Law Consulting Blog : Cordell Parvin's Law Consulting Blog : Coach & Consultant For Lawyers & Law Firms : Business Development, Career Planning

Are you a young lawyer looking for a mentor? If you go on my website you will see that I have written a great deal about mentoring. In my book “Prepare to Win” I wrote a chapter titled: “The Importance of Role Models and Mentoring.” I have written extensively on mentoring because I feel I owe a great deal to the mentors I had in my career beginning with my father. I also enjoy helping young lawyers

I frequently receive email questions about mentoring from lawyers and professional development professionals. Here is an example of an email with questions about mentoring:

"Cordell, I recently thought about your article where a partner mentored you early in your career and how this partner met with you early in the morning to teach you about the practice of law. What advice do you offer to today's young attorneys about forging similar relationships? How can a young attorney turn a grumpy old partner, who is only concerned about his billable hours, into a mentor?"

Those are great questions. My first thought was: "Gosh, I hope none of the associates who worked for me thought of me as a grumpy old partner." My second thought was that the older the partner, the more likely he or she will be to take the time to listen and provide advice. The greater challenge is getting a grumpy young partner to take time away from billable hours.

I am not sure a young attorney can ever turn a partner who is only concerned about billable hours, into a mentor. Here are my suggestions for young lawyers:

• Find the right partner. Lawyers in your firm who are good mentors are likely well known throughout the firm.
• Find the right time to spend time with the mentor. As explained above, I met with my first mentor (we never used that term) the first thing in the morning over coffee. I learned early on that he spent some time early getting ready for his day and he was open to meeting with me then.
• Convey that you want to learn and become the best attorney you can be. Experienced lawyers admire young lawyers striving to learn and be the best they can be.
• Ask good questions. Experienced lawyers generally like to tell younger lawyers about their experiences. When I met with the young partner who took me under his wing, I frequently began the discussion with: "Have you ever…?"
• Actively listen to your mentor.
• After the mentor offers his or her ideas, don’t say: “Yes, but…” or “My problem is…” Any time a lawyer said that to me, I decided he really wasn’t seeking my help. Instead he just wanted to complain.
• Come up with your own action plans after a mentoring session.
• Pass it on. Find a new lawyer in your firm and offer to be his or her mentor.

Speaking of mentoring, I have a new e-book “Strategy for Your Career and Your Life” downloadable from my webpage. In it I discuss my own strategy and strategies used by other lawyers. I also include a workbook for you to use to develop your own strategy. If you think the book is helpful pass the link on to your friends and colleagues.

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Later this month I will be leading two programs on mentoring for mentors and mentees. Just for a moment, imagine you are sitting in on the program and suppose I told you that you had to choose one, or at most two, words to describe the attributes of the best mentors. What word or words would you choose? Here are my ideas:

• Principle Centered


• Trustworthy


• Ethical


• Role models


• Committed


• Patient


• Understanding


• Respectful


• Responsive


• Motivated


• Talented


• Enthusiastic


• Energetic


• Inspiring


• Unselfish


• Fair


• Thoughtful


• Encourager


• Upbeat


• Storyteller


• Fun


• Team player


• Supportive


• Straight forward


• Even keeled


• Feedback giver


• Shares


• Getting Better


• Knows person


• People focused


• Confident


• Humble


• Good listener


• Open


• Accessible


• Communicator


• Appreciative

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I am frequently asked about the attributes of rainmakers. I have given it some thought and here is what I see in rainmakers.

Most rainmakers are really good lawyers. They may not be the smartest lawyer in their field but they have focused on always getting better and becoming the best lawyer they can be.

Most rainmakers are genuinely likeable. They connect well with other people in large part because they are able to convey they really care. They are empathetic and understand the other person's point of view. They are good listeners. They are able to build trust and rapport quickly. They are open and friendly.

Most rainmakers have a confidence inspiring personality. When I was a young lawyer we did not have mentoring programs, but mentoring took place every day. I remember one of the first things I learned from my mentor was that clients need to feel you can take care of their problem. They are entrusting something really important to them in your hands.

Most rainmakers are willing to get outside their comfort zone. I believe real achievement occurs when you stretch and try something that is uncomfortable. In 1980 I gave my first presentation to a large audience. I was really nervous about it and stayed up all night before the presentation going through it in my head. I visualized the audience and visualized me speaking. The next day I did the presentation and it was well received. I was also nervous the first time I tried a case to a jury. I spent hours and hours preparing for the trial. I remember cutting my hours in the bill by half. In each of these instances, getting outside my comfort zone gave me confidence.

Finally and perhaps most importantly, most rainmakers know what they want, they know what their clients need and they deliver value and exceed expectations.

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What can a law firm do to energize its associates?

First, the law firm must clearly articulate the importance of the work associates do, not in terms of billable hours or profits per partner, but rather in terms of how the work benefits clients. Many associates decided to become lawyers because they wanted to contribute in a meaningful way. They will find their work worthwhile when they can re-ignite that sense of making a contribution that matters. Second, law firm leaders need to clearly articulate where the firm is going, how it plans to get there, what are its core values and how each lawyer, both partner and associate, is expected to contribute. If a firm does this well, it will have gone a long way to energize its associates. It will also have created a sense of affiliation and teamwork mentioned by the authors of Aligning the Stars.

Firms then need to empower associates to achieve the firm goals. I believe this is best done by working with each associate individually and listening and understanding what makes him or her unique and special. I strongly recommend that each associate, with the help of a mentor, set goals and develop a plan to achieve them. Associates need to take control of their careers to feel empowered and setting stretch goals and having a plan is the first step to empowerment. The goals should focus on what they want to learn and what they want to achieve and should focus on their individual needs and dreams and stretch them. When associates take control of their careers, set stretch goals and have a plan to achieve them, they will achieve at higher levels and will be more excited about their future.

Law firms then need to give feedback, especially positive feedback and constructive feedback.  The concept is simple and the reasons for it clearly understood, but getting partners to actually do it takes real effort. Law firms need to make sure their supervising lawyers are constantly giving real time feedback and that it is not simply criticism. As David Maister points out, satisfaction is driven in part by coaching. Looking at the great teams in sports, the coaches play a huge role in the team's success. They recognize that each player is different and they know how to push the right buttons to get the player to perform at a peak level. Law firms too often limit feedback to year end reviews and rarely give praise when an associate does an outstanding job. In many cases, to push the right buttons, it is actually more important to let associates know when they have done an outstanding job and let them know how much their work is appreciated. As Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles suggest in Gung Ho, when criticism of an associate's work is warranted, it should be done in a way that encourages the associate and shows specifically how the work could be improved.

In summary, law firms will be more successful when they raise the level of career satisfaction of their lawyers. Firms can do this by making sure associates understand their importance and the importance of what they are doing.  Then if they feel responsible and in control of their careers and they receive feed back from supervising attorney, they will more likely stay with the firm and do outstanding work for the firm's clients.  Interestingly, law firms have complete control over accomplishing this goal, yet few are really doing it.

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A person with great dreams can achieve great things. Dr. Bob Rotella, golf psychologist

1.     Make sure there is an alignment of leadership, purpose, strategy, core values, culture, and systems that includes goal setting.  If the leadership does not support goal setting, it is not part of the strategy.

