Human Resources

New York Times

Quote of the Day: Happy Lawyers Are Better Lawyers

Our research shows that inner work life has a profound impact on workers’ creativity, productivity, commitment and collegiality. Employees are far more likely to have new ideas on days when they feel happier. Conventional wisdom suggests that pressure enhances performance; our real-time data, however, shows that workers perform better when they are happily engaged in […]

Biglaw

Inside Straight: 360-Degree Reviews

360-degree reviews are helpful because you critique others. It's relatively easy -- or, at least, routine -- to be asked to critique folks situated beneath you in a hierarchy. But it's a little different to be asked to critique folks who are situated horizontally or above you. When you're asked to critique those people formally, it makes you think a little harder: What are those people doing right? What are they doing wrong? What information should they hear about their performance?

Biglaw

Empirical Proof That Nice Guys Finish Last

Do you ever get the feeling that the a$$holes in your office end up doing better than the decent folks? Yeah, you're not wrong. A new study shows the people who score below average in "agreeableness" make more money than people who are nice. Doesn't that sound like a law firm partner you may know?

Biglaw

Inside Straight: Lateraling Up

It’s tough to “lateral up” at a big law firm. Since I just invented the phrase “lateraling up,” I suppose I should define it: It’s when a fairly senior lawyer asks an older lawyer to help on a project. If you’re 40 years old and just landed a small- or medium-sized matter, it’s hard to […]

Associate Advice

Inside Straight: On Outer-Directedness

Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. Law firms, and in-house law departments, should be outer-directed. I realize that I just invented the word “outer-directed,” and sensible people might choose to call this concept being “client-focused.” But “outer-directedness” is broader than […]

Biglaw

Inside Straight: Managing Up

Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. The Harvard Law School career services office recently asked me to record a podcast on the subject of “managing up.” This got me to thinking: What the heck is “managing up”? Fortunately, the woman […]

Biglaw

Inside Straight: Managing People

Ed. note: This is the latest installment of Inside Straight, Above the Law’s column for in-house counsel, written by Mark Herrmann. Managing people at big law firms is easy: You don’t! First, you don’t have anyone to manage. As an associate, you have a secretary. That’s it. And you share your secretary with other people, […]