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How UNC Law Alum Scott Peeler And Arent Fox Plan To Foster Leadership Among Its Ranks

Partnership and leadership are not the same thing, leadership can be taught, and leadership matters.

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Scott Peeler

“We just assume that it happens / But no one else is in the room where it happens.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda

This month, Arent Fox announced its inaugural Fellows Program class — an initiative for senior associates and junior partners that emphasizes personal and professional growth through a three-year leadership training program.

The Fellows Program will focus on helping associates and young partners foster effective leadership skills and forge lasting relationships outside of their practice groups and offices. Lawyers selected for the program will attend retreats, participate in seminars, identify key issues at the firm, and develop strategies for addressing those issues.

Law partners don’t always make good leaders. But leaders usually make good law partners. This being said, lawyers don’t need to become partners to be leaders at their respective law firms. Leadership guru John Maxwell might’ve expressed this idea best when he wrote:

If I had to identify the No. 1 misconception people have about leadership, it would be the belief that leadership comes from having a position or title. This position myth, that you can’t lead if you’re not at the top, couldn’t be further than the truth. The erroneous thinking of this myth is that leadership is position, not influence.

When potential leaders understand the dynamics of gaining influence with people, they come to realize that position has little to do with genuine leadership. You can lead others from anywhere in the organization, and when you do, you make the organization better. The bottom line is this: Leadership is a choice you make, not a place you sit. Anyone can choose to become a leader wherever he or she is. You can make a difference no matter where you are.

This week, I had the opportunity to catch up with Scott Peeler, the Arent Fox New York litigation partner who is spearheading this program. He is an ardent subscriber to the notion of leading from where you are. From our discussion, it became apparent just how passionate Peeler is about promoting leadership, diversity, and inclusion in our profession. Without further ado, here are some excerpts from our conversation:

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RC: Why were you attracted to a career in law, and how did you choose University of North Carolina School of Law?

SP: I chose Carolina Law because it’s a great public institution, and by working my way through law school, I was able to graduate debt-free. This allowed me to accept my dream job, working as an Assistant District Attorney for the legendary Robert Morgenthau.

In that office, everything was about doing justice, and there isn’t a day that goes by where a lesson or experience from that job that began 20 years ago this month doesn’t inform and inspire me.

RC: What would you put on a billboard outside of a law school and why?

SP: “Don’t Be Afraid To Look Foolish.” The legal community is filled with brilliant legal minds who are desperately frightened of looking foolish in front of others. And that fear is one of the single greatest impediments to innovation and creativity in our profession.

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Change in law firms often comes too slowly, but if more voices are empowered to share new ideas and different ways of thinking, that won’t always be the case. And one thing is for certain: you can’t feel empowered if you are afraid.

RC: Arent Fox has developed the Fellows Program based on three foundational ideas: (1) partnership and leadership are not the same thing, (2) leadership can be taught; and (3) leadership matters. Can you expound on these first principles?

SP: First, we believe that while a partner can certainly be a great leader, there is no automatic correlation between the two concepts. It is also true that associates and other industry professionals can be great leaders too, and everyone must be given the opportunity to share ideas and solutions to problems as they arise.

Second, it is a dangerous misperception that leadership is innate. This view permits inherent biases to exist and creates an unhealthy “chosen few” perspective that has no place in our firm. Leadership can and should be studied, as it results in personal insights, better group dynamics, and professional and organizational growth.

And finally, leadership matters. It’s where cultures are won or lost; morale rises or falls; and vision is gained or sacrificed. Leadership is not unique to those elected or appointed to a titled position – everyone can and should make a difference.

RC: You mentioned that corporate America, our clients, historically have done a much better job at promoting leadership than law firms. Why do you believe the legal profession has been out of touch with this issue?

SP: I think you can often draw a straight line between power at most law firms and the partners who originate the most business. There is, of course, no guarantee that the individual with the biggest book of business is the best person to articulate a vision for the firm, let alone motivate and lead positive growth and change.

And this reality, in my opinion, has been a major impediment to the active and meaningful study of leadership at many law firms. Luckily, at Arent Fox, our culture is unique and is focused on empowering many rather than protecting the ego of the few.

RC: One of the goals of the Arent Fox Fellows Program is to include and empower different voices. This entails challenging its participants to ask, “what voices are missing from the discussion?” Why is it important for a firm to develop an action plan for diversity and inclusion?

SP: One of the most important functions of a leader is to include and empower different voices. Whether we’re setting an internal vision for our firm’s future or coming up with a practical, real-world solution for a client, we believe the dialogue must include voices that reflect as many different experiences and viewpoints as possible.

Our reasons for an action plan are simple: we want to make sure the best ideas can rise to the top. We want our talented professionals to be given every opportunity to lead and to know that their voices are important and will be heard. And we want to make sure our culture is one centered on inclusion.

RC: Why did you decide to spearhead this initiative?

SP: One of the common experiences many of us had at Arent Fox was feeling that our opinions and thoughts mattered from the very beginning of our careers.

At our firm, it’s never been about a title or position, but rather the strength of an idea and one’s conviction. That propelled many of us forward, and we are spearheading this initiative to ensure that future generations will be empowered to know they can and should make a difference and given the skills and knowledge to do so effectively.

RC: It was great chatting with you. Is there anything else you would like to share with our audience?

SP: Thank you, Renwei. We think the Fellows Program is novel within our industry for its holistic approach. We didn’t create a program that focuses on one or two particular aspects of leadership.

Instead, we designed this to be a three-year program that will help our inaugural class, and those that follow, grow individually, build camaraderie, and protect one of Arent Fox’s greatest assets — its culture.

Renwei Chung is the Diversity Columnist at Above the Law. You can contact Renwei by email at projectrenwei@gmail.com, follow him on Twitter (@renweichung), or connect with him on LinkedIn. 

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