2.     Or, if it is contrary to the firm's culture, it probably won't happen.  Leadership requires that you set an example and show lawyers how to meet the firm's and their own expectations.  That means firm leaders must have their own goals and be willing to share them with others.  Keep in mind:  If you don't value career development at your firm, your brightest talent will move to a law firm that does.

3.     Clearly articulate what is expected of mentors and why.  Train the mentors and then hold mentors accountable.  Mentors should help associates set goals, help them prepare a plan and then meet with them regularly to go over how they are doing.  For accountability, include mentoring in evaluating bonuses and compensation for partners.

4.     If the firm values associate development and associate investment in their careers, communicate that message clearly and then reflect it in associate bonuses and feedback.  If the firm does not value it, persuade associates they are at best limiting their career by not investing non-billable time in themselves.

5.     Help associates see the value of setting goals and then train them how to set them.  Be able to convey that goals are a means to career success and satisfaction. I explain to associates that I selfishly set goals because I know I am responsible for my career happiness and success.  Goals help me prioritize what is important to me and help me focus on my personal and career priorities.  Goals also give me a sense of freedom and independence, especially as I develop my own clients.  I also explain that a great deal of the value is actually the process of setting goals and thinking about the future.  Consider the words of the very goal-oriented Ben Stein, who is an actor, political speechwriter, law professor, economist, author and columnist:  "The indispensable first step to getting the things you want out of life is this:  Decide what you want."

6.     Conduct workshops for associates on goal setting and career planning as part of orientation and then a second workshop at the beginning of their fourth year.  Those who have reached their goals will need to set new ones; those who have not may need to change their action, strategy or both. If their goals have changed, they may need to chart a new course.  The formal workshops, in addition to private, ongoing mentoring, reinforces the firm-wide message that your commitment to your associates is long-term and embedded in firm culture.

7.     Have mentors find out from associates what is important to them and what they value.  It is the beginning step to setting goals.  Mentors can help reinforce firm goals and an associate's role in achieving them.  It is also important for mentors to understand that goals reflect generational and societal change.  What motivates a mentor may have little meaning to an associate.  Pay attention to the differences and help associates form goals that match their values.

8.     Convey to first and second year associates that their goals need to focus on what they want to learn and experience.  If the firm has a shadowing program the goals may include the shadowing they want to do.

9.     When associates set goals, have them write a paragraph on why they want to achieve their goals and have them brainstorm all the things they need to do to achieve each of them.  Share with them strategies for reaching goals quickly.  Studies have shown enormous differences between the success of people who just thought about rather than wrote down their goals and between people who wrote down their goals once, yearly, monthly, weekly and daily.  Hint:  The more often you write down your goals, the faster you will reach them.

10.    Prepare different Personal Development and Performance Plan templates for the 1-3 year associates than the 4-7 year associates.  Their needs are different, and this should be reflected in the planning guidance you provide.

An average person with average talent, ambition and education can outstrip the most brilliant genius in our society if that person has clear, focused goals. Brian Tracy, whose bestselling titles include,  Hire and Keep the Best People

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I will be speaking to groups of associates in two law firms in the next week. The topics generally will cover the secret of being a successful lawyer and having a fulfilling and active family life.

When I was billing 2000 hours I did not have time to study or understand why some lawyers are successful and have a great family life and why others are not. I also did my client development instinctively and some things worked very effectively, while other things did not work quite as well. I didn't have time then to sit down and analyze why.

Now, that I am coaching and working with lawyers, and researching and writing, I have a much better idea of the attributes of the most successful lawyers who also have a family life and I understand better why certain client development efforts work more effectively than others. While each lawyer I know has unique talents, weaknesses, ambitions and practices, and there is no magic pill or formula, there are principles that I urge you to think about and try.

I have written about those principles in previous Blog postings and on my web page you will find two articles I wrote that were published this year. The first was published by the New York State Bar Association YLD publication "Perspective" and the second was published by "Marketing the Law Firm." It is kind of a shorter version of the first. They both address some of the principles I mentioned.

As I have outlined on this page before, it all begins with our attitude. When we talk to our self do we say: "Yes, but..." or "Sure. How...?" do we say; "My problem is..." or "my opportunity is..." Next, we must have clarity on what we want in our career and life. Our time and energy are our most important assets. If we do not have clarity by having a written plan and written goals we waste precious time. Next, we need to focus on what our clients need. They do not want to be sold. They do not care about what we do. They hire us to solve problems, help them achieve opportunities or deal with internal or external changes. If what we do does not address those issues, the client will not hire us, no matter how good we are.

We need to build our profile. Over time it really helps to focus on a niche and become the "go to lawyer" in that niche. It should be something clients need and you are passionate about. One lawyer I am coaching sent me her revised plan. She identified clients and potential clients, what she could do for them, two specific areas she wanted to focus on and become the "go to lawyer" and a game plan to become recognized by the clients she wants to serve.

Building our profile gives us the opportunity to build relationships with clients and potential clients. At the end of the day, we get the opportunity to be considered based on our reputation and recommendations, we ultimately get hired based on how well we connect with our clients and build trust and rapport. Assuming we do high quality work, we keep those clients by understanding their industry, their business and their personal needs. I also say that I want my clients to be friends and I want my friends to be clients. So, the personal relationship we develop really does matter.

When we become more successful we need to build a team. Young lawyers who will later work with you will be thinking "what is in this for me to work with...?"  We need to treat them as if they are as important as our most important client because without their help we will not retain our most important client. We need to align their goals with our own and our client's goals, provide sufficient information in a timely way for them to do their work and then constantly give feedback.

Finally, we need to plan our personal time at the very least as well as we plan our work time. For me, Saturday afternoon starting with lunch has always been Jill's time. It is more challenging now that she is married, but we still try to spend that time together, now usually with her husband and my wife, Nancy, included. When we are with our family, we need to be in the moment, not answering blackberry emails. You will see in this Boston Globe article that my grown daughter brought that point home to me well. http://www.boston.com/jobs/news/articles/2006/07/02/businesss_new_task_turning_off/

I recently came across a report titled: How Superachievers Outperform Others by Dr. Donald J. Moine. I found it very supportive of what I have learned and written about how super lawyers outperform others. You can find it on the Selling Power webpage http://www.sellingpower.com. If you have trouble finding it or downloading it, send me an email and I will get it to you.

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"Are your star associates staying with your firm?

Are they learning the skills that make them valuable to your clients?

Are your partners behind the effort to train and develop the associates?

What are effective ways to train and develop them? 

I got the opportunity to answer these questions during a presentation to managing partners at an annual bar association meeting. I loved the title they gave me. It gave me the opportunity to focus on how to connect with the 'next generation,' make the business case for developing them, and then give specific ideas on how to do it."

The above quoted text is from an article I wrote for the October 2007 issue of The Practical Lawyer. In Developing the Next Generation of Remarkable Lawyers, I ask and answer those questions. If you want to read more about this important topic, you can download an advance copy of the article from my website:

www.cordellparvin.com

While you are at my website, feel free to look at and use the other articles and information I have on the site to help you and your firm in developing your attorneys and furthering the success of your firm.

After you have read the article, please come back to this blog and post any comments you may have about developing the next generation of remarkable lawyers.

