more innovation in technology and plain ole' vanilla lawyering. The nitty-gritty of law practice cannot flower in metaphorical soil (aka the structure of our practice on the macro level) if it is not properly tended.

Please, please! may we now truly exhibit in-depth, rational, strategic thinking?

Shameless Plug

For more ranting on this topic, see my other "channel", ad arguendo. (Don't groan, Steve said it was ok to plug!)

Working Mother Survey is Out

The first annual survey of the Best Law Firms for Working Mothers is now on the newsstands. This survey, which was a collaboration between Flex-Time Lawyers and Working Mother Magazine attempts to hold law firms accountable for their practices. As always, I think it is important to view these lists with a healthy dose of skepticism. Firms can very greatly by office and department. Also, your destiny rests a lot on who you report to (and how enthusiastic they are about the firm's great work/life initiatives.)

In other words, don't take a firm's appearance on one of these lists as conclusive proof that you will be able to achieve the balance that you want.

By the same token, I do think it is great that the issue of work/life balance is getting such good publicity. Every bit of discourse helps and I'm happy to see the issue front and center in a respected publication. Presumably, this will be picked up by a lot of news outlets.

Law Firm Politics?? They're GRRRRREAT!

Okay. I know what you are thinking: this guy is nuts and law firm politics really stink. Au contraire!!!!

I firmly believe now, after plenty of my own well-earned battle scars, that avoiding politics is just another way of playing politics--only in a really ineffectual and doomed-to-failure way. There is no getting around "playing the game". The point is to understand how human beings actually interact socially and how to get one's mind around one's own comfortable approach towards engaging.

Anyway, I can't help incorporating just a little philosophy to boot. Brilliant political theorist Hannah Arendt had tons to say on the upside potential of playing politics in a creative, wholesome way. Click here for the full monty.

Have a political day!!!

Swarm Theory

Just read a mind-blowing article from David Bilinsky of Thoughtful Legal Management. He is a fellow new blogger (he just got off the ground last month). Already he has some "buzz."

I say "buzz" because one of his last entries concerns bees (yes, the "buzzing" kind) and the implications such "hive-mind" problem solving may have for humankind.

The idea is that humans can perhaps better breakdown very complex tasks by giving a broader range of individuals a very few (but well-chosen) tasks, and letting a sort of "ground-up" management style lead to great solutions. Sounds weird, but I like it.

Click here to see a fuller exposition on the concept.

In the meantime, keep bzzzy during these last few days of the "dog days of Summer"!!!!

The Vault rankings are out!

I was on vault.com today and noticed that the firm rankings for 2008 are out. Of particular interest are their Quality of Life rankings with the Top 20 Law Firms to Work For. Looks like McKee Nelson takes the top overall honors this year.

I always find the "hours" section of the quality of life rankings particularly interesting. Winstead Sechrest is ranked 6th this year for hours, which comes on top of their announcement last week that they will not raise first year salaries to 160k (unlike many of the big players in Texas), instead focusing on a higher bonus structure. Another Texas-based firm, Thompson & Knight, also made the best hours list. On the other end of the spectrum, Thompson & Knight was one of the first Texas-based firms to raise salaries recently. I wonder what effect this will have on the rankings for these two firms next year?

Suzanne Howe
BCG Attorney Search, Texas

My Shiny New Wings!

I've taken a page from Steve's book, and, appropriately motivated, decided to launch my own legal blog. I mean, really?, who doesn't have a blog now? At any rate, I really needed an outlet for my more strongly-worded, less-than-PC attitudes and observations. I'll try to keep my more reasonable, socially-acceptable, and less revolutionary ideas here, if I can think of any . . .

Join me at "ad arguendo". It might be fun.

Job Security--Learning From the Bush Administration

I join the 60 percent of Americans who believe that George W. Bush is not doing a good job as President of the United States. Nonetheless, I still think there are valuable career lessons that to learn by observing one of the worst Presidents in American history.

Attorney General Alberto Gonzales is a good case in point. By all objective measures, Gonzales should have lost his job months ago. In March, I wrote about the importance of integrity and predicted that Gonzales wouldn’t last a week.

Almost six months have past and Gonzales still has his job. Although members of both parties now believe that he has lied to Congress, Gonzales has continued to report to work every day as the Chief Law Enforcement officer of the U.S.

I still believe that integrity matters a lot (on the job and in life in general); but the case of Alberto Gonzales teaches something else. It teaches us that loyalty is the best way to maintain job security. Operate with integrity. But if you want to keep your job, demonstrate loyalty.

In short, if you can build strong relationships with your superiors, you will enjoy much greater job security. If powerful people in your organization support you because you have demonstrated a high level of loyalty in the past, then they are more likely to go to bat for you when the going gets tough.

Even from a purely political perspective, it is hard to see why Bush continues to support his Attorney General. Republicans and Democrats alike want him to go. But clearly, Gonzales’ relationship with Bush and past demonstrations of loyalty are helping Gonzales to stay in power despite huge odds. While I do not believe that this should be a substitute for acting with integrity, clearly, we can all benefit by showing some loyalty in the workplace.

"Danger, Will Robinson!"--Baby Boomers About To Retire En Masse

I mentioned in an earlier blog the huge opportunities and challenges facing law firms with the impending baby boomer exodus from the leadership ranks. I thought I would expand on that theme here.

That's right, you heard me--the long-standing complaint among senior associates and junior partners that they have no role in leading firms is going to radically change in the next few years. Take a look at the bios of the leaders in firms--that grey should be telling you something. That, coupled with several years of very healthy profits for equity partners (meaning less incentive to hang on and keep billing), and moreover combined with the heightened expectations of us all for long and fulfilling retirements, will all work together to create a single and compelling phenomenon: an impending tsunami of retirements that is going to rock the leadership of firms great and small. Click here if you don't believe me.

As the referenced article advises, most law firms are blissfully unaware of the potentially crippling effect of management ranks being felled through retirement. Those that can begin to plan ahead and really take stock of their intellectual capital (meaning of course their junior and mid-level partnership ranks) and begin to groom them for real leadership, will weather the storm. Those that won't will be scrambling to import high-ranking talent from other firms to bridge the gap.

The looming crisis could even be bad enough to force many more firms to adopt corporate-style leadership with true CEOs and all the rest (possibly even, gasp, non-attorney management!). It will be something to watch, believe me. It will also be a feeding frenzy in the recruiting world.

Mark my words, firms stuck in old-style, top-down management styles that don't account for the development and grooming of their talent are going to be in for a shock. Further, all these factors combined with the tendency even of current leadership to think only of their own careers with no regard for the future of firms, is going to mean huge opportunities for some--and yet further rounds of mergers. Also, even those firms that have been doing a good job at bringing up good talent are going to find even greater pressures in terms of retention--good leaders are GOING to be even more aggressively recruited.

The smart money is going to be on firms that combine solid retention strategies with agressive recruiting practices and close collaberation with professional headhunters.

Bright young partners be on notice: You may be far closer in line for the 'throne' than you think!

You heard it here first, folks!

Pete Smith, Esq.

BCG Attorney Search

Humility's Rennaissance

I "grew up" as a litigator. I always thought that was what you were supposed to do if you liked speaking in public and had a nasty little aggressive streak. Indeed, once I got into law-firm life, I noticed that nearly all the successful litigators had very overt hyper-aggressive tendencies. Even the more "mellow" litigation partners were eventually found out to be ruthless--once you scratched the surface.

One fallacy that I have discovered now that I am a headhunter is that transactional attorneys do not share that same trait. At the least, I've noticed that the younger generation of attorneys (let's says class of '97 and up) tend to uniformly demonstrate these overtly aggressive traits just as frequently as litigators. The trick is, however, you've got to know when to show your fangs.

In my view, law firms like the aggressive types--but with a big caveat; they want you to use that attack instinct on opposing counsel--not within the firm.

I see it more clearly and poignantly in the interview process. Many attorneys--come to think of it especially transactional types--think they can use the same strong-arm negotiation tactics they use in making deals in the process of approaching a firm for employment. Um, this doesn't work.

Uniformly, in my experience, firms are very interested in hearing about your killer instincts in an interview; they are very happy to read snappy descriptions of them on paper; but they are not so thrilled to be on the receiving end of candidates' negotiation ploys. You think this is obvious? Well. It might be, but 90% of candidates fall into this trap--maybe they just can't help themselves or the process makes them nervous and they revert to type.

Either way, let me suggest a different approach. As the interview "dance" is a time-consuming one from a firm's perspective, I suggest candidates use as much restraint as possible and access all of their patience. Let the firms dictate when and where to meet--do not grumble (either inside or out) when they change schedules on you and when they dither. Just trust the system and let things flow. Remember, if you are even now grinding your teeth at the thought--the time to use your 'big guns' is or should be reserved for what counts---your decision whether or not to accept an offer.

I’ll write again soon about aggression in firm life once you are on the “inside.” In the meantime, try to let humility and forbearance become a hallmark of your professional style--at least when dealing with your own colleagues!

For another perspective on "culture" within law firms, click here.


Pete Smith, Esq.
BCG Attorney Search, San Francisco