In-house counseling
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Lateral Moves
Out of the Frying Pan
You're in it for the money. Biglaw creates money to toss into the maw of a bank. But no one can stand this abuse forever. Change -- any change -- might be good, right? How about another firm? Check out what the People's Therapist, Will Meyerhofer, has to say about jumping into the frying pan you don't know.... -
In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
Moonlighting: Why You Should Be a Big Softie at Work
Everyone talks about how soft skills are important for success. Soft skills, also referred to as people skills, EQ, et cetera, are key to influence, persuasion, karaoke smack-talk, and many other aspects of being a savvy lawyer and advocate. They’re essential for both in-house and law firm attorneys. But what are soft skills exactly? We […] - Sponsored
Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use. -
Advertising, Career Center, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Money, Shameless Plugs, This Is an Ad
Career Center: Look Before You Leap -- Things to Consider Before Going In-House
Before you make the jump to go in-house, remember that each in-house opportunity is unique and will present different advantages and challenges. As a former in-house attorney who worked for a well-respected investment management company for almost six years, Lateral Link Director Gloria Cannon believes there are several things you should consider in evaluating each […]
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Contracts, In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
House Rules: Risk / Reward
I’m writing this wearing my new bifocals. They take some getting used to after years of regular glasses and contacts. But, after watching me examine small print like I was Mr. Magoo, my wife convinced me that it was time to take a symbolic plunge toward middle age. I admit to no small amount of […] -
Accounting / Accountants, In-House Counsel, Money, Tax Law, Wall Street
Moonlighting: Things Not to Say In-House - 'I'm Bad at Math'
It’s one of the biggest cons going around. I cringe whenever I hear it. A lawyer laughs and says, “I’m not good with numbers — that’s why I became a lawyer.” On the surface, it seems to make sense; it sounds like it should be true. For some, it might even be true. After all, […] -
In-House Counsel
House Rules: Positioning Yourself As a Value Add
2012. How many times will some DJ play “(It’s the) End of the World” by R.E.M over the course of the next year? I’d wager about as many times as I was told ad nauseam (pun intended) that a proper Christmas gift is a Lexus (read: upscale Toyota) over the course of the Christmas break. […] -
In-House Counsel
Take My Advice
Ed. note: This post is by Will Meyerhofer, a former Sullivan & Cromwell attorney turned psychotherapist. He holds degrees from Harvard, NYU Law, and The Hunter College School of Social Work, and he blogs at The People’s Therapist. His new book, Way Worse Than Being A Dentist, is available on Amazon, as is his previous […] -
Holidays and Seasons, In-House Counsel, Litigators, Travel / Vacation
House Rules: Year-End Press
In-house columnist David Mowry mentioned in a past column that the year-end press can lead to some very interesting requests: field reps asking for things that they (should) know to be questionable ethically, absurd customer demands (funny thing how the customers know it’s year-end and try to use that leverage), and the like. It is times such as these, when the pressure is on to assist the Field achieve their targets, that in-house attorneys must be most vigilant in their duty to the corporation.... - Sponsored
The Business Case For AI At Your Law Firm
ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms. -
Holidays and Seasons, In-House Counsel, Shopping, Shopping For Others
Moonlighting: Holiday Gifting at the Office (Hint: Ixnay on the Nose Hair Clippers)
‘Tis the season to puzzle over holiday gift etiquette at the office. Every year, a few questions come up about this topic -- what’s appropriate, how much, whether they really have to, etc. In-house columnist Susan Moon has some tips on the unwritten rules of gifting at a company.... -
In-House Counsel, Interview Stories, Job Searches
Inside Straight: Revamping Interviews Entirely
A couple of weeks ago, I posted about the difference between résumé-based interviews and behavioral interviews. (In a nutshell, résumé-based interviews ask applicants for opinions about their personal histories; behavioral interviews ask for factual descriptions of how applicants handled certain situations in their lives.) I really didn’t expect that to be a controversial topic, but […] -
Crime, Holidays and Seasons, In-House Counsel, Politics, Violence
House Rules: Holidays, Half Empty - Half Full
Disclaimer: I know this is usually an in-house column with tips and tidbits about being a corporate attorney, but there have already been numerous columns about how to network (or not) through the holidays, how to prepare for the next billable year, and how to act at a party. I’m using today’s column to very […] -
In-House Counsel
Moonlighting: No Comment
Well, last Friday was interesting. When I decided to close the comments for last week’s installment of Moonlighting, Lat responded, “I’m glad at least someone is willing to try deactivation.” As expected, undeterred from the fact that they couldn’t comment directly on my post, the usual group of ATL commenters uniformly hijacked Kashmir Hill’s “revenge […] -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Money
Inside Straight: Inflating Your Own Outside Legal Spend
Years ago, I handled a pro bono case for a client unable to afford legal services. (I actually handled a fair number of pro bono cases, but I’m choosing to describe just one here.) The client was a very nice guy, and he desperately needed legal services. But he had no idea how to use […]
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Legal AI: 3 Steps Law Firms Should Take Now
If 2023 introduced legal professionals to generative AI, then 2024 will be when law firms start adapting to utilize it. Things are moving fast, so…
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ChatGPT ushers in the age of generative AI – even for law firms.
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Early Adopters Of Legal AI Gaining Competitive Edge In Marketplace
How to best leverage generative AI as an early adopter with ethical use.
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Is The Future Of Law Distributed? Lessons From The Tech Adoption Curve
The rise of remote work has dramatically reshaped the relationship between Lawyers and Law Firms, see how Scale LLP has taken the steps to get…
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Contracts, In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
House Rules: Termination Clauses, Remedies, and Other Things to Argue About Before Christmas
Admittedly, I take on some large issues in this column. But this is neither a treatise on contract law, nor the forum to attempt one. I am simply attempting to give some pointers for negotiating commercial contracts. I do very much appreciate the emails that I receive that suggest where I missed some salient information, […] -
In-House Counsel
Will's Kids
It's hard to generate sympathy for lawyers – especially when the group of people you're milking for sympathy is other lawyers. At first glance, that seems counter-intuitive. Will Meyerhofer is writing about your fellow attorneys, after all, and they're in miserable straits. He feels sorry for them. He want to help. But then, he's a bleeding heart psychotherapist. He even felt sorry for them back when he was a lawyer, too – incontrovertible proof he was never “cut out” for the profession.... -
In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
Moonlighting: Just Another Day on Mount Olympus at the Office
An in-house lawyer (let’s call her Athena) was recently offended by a statement made by a law firm attorney (let’s call him Hercules). Athena shared a conversation in which Hercules had told her that his firm would never stoop so low as to represent any companies in her industry (let’s say it’s the tobacco industry). […] -
In-House Counsel, Interview Stories, Job Searches
Inside Straight: Thinking About Interviews
People have occasionally asked me for advice about interview techniques. My suggestion has always been short and pointed: “