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"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime."

Chinese Proverb

I like to point out that it is a mistake for law firms to focus on Profits per Partner (PPP). Instead, I recommend focusing on the things totally within the control of the firm that in the end produces Profits per Partner. One of those things is your attorney development program. In the book Aligning the Stars, the authors, Jay W. Lorsch and Thomas J. Tierney point out that: "Starmaking" is more important to a firm's long-term success than "rainmaking."  Talent is the only source of a firm's competitive advantage.

What is your firm's purpose, vision, and its core values relating to its attorney development program? Here is what I suggest you consider:

Purpose The purpose of our law firm Attorney Development Program is to enable our attorneys to better serve our clients, to increase our realization, and to provide opportunities for greater achievement and career satisfaction. 

Vision

We seek to have an attorney development program recognized as preeminent by our clients, our lawyers and law students.

Core Values Our attorneys will take responsibility for their career development and satisfaction.

Each attorney, associate, shareholder, and of counsel must contribute in some way.

Supervising lawyers will give clear direction, answer questions, pay attention to quality, and provide real time constructive and supportive feedback.

Teamwork is encouraged at all levels.

Each attorney and staff member will be shown respect. Respect engenders respect.
We will endeavor to provide consistent, real and specific direction on career advancement. 

CLE will be used as a means of acquiring skills necessary to better serve our clients and enable our attorneys to grow.

We will demand a lot from our lawyers.  They will work hard, meet high standards of excellence, and over time and with our guidance and support, learn to be outstanding lawyers, trusted advisors and mentors for a new generation of outstanding young lawyers.

Each associate in our firm has a unique background, unique skills and unique dreams, but  they also share things in common.  They all want to learn and become better lawyers.  They want to perform interesting work. They want to feel like they matter, know where they stand, and whether they are on track, and they want to feel respected by senior lawyers and peers.

The most junior lawyers know more about the science of law and less about the art of lawyering than they will ever know in their career. When it comes to the future, many young lawyers are confused.  They feel like they are on a trip to an undefined and constantly moving destination (making partner).  They are uncertain of the time expected for their arrival, feel they have not been given a map to get there, and no compass to let them know where they are.  They feel they have no coach or sponsor. Our job as senior lawyers is to teach them the art of lawyering and help them clear up the confusion. This requires us to get to know them, to understand what makes them unique, and to encourage them to achieve success as they define it. Our work with our clients is not any different and just as we get good vibes from helping our clients achieve their business objective, we get the same feeling helping our young lawyers achieve their career goals.

"You will have more fun and success helping other people achieve their goals than you will trying to reach your own goals."

Dale Carnegie

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Was anyone surprised that Tiger Woods won the PGA tournament over the last weekend? I certainly was not surprised. I know the PGA has many outstanding golfers. Yet, no one on the tour goes into a major tournament better prepared than Tiger Woods. During his interview on Sunday, Tiger Woods talked about his consistency of ball striking and putting. He also explained how he prepared for the tournament. He visited and walked the Southern Hills golf course, visualized the shots he expected to make and practiced those shots. Tiger Woods is clearly the number one golfer in the world.  Even the best golfer in the world has a coach. Hank Haney.

Even though the greatest golfer in the world has a coach, most lawyers my age don't see the value of coaching lawyers on client development. Those lawyers never had coaches when they were senior associates or junior partners, so they can't see the value of it now. Most lawyers my age also believe lawyers either "get it" (how to develop business) or don't. They believe lawyers who are successful at business development were born with the traits that enable them to bring in business.

Why is it important to have coaching for senior associates and junior partners now? There are several reasons. First, developing business now is way more challenging than it was 25 years ago. There are way more lawyers making the competition greater, client expectations have increased, and the time available for business development has decreased. When I was a young partner, most lawyers developed business by doing excellent work and waiting for the phone to ring. Most clients in those days were both local and loyal. It's way more complicated now. Through consolidation and mergers, clients that were locally owned are now part of national and international companies. So, it is more difficult to become visible to those clients. Second, many senior associates and junior partners are in the transition stage of their career, moving from being solely service providers to being responsible for developing and building client relationships. For many, that is a daunting task. They do not know where to start. As a result, they do not start, or they give up quickly when some of their efforts do not work. To the extent there is any effort at all, it is unstructured, unfocused and ultimately unsuccessful. Many lawyers procrastinate, are undisciplined, have no written plan and ultimately little or no execution.

When I was actively practicing law, I did not have the time to focus on helping our junior lawyers with business development. Frankly, I did not have time to analyze why some things worked for me, while others did not. Now that I am no longer billing 2000 hours, I have time to analyze what worked for me and why it worked.

Before I left my old law firm, I went to the leaders and told them I had peaked in my own business development efforts and offered to take 15 brand new partners and work with them on their client development. I bragged I could help the group double the collective business volume in two years. They actually accomplished that goal in one year. I enjoyed working with our pilot group so much that I decided to leave my law firm so I could work with lawyers in other firms.

If you have someone in your firm who will take the time to coach and work with your senior associates and junior partners, I think you will see both a benefit to the lawyers coached and a benefit to your firm.

Here are some thoughts on what you might do. The person who volunteers to coach should be like a fitness coach. In other words, he or she will help the participants be accountable to themselves and to the "team." I love a quote I read recently in a book by Jack Canfield. The quote was attributed to Fast Company magazine:  "Executive coaches are not for the meek. They are for people who value unambiguous feedback..."

Put simply, the most important factor in the success of any coaching program is the burning desire of the participants to get better at client development and their willingness and openness to being coached. So, the first thing you must do is select the right people.

 The second thing I suggest is to create both an individual effort and a team dynamic. Participants will learn what activities will provide the greatest benefit to them and then will have regularly scheduled sessions with the coach to report on activities and learn more. I have been amazed by the group dynamic. No one in the group wants to let the rest of the team down and they feed off of each other's ideas.

In an effective coaching program, young lawyers will:

• Develop a Business Plan
• Determine both group and individual goals that will challenge and stretch them
• Determine what activities to undertake to meet their goals
• Learn how to write articles and give presentations that will enhance their reputation and increase their chances of getting hired.
• Develop a Focused Contacts Plan
• Become more client focused
• Be held accountable

I bet that many of the lawyers my age who do not believe in coaching lawyers get golf lessons from PGA professionals. I submit that if the greatest golfer in the world benefits from coaching, the greatest young lawyers in the world would also.

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Plante Moran is an accounting firm headquartered in Michigan. It is the 11th largest accounting firm in the United States. It has been ranked as one of the top 100 places to work in the United States for the last eight years. That is quite a feat.

I had read that the firm is one that actually lives its core purpose and values rather than just having a document on the wall. Their core purpose is to be a caring, professional firm, deeply committed to their clients' success. Their core values are:

• We care


• We are guided by the Golden Rule


• We strive  to be fair


• We commit to quality, integrity and professionalism, consistently placing clients's interests ahead of firm interests


• We mazimize individual opportunities within the context of the team


• We are dedicated to preserving and enhancing our spirit

In an e-newsletter called, "Reading for Leading," Michigan's First Gentleman Dan Mulhern wrote an article he titled: "Plante Moran: Caring makes it a great place to work." In his article Michigan's First Gentlemen states:

"The values, principles, and commitments are not just discussed.  They are lived.  'Caring' is something they recruit for, interview for, and even use their staff psychologists to test for.  They have long had a 'Jerk free' environment, and if a jerk slips through the selection process and acts in a way that violates the golden rule, they will be counseled, and if they don't change, they will be moved out."

Plenty of law firms have mission statements and core values. They usually speak about providing extraordinary service for clients and providing maximum opportunities for lawyers and staff. Not all firms actually live these core values like Plante Moran does. They seem to get lost in the ever increasing theme of making more money and getting hours. Just suppose your firm focused being a great place for lawyers to work and develop their careers and focused on client service and put the clients' interests ahead of profits per partner considerations. I think profits per partner would increase over time and clearly the career satisfaction would be enhanced.

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I recently received a copy of an email from a lawyer I am coaching to the others in her coaching group. She said:

I am not sure how many of you are reading Cordell's book, but I just read a great tip in there that I thought that I would share with you.  It is not one that I had heard before.

Determine who 5 leading lawyers are in your field.  Print out their biographies.  Study their biographies to determine what has made them successful (e.g. speaking engagements, leadership roles, pro bono, memberships).  Emulate their success.

A few years ago I read a quote attributed to Bobby Knight and also to Paul (Bear) Bryant. It was "Many have the will to win, but few have the will to prepare to win."  I believe  successful lawyers are not successful by accident. Most I know prepare to win by figuring out what is important to them, setting career and life priorities, developing a plan with goals and taking action to achieve them. I also know now that attracting new clients and building a lasting relationship with them is not an accident. The successful lawyers I know prepare to win with clients and potential clients by taking time to understand their needs and making sure they effectively address those needs.  In your career, "the will to prepare to win" will be way more important than the "will to win." So, I chose "Prepare to Win: A Lawyer's Guide to Rainmaking, Career Success and Life Fulfillment" as the title for my new book, which has recently been released.

This book is not about winning in court or on appeal. Instead, it is a workbook designed to help you define your own success and then achieve it. I hope you will find it a helpful tool as you focus on your career, client development, and living the kind of life that is important to you. I hope you find some valuable nuggets in the book that will help you think through what your career and life priorities are and how you can achieve them.

Here are the Chapter titles:

Chapter One:  How Do Rainmakers Do It?
 
Chapter Two:  Living and Practicing Law with a Purpose: You Have to Answer the "Why" Question

Chapter Three:  Your Vision of Success: How Do Rainmakers Do It?

Chapter Four:  Core Values: How Do You Want to Live?

Chapter Five:  The Importance of Role Models and Mentors

Chapter Six:  Setting Yearly Goals and Developing Your Career Plan

Chapter Seven:  A Call to Action: Executing Your Plan

Chapter Eight:  Mind Games: Getting and Staying "In the Zone"

Chapter Nine:  Building Your Profile: The Power of Writing and Speaking

Chapter Ten:  Community Service and Networking

Chapter Eleven:  Connecting with Contacts

Chapter Twelve:  Top Ten Client Development Mistakes

Chapter Thirteen:  Improving Client Service

Chapter Fourteen:  From Niches to Riches

Chapter Fifteen:  Important Extras: The Value of Extraordinary Client Service

Chapter Sixteen:  The Business Case for Better Balance

Chapter Seventeen:  Building the Next Generation of Rainmakers

If you want to read a sample from the book, click here. You can also order the book from the webpage.

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I recently received three very thoughtful questions from young lawyers about the mentoring relationship. They were:

1. How do you find a mentor when no one has a shingle outside their door that says "Mentor available"?

2. How can you attract the attention of a mentor without damaging your image within the firm by appearing that you are needy and desperate for career help?

3. What is the best way to develop a meaningful mentoring relationship?

Even though mentors don't have a shingle outside their door identifying themselves, associates can tell pretty quickly who are the best and most interested in their firm. Associates need to take the initiative to find the right mentor. Alternatively, associates can tell which of the senior lawyers are not well suited to be mentors. Some senior lawyers don't often give associates recognition for high quality work or service or going the extra mile for clients, it's probably true.  I think many of these senior lawyers did not get the positive feedback I received as a young lawyer.  Therefore, they are less inclined to give it.  In my old firm I tried to convey to senior lawyers that associates want, need and deserve feedback. My goal was to encourage my partners to be better mentors and to teach associates how to get the most out of their mentoring experiences. I learned over time that no matter how hard I tried, I was not able to change those partners. So, even though the great mentors do not have a shingle outside their door, associates need to look for them if they get to choose their mentor.

I sincerely do not believe that wanting to have a mentoring relationship is any sign of weakness. I frequently tell lawyers that Tiger Woods, the greatest golfer in the world, has a coach. I have always had mentors, even today after practicing law for more than 35 years.

The best way to develop a good mentoring relationship is to convey to your mentor that you want to become the best lawyer you can be and you are open to his coaching. In the process, also convey that you are responsible for your career success and you have taken that responsibility by knowing what you want to achieve, developing a plan with goals and taking steps to execute what you have in your plan.

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Most lawyers my age never had coaching on client development when they were junior partners. So, naturally many ask why it is important for lawyers now. There are several reasons. First, developing business now is way more challenging than it was 25 years ago. When I was a junior partner we could develop business by just "doing good work," getting an AV Martindale rating and being active in the community. There were far fewer lawyers, almost all clients were local and loyal. Now, competition is greater, clients have been acquired and merged, client expectations have increased and the time available for business development has decreased. Second, many junior partners are in the transition stage of their career where they are moving from being solely service providers to being responsible for building client relationships and developing new business. For many young partners, client development is a mystery. As a result, to the extent there is any effort at all, it is unstructured, unfocused, and ultimately unsuccessful. They procrastinate, are undisciplined, have no plan, little focus, and ultimately little or no execution. Mentors within the firm can balance the current situation with both institutional firm knowledge and their own experience, but they do not have the time to focus on the business development of more junior partners. Coaching is designed to assist junior partners in their client development, providing both a benefit to themselves and to their firm. Like working with a fitness coach, participants learn what activities will provide the greatest benefit to them and then will have regularly scheduled sessions with the coach to report on activities and learn more. Any coaching program should include:

• Developing a Business Plan


• Determining both group and individual goals that will challenge and stretch them


• Determining what activities to undertake to meet their goals


• Learning how to write articles and give presentations that will enhance their reputation and increase their chances of getting hired


• Developing a Focused Contacts Plan


• Becoming more client focused


• Being held accountable

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Whether you are reading this blog because you want to be a rainmaker or you want to prioritize your career and your life, I hope you find something valuable from my book, Rising Star. I have included in this blog some paragraphs from the introduction. And I have included what one attorney has said about Rising Star. I hope you find this helpful.

"This is the second book I have written about Tony and Gina Caruso. In "Say Ciao to Chow Mein: Conquering Career Burnout" I focused on Tony, who after finishing his first year as an associate in a large Texas law firm is burned out and struggling to find meaning in his career. In Ciao, Gina loves her work as a clerk for a Federal Court judge. At the conclusion of Ciao, Tony has just been promoted to partner and he and Gina have two children. Rising Star: The Making of a Rainmaker is about Gina, who is now a partner in a mid-sized firm. She is the talk of the firm, having brought in $1 Million of business. Yet, she feels like a one-hit wonder because her success was a result of one big case from one big client.

I have known Tony's and Gina's throughout my 35 years practicing law. Their characters are a composite of lawyers who have worked for me and lawyers I have been blessed to coach and mentor. Many of those lawyers have caused me to study and examine differences between lawyers who are successful and happy and lawyers who are not. Interestingly, many of the people who are truly successful also have a great personal life and are very family oriented.

***

Gina learns you must begin by knowing what you want. Then becoming credible to your potential clients and finally by understanding their wants, needs, and perceptions so that your service and what you provide them is "remarkable" in their eyes. When I developed my own successful law practice, and when I wrote Rising Star, I was not familiar with marketing guru and successful author Seth Godin. The main focus of his writing has been about the need in our complex society to be "remarkable" to be even noticed. In the November/December 2006 issue of Selling Power," Seth Godin talks about three kinds of customers. I will put it in the context of clients:

1. Clients who don't need the services you or your firm offer.

2. Clients who need the services you or your firm offer, but are using another lawyer or firm.

3. Clients who are ignoring you.

Godin says you can't market directly to the second and third group. "Instead, have them come to you." How do you suppose you can get them to come to you? Godin suggests you have to create something "remarkable."

Gina learns that principle and I have taught others to do the same thing. Jennifer is a labor and employment lawyer I am coaching. She created the "Easy Guide" which is a compilation of labor and employment laws on laminated cards which an HR person can attach to his or her monitor. Jennifer has the clients in the second and third category calling and asking for an "Easy Guide."

Writing Rising Star has been a labor of love, but not nearly the joy I have had over my career working with young lawyers like Tony and Gina. I hope you will use Rising Star as a guide to develop your own success.

What remarkable thing can you create that will cause clients to come to you?"

If you want to read the rest of the introduction and a couple of sample chapters, click here for information about how you can get a free e-copy sample of Rising Star.

This is no simple 'how-to' rainmaking book filled with lists and instructions that you promise to read once you find the time. This is a book you will pick up and read cover to cover, and likely read again. Mr. Parvin has brought rainmaking and career development to life through this story of a young lawyer struggling to balance professional and personal life. There is helpful advice for all lawyers here -- from setting specific goals to making a name for oneself. I highly recommend it.

Christina Plum, Attorney,
Stenzel Law Office LLC
Past Chair, American Bar Association Young Lawyers Division

To order Rising Star, click here - or you may find it on Amazon.com

As you read Rising Star, please feel free to come back to this blog and add a comment.

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I did a number of presentations in January. One presentation was at the Virginia Bar Association Annual Meeting and was at the Managing Partners luncheon. I particularly enjoyed the opportunity to speak to this group because it gave me a chance to make the business case for attorney development. As you will see below, I began by focusing on the next generation 

"Developing," "Next Generation" and "Great" 

I love the title of my presentation even if I had little to do with selecting it. The three important parts of it are "developing," "next generation" and our desire to develop "great" lawyers. 

There are likely several reasons that focusing on developing the "next generation" is important. But, I want to address two reasons here. First, Stephan Covey, the famed author and speaker talks about our desire to live, to learn, to love, and to leave a legacy. As law firm leaders we can only leave a legacy if we are developing the next generation of our lawyers to make our firm even more special. Second, when we use the term "next generation", we must realize they are unique, special, and differ in many ways from our own generation. Much has been written about the "X" generation and the "Y" generation and how their ideas and values differ from those of us who are baby boomers. I learned this the hard way when I was made the partner in charge of attorney development. I have written an article about recruiting and motivating the "Y" generation. I decided to write it as if a managing partner was giving a presentation about the firm to a group of summer associates. The managing partner was focusing on things I have learned that are important to that generation. New lawyers want to be part of a law firm that: 

• Is honest with them and does not "sugar coat" what it will be like to work at the firm after graduation; 



• Has a clear sense of purpose, vision, core values and makes clear what each lawyer can do to contribute to the firm's success; 



• Emphasizes the importance of teamwork and recognizes the contribution of even the most junior lawyer; 



• Offers challenging assignments; 



• Focuses on training and development of its lawyers; 



• Models the behavior it expects from associates; 



• Provides mentoring and coaching; 



• Provides constant feed back rather then just one or two times a year; 



• Has the most up to date technology and uses it; 



• Appreciates diversity and embraces it; 



• Focuses less on hours and more on revenue or profitability; and 



• Is a fun place to work. 

If you are interested in reading the entire handout materials or receiving a copy of my PowerPoint slides, please send me an email 

. 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Career Development, Coaching, Law Firm Leadership, Mentoring

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I have always been an avid reader of books I thought would improve my skills in client development, leadership, teamwork and a variety of other topics, and help me use my time more effectively. I learned long ago a way to read business books. I first skim the book. In that process I decide what is important that I want to go back and read in detail.
People often ask me for a list of books I would recommend they read. So, I put this list together with the idea of you reading a book a month. Considering I am posting this blog in February, you may want to adjust the schedule accordingly. However, if you can find the time, I'd suggest you quickly read January's book and then get right into the book for February. I hope you find each book to beneficial to you and I hope you enjoy them.
January: Getting Things Done by David Allen
February: Overachievement by John Eliot
March: The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
April: The Ultimate Guide to Mental Toughness by Daniel Teitelbaum
May: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
June: The Speed of Trust by Stephen M.R. Covey with Rebecca Merrill
July: Never Eat Alone by Keith Ferrazzi and Tahl Raz
August: Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard and Sheldon Bowles
September: High Trust Selling by Todd Duncan
October: 10 Secrets of the World's Greatest Business Communicators by Carmine Gallo
November:  Making Rain by Andrew Sobel
December: Trusted Advisor by David H. Maister, Charles H. Green and Robert M. Galfard
Six Bonus Books if you have already read any on the list above:

1. Selling with Emotional Intelligence by Mitch Anthony


2. How to Connect in Business in 90 Seconds or Less by Nicholas Boothman


3. Heavy Hitter Selling by Steven W. Martin


4. The Likeability Factor by Tim Sanders


5. Presenting to Win: The Art of Telling Your Story by Jerry Weissman


6. Leading with the Heart by Mike Krzyzewski

By the way, please feel free to post comments to this blog as you read the books. Tell me what you found helpful. I like receiving your feedback.
 
 

 

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January was a busy month for me. I gave six presentations to bar associations and law firms within a 10 day period. One of the presentations focused on building the next generation of rainmakers. As I thought about what I would tell the audience, it occurred to me that most of the rainmakers in law firms are, or will be, at retirement age within the next 10 years. That may be fine if a firm has institutional clients, but if the firm is more entrepreneurial, then building the next generation of rainmakers is especially important. 

Before considering how to build the next generation of rainmakers, it is important to understand what makes rainmakers different. I think rainmakers exhibit the following attributes: 

• They have high emotional intelligence. 



• They really care. 



• They expect more of themselves than others do. 



• They have high energy. 



• They inspire confidence. 



• They have a passion for their work and their clients. 



• They are not "selling" to get business. 

So what do the characteristics of rainmakers tell us about creating the future rainmakers? I think it tells us several things: 

• Rainmaking will be natural for few and a challenge for many. 



• We need to focus on raising the level of emotional intelligence. 



• One size does not fit all (we need to customize our training to the individual). 



• We need to teach associates to set goals and prepare a plan. 



• Client development training should be interactive and experiential. 



• Programs for 1-3 year associates should be vastly different than programs for 4-7 year associates. 



• Programs for junior partners should focus on developing a business plan, developing their profile and how to connect with clients and potential clients and enrich the relationship. 



• A client development program will have little value if there is no follow-up individual coaching. 

 

Tags: Emotional Intelligence, Law Firm Leadership, Mentoring

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As I said in my blog posted November 17, 2006, if you're looking for your own role model for a great mentor, I believe you can learn a great deal from one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports: John Wooden. I'd like to share some additional thoughts I've learned from this great coach and mentor: 

John Wooden prepared his UCLA teams to win. He did not just prepare for one game, but also prepared for the entire season. He strongly believed that hard work, which he defined as industriousness, is essential to success. Interestingly, that did not necessarily mean long practices. His practices were, in fact, among the shortest duration of any college team. John Wooden also had a practice e philosophy. He used to say: "Don't mistake activity for achievement." He focused on fundamentals: shooting, passing, cutting, dribbling, blocking out on rebounds, and defense. His practices were well planned and each had specific goals. 

The legal profession is changing, most especially in the manner in which law firms and lawyers provide service to their clients. Our clients are taking a more active role on the team. They expect us to understand their businesses and industries, to be more efficient and to communicate better. As mentors we must make sure our mentees understand changes in our clients' expectations and be prepared to respond to them. 

As mentors we need to teach young lawyers to prepare for their career, not just for the assignment they are handling at the time. We need to convince them that their future is based on how well they invest their non-billable time. For young lawyers, work and family life balance is important. They need to know that being industrious is not the same as putting in long hours. As Coach Wooden put it: "You can work without being industrious, but you cannot be industrious without work." 

Mentoring is the best opportunity we have to create an environment where our young lawyers know that they are greatly valued and their careers are important to us. Taking time and interest in our mentees and their careers will send the message that the firm cares. In the end, our lawyers will have greater career satisfaction, they will be better trained and our clients will be better served. 

  

 

 

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I have learned from my coaching of senior associates and junior partners that many young lawyers don't know where to start with their client development efforts. They mistakenly think they need to sell clients, make cold calls and figure out other ways to solicit business. Since all of this is distasteful to most, they don't ever get started. 

In a nutshell, here is what I am trying to teach young lawyers: You cannot directly market or try to sell clients. The harder you try to sell the less successful you will be. Clients want to buy (or need to buy), but they do not want to be sold. Whatever you tell clients about how good you are or how your service is extraordinary, they will likely not believe it because your competitors are telling them the same thing. Clients do not want to hire lawyers who are ordinary. They want to hire lawyers who are extraordinary, remarkable and memorable. The game plan for successful client development is having the clients come to the lawyer as a result of creating something remarkable or being remarkable and having clients, potential clients and people who can refer business talk about the lawyer. Seth Godin, a marketing guru says that the premise of remarkable is to have non-compensated third parties become an evangelist for you and your services. 

In a world where law firms and lawyers all look alike, how can a lawyer stand out from the crowd and be remarkable, extraordinary and memorable? I teach lawyers how I did it and how they can do it. The first step in becoming remarkable is to determine what you want in your career. Second, you need to learn how to become credible by building your profile. Third, you need to learn how to determine your clients' and potential clients' views, biases, and perspectives so you can create something that will be noticed and be remarkable in the eyes of those who might hire you. 

Let me give you a personal example: In January 1983, President Reagan signed into law the Surface Transportation Assistance Act of 1982, which doubled the federal funding for highway construction. The Act included a provision requiring that not less than 10% of the funds must be expended with Disadvantaged (Minority) Business Enterprises. Overnight that quadrupled the amount that had previously been spent with those firms. It created a huge problem because there weren't enough qualified and adequately capitalized firms to do the new volume of work. I knew this would be a big issue, so I studied everything I could on the issue, put together a notebook and ultimately wrote a guide for contractors. I was then asked to speak at contractor meetings across the country. I was on a panel with a lawyer from the Federal Highway Administration who recognized I knew this program backwards and forwards. About a year later he received a call from the general counsel of the largest highway contractor in the United States asking who he would recommend to help them with a problem in Atlanta. He told them they had to hire me because I knew more about the law on minority contracting than any other lawyer. They hired me and for the next 20+ years they were my largest client. That is what client development is all about. Incidentally, the Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program 24 years later remains a huge legal issue. In the last year I was hired by the Associated General Contractors to write a "Tool Kit" to help their members comply with the law. 

Each young lawyer I have met can be remarkable if they are open to trying, and if they make a commitment to work at it. 

Have a wonderful New Year and think of how you can become remarkable in the eyes of the clients who might hire you. 

 

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If you're looking for your own role model for a great mentor, I believe you can learn a great deal from one of the greatest coaches in the history of sports: John Wooden. UCLA remarkably won the NCAA basketball championship 10 out of 11 years from 1964 through 1975, with a wide variety of different players and different teams. Yet, Coach Wooden's principles never changed. 

The practice of law has changed dramatically over the last several years, but the principles of integrity, professionalism and client service have not changed. As mentors we need to help mentees understand how changes in the law practice affect them, while exhibiting the time honored principles. 

Here are five lessons from Coach Wooden we can profit from following: 

1. Character and principles of the mentor and how he or she treats those under him is essential. We must gain trust by our actions before we can effectively offer advice. 



2. Convey to mentees that their measure of success is whether they are becoming the best lawyer they can be and help them set goals to exceed their personal best. 



3. Teach mentees to do the little things right. If they do, the big things will follow. 



4. Show mentees that being industrious and preparing and executing a well conceived plan are the keys to success. 



5. Anticipate and be prepared to make changes to stay on top. 

The legal profession is changing more rapidly in the past few years than in the century preceding them. But lawyers of high principles need not and should not change. 

 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Career Development, Interpersonal Skills, Mentoring

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Here are five questions senior lawyers should ask their junior lawyers or that associates should ask themselves: 

1. What are you good at? What are you really good at? 



2. Is there a need for your talent? Is it marketable? Will someone pay you for it? 



3. What is your passion? What excites you? 



4. What are your core values? What are your ethical standards? 



5. How can you integrate your talent, passion and integrity? What steps do you need to take to accomplish your goal? 

When you answer these questions for yourself or for your firm, you become the architect of your career. You take responsibility for making, shaping and achieving your objectives. AND when you own your goals, when you are motivated from within, you operate at a much higher level of achievement that will speed you toward them. 

 

Tags: Being a Lawyer, Coaching, Mentoring

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Imagine if Bill Gates, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford and Oprah Winfrey had become lawyers. We'd be handwriting our opening statements by candlelight and packing our briefcases in saddlebags, and, perhaps, we wouldn't know what books merited our reading time. Each of these colorful geniuses would have become grayer, duller and indistinguishable from one another. 

This is, essentially, what happens in law school. We collect some of the greatest minds in the country, strip them of their unique brand of intellect and tell them only one thing matters: thinking like a lawyer. Or maybe two things: thinking like a lawyer and finishing in the top 10% of their class. And then we wonder why law students and young lawyers as a group are depressed, disillusioned and dissatisfied. 

Studies repeatedly show that first year law students arrive with excitement, well-being and passion for a law career. According to Lawrence S. Krieger, who along with Kennon M. Sheldon, conducted the most recent study: "the overall law school experience is likely to have an undermining effect on professionalism and career/life satisfaction." Law graduates are significantly different people from those who arrived to begin law school. "They are more depressed, less service oriented, and more inclined toward undesirable, superficial goals and values." 

For over one hundred years, law schools have taught students "the science of law" using the "Socratic method." Law schools have bragged about teaching students to "think like a lawyer." I fly almost every week and I sometimes imagine how I would feel if the best that could be said about my pilot's training is that he or she was taught to "think like a pilot." I want my pilot to learn how to fly the plane, not just think like a pilot. The "art of being a good lawyer" is all about relationships. According to law professor Daisy Hurst Floyd, "legal education devalues relationships." I believe most clients would prefer that law students learn how to actually be a lawyer rather than just to think like one. They probably would be even more pleased if law students were taught to also "think like a client." 

So, many law graduates arrive at their law firms already disillusioned about their decision to become a lawyer and stressed out over their future. At many large law firms, they quickly conclude that only one thing matters: Their billable hours. They become further disillusioned when they are assigned to a team sent to a warehouse for "document review." The good news is they get to record lots of billable hours, spending 14 hours a day in a warehouse. The bad news is they get further away from the dream they once had when they decided they wanted to be a lawyer. As one anonymous young lawyer wrote in a D Magazine article: "Associates want a sense of Purpose from the practice of law. But, you can't find Purpose in the library or the warehouse doing document review." 

And then we wonder why lawyers as a group are depressed, disillusioned and dissatisfied. And why the clients we represent neither like nor respect us very much. 

Law school teaches that intrinsic values, purpose and passion doesn't matter, and many large law firms teach that having intrinsic values, purpose and passion doesn't pay. And both teach that goals are nothing more than extrinsic numbers: test scores, billable hours, associate salaries and profits per partner. When recruiters search for new talent, they rate candidates by their pedigree: school and class rank without considering emotional intelligence, core values, individual talent or interest. 

There has to be - and, fortunately, there is a better way. We can encourage law students to follow their passions and to realize them by focusing on purpose, vision, core values, goals, plans and execution. We can teach them what it is like to be a lawyer and how to serve clients. We can teach elements of emotional intelligence. In this way we will be focusing on the whole person and better prepare law students for their future careers. 

 

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Over time, law firms have contributed to associates not setting goals. The message many associates receive is that achieving billable hours is the only thing that matters. Partners subtly, and not so subtly, make the point repeatedly. Bonuses are set based on "billable hours." How many firms have spikes of billable hours at the bonus levels? Associates are congratulated more for their billable hours than they are for the quality of their work. Associates are laid off because they do not have enough "billable hours," because the work in the practice group is slow or because the partners need to get their own billable hours. Attending "training" sessions is perceived to be a waste of time because it takes away from "billable hours." When associates return to the office from a pro bono effort, community service or client development meeting, they are sometimes made to feel they are not carrying their share of the load. If they cut back on their billable hours in order to spend more time with their children or in the community, they may be made to feel unworthy. 

Some associates become disillusioned by the mentoring process. They anticipate their mentor will help them in career planning and they have high expectations when they select their mentor, only to have those expectations dashed when the sole mentoring activity is lunch at the firm's expense, much less work with associates to help them achieve success and career satisfaction. 

Some partners undermine the process by putting associates down. This is particularly true of associates who have a vision for their career beyond just doing the work generated by the partner. An associate would never share goals with these kinds of partners out of fear of being ridiculed. No one wants to be ridiculed by a partner either to his face or behind his back. 

Young lawyers may need to set goals in an atmosphere that does not value goal setting. What can you do to make goal-setting a valued priority? 

 

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Specific praise has greater impact than general kudos "great job on handling the Henderson case" is more effective than "keep up the good work." Of even greater importance is personalizing praise. While one associate may respond well to a public back patting in an office corridor, another might be more appreciative of a handwritten note. Help your mentor get to know you,  to understand what makes you feel good about yourself. If you need details, ask for details. If you prefer private to public praise, let your mentor know. Even if your mentor is attentive, he may not fully understand your needs unless you share them.
 

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The best leaders and mentors pay attention to details, to subtleties. If you have built a good relationship, your mentor should be able to quickly perceive potential trouble and opportunity early. Your mentor should initiate discussion when needed; this should not be your responsibility alone. Again, if your mentor seems less sensitive to your needs or curious about your progress than you'd like, make your feelings known. Perhaps you can begin by educating your mentor. The challenges you face are not the same as the one he faced when starting out, so he may need a primer. This will help your mentor relate to you on your level. What may seem like inattention on your mentor's part may just be lack of understanding. 

 

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Yesterday I received this email from Natalie, with questions about mentoring: 

"Cordell, I recently thought about your article where a partner mentored you early in your career and how this partner met with you early in the morning to teach you about the practice of law. What advice do you offer to today's young attorneys about forging similar relationships? How can a young attorney turn a grumpy old partner, who is only concerned about his billable hours, into a mentor?" 

Those are great questions. My first thought when reading them was: "Gosh, I hope none of the associates who worked for me thought of me as a grumpy old partner." My second thought was that the older the partner, the more likely he or she will take time to listen and provide advice. The greater challenge is getting a grumpy young partner to take the time away from billable hours. 

I am not sure a young attorney can ever turn a grumpy old partner, who is only concerned about billable hours, into a mentor, but here are some thoughts I have. First, try to find the right partner. People who are good mentors tend to be well known in the firm. They typically do not have their door closed all the time. So, look for open doors. Second, find the right time to spend time with the mentor. As explained above, I met with my first mentor (we never used that term) the first thing in the morning over coffee. I learned early on that he spent some time early getting ready for his day and he was open to meeting with me then. If I had walked into his office at 10:00 AM, he would have been very busy. Finally, the way to get a grumpy old partner to be a mentor is to ask good questions. Experienced lawyers generally like to tell younger lawyers about their experiences. I believe a young lawyer can learn about the firm and about the practical side of practicing law from those conversations. When I met with the young partner who took me under his wing, I frequently began the discussion with: "Have you ever?" 

 

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If you want to increase the odds of getting the lawyers in your firm behind your Attorney Development program, articulate what the purpose of the program is, what the firm is trying to accomplish and what is expected of the lawyers. That is what I tried to do at Jenkens & Gilchrist.
Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Development Program
"Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime." Chinese Proverb
In the book Aligning the Stars, the authors, Jay W. Lorsch and Thomas J. Tierney point out that: "Starmaking" is more important to a firm's long-term success than "rainmaking." Talent is the only source of a firm's competitive advantage.
Purpose
The purpose of the Jenkens & Gilchrist Attorney Development Program is to enable our attorneys to better serve our clients, to increase our realization and to provide opportunities for greater achievement and career satisfaction.
Vision
Jenkens & Gilchrist seeks to have an attorney development program recognized as preeminent by our clients, our lawyers and law students.
Core Values
Our attorneys will take responsibility for their career development and satisfaction.
Each attorney, associate, shareholder and of counsel must contribute in some way.
Supervising lawyers will give clear direction, answer questions, pay attention to quality and provide real time constructive and supportive feedback.
Teamwork is encouraged at all levels.
Each attorney and staff member will be shown respect. Respect engenders respect.
We will endeavor to provide consistent, real and specific direction on career advancement.
CLE will be used as a means of acquiring skills necessary to better serve our clients and enable our attorneys to grow.
We will demand a lot from our lawyers. They will work hard, meet high standards of excellence, and over time and with our guidance and support, learn to be outstanding lawyers, trusted advisors and mentors for a new generation of outstanding young lawyers.
Each associate in our firm has a unique background, unique skills and unique dreams, but they also share things in common. They all want to learn and become better lawyers. They want to perform interesting work. They want to feel like they matter, know where they stand and whether they are on track, and they want to feel respected by senior lawyers and peers.
The most junior lawyers know more about the science of law and less about the art of lawyering than they will ever know in their career. When it comes to the future, many young lawyers are confused. They feel like they are on a trip to an undefined and constantly moving destination (making shareholder). They are uncertain of the time expected for their arrival, feel they have been given no map to get there, and no compass to let them know where they are. They feel they have no coach or sponsor. Our job as senior lawyers is to teach them the art of lawyering and help them clear up the confusion. This requires us to get to know them, to understand what makes them unique and to encourage them to achieve success as they define it. Our work with our clients is not any different and just was we get good vibes from helping our clients achieve their business objective, we get the same feeling helping our young lawyers achieve their career goals.
"You will have more fun and success helping other people achieve their goals than you will trying to reach your own goals."  Dale Carnegie
 
 

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There comes a time in every lawyer' career when he or she needs to delegate work and supervise other lawyers. For me the need occurred when I was able to generate more work than I could do by myself. None of us are taught supervisory skills in law school or how to delegate work. As a result, we learn by trial and error. I learned that I had to be willing to relinquish control and willing to take more time to develop the junior lawyer' skills at first than if I just did the project myself. I hope the thoughts below will help young lawyers avoid the error part of delegating. To delegate work a lawyer must: 

1. Define the project that needs to be completed and establish a deadline and make sure both are understood by the junior lawyer. 



2. Make sure the junior lawyer has the training to be able to do his or her work and if not take the time up-front to do the training. 



3. Provide all the necessary information/documents needed to do the project. 



4. Have an open door policy so the junior lawyer is comfortable asking questions. 



5. Ask for periodic reports to make sure the junior lawyer is on track or simply ask how it is going. 



6. If possible, let the junior lawyer listen to telephone conferences or attend meetings about the project, even if the time is not billable. 



7. No matter how small the junior lawyer' portion of the project is, let him or her know that what they are doing really matters. 



8. Provide feedback both during the project and certainly after it is completed. 



9. In the feedback use criticism as an opportunity to teach and give praise for work that is well done. 



10. Ask the junior lawyer what he or she learned from working on the project. 

 

Tags: Mentoring, Tips

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Many attorneys are active in the Bar because they want to make a difference and further the purpose and values of the legal profession. Each Bar is unique but share a common mission. The mission of the State Bar of Texas is to support the administration of the legal system, assure all citizens equal access to justice, foster high standards of ethical conduct for lawyers, support and provide services to its members, enable its members to better serve their clients and the public, and educate the public about the rule of law. Members of the bar commit time, energy and resources towards achieving this goal. 

The following 10 ideas are meant to assist Bar leaders in their service to the Bar and its members: 

1. Identify one major goal you want to accomplish during your leadership and ask yourself how accomplishing it will make a difference. 



2. Develop a plan to accomplish your major goal. 



3. Identify the "inspirational lawyers" within your bar and find ways to use them to provide inspiration to others. 



4. Reflect on what it means to be a lawyer and how lawyers have contributed to our society. 



5. Find a way to publicize the contributions lawyers have made to our society and your local community. 



6. If there is a law school in your area, develop a mentoring program for law students, helping them learn to be lawyer and to think like a client. 



7. Develop a mentoring program for young lawyers. 



8. Develop programs for your members on career development, work-life integration and client service. 



9. Develop programs on "professionalism" that go beyond ethics. 



10. "Think outside the box" and try something that has not been done before. 

Hopefully each Bar leader will find at least some of these ideas useful. I am sure that some of the Bar leaders reading this blog are "inspirational" leaders and could provide other worthwhile ideas. Please feel free to add your comments. 

 

Tags: Mentoring, Tips

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When I was a young lawyer, I learned about client relationship building by shadowing more senior lawyers. If one of the partners in my firm was going out to meet with a client, an associate would be invited to tag along. More recently I participated in a client service panel at my old firm. Five of us were asked to share our experiences with associates. I learned a great deal from my partners and suggested that we find a way to capture the best practices. 

Most, if not all, the partners in your firm have experience in developing and strengthening relationships with clients. How are you capturing those best practices? Consider establishing categories of "best practices" and encourage your lawyers to contribute examples of their "best practices". Also consider including a breakout session to identify and brainstorm "best practices" in client service and client relations during your annual retreats. 

What are your "best practices"? Your comments and questions are welcomed. 

 

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A few years ago I was asked to be the shareholder in charge of attorney training for our firm. The first thing I did was look for books on training. I found books on fitness training and toilet training for infants. I decided I did not want to be responsible for training. Instead, I chose the title Shareholder Responsible for Training and Development. Next, I asked our firm leaders what kind of program they wanted to have. They did not have a clue, other than the sense that every large firm needs to have one. I guess that is why they asked me to take charge of it. Since I had never approached any part of my law career in a half way manner, I decided I wouldn't approach associate development in the same way. I told the leaders that my goal would be to create one of the preeminent attorney development programs in the country, recognized as such by law students, our associates and our clients. What are the elements of a preeminent training and development program for associates? I believe there are eight components:

• First Year Orientation


• Training and Development Programs


• Mentoring


• Shadowing and Reverse Shadowing


• Client Point of View


• CLE with Benchmarks


• Career Planning and Development


• Recognition of Hours

I hope you find this list of components helpful. Please comment or ask questions, your feedback is welcomed.

Tags: Law Firm Leadership, Mentoring

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Here are some thoughts you might pass on to your firm's mentors. I sometimes wonder why mentoring is not as effective today as when I was a young lawyer. I am sure time pressures make it more difficult. If so, it has never been more important for a mentor to know her mentee as a person and as a lawyer. 

To get to know your mentee, try "tell me..." and then listen: 

1. Tell me about yourself. 



2. Tell me about your family. 



3. Tell me why you wanted to be a lawyer. 



4. Tell me what you want to accomplish. 



5. Tell me what you enjoy doing away from work. 



6. Tell me what you feel you are really good at. 



7. Tell me what goals you have set for yourself. 



8. Tell me how you are spending your non-billable time. 



9. Tell me about the person who has made the greatest impact on your life. 



10. Tell me how I can help you as a mentor. 

 

Tags: Mentoring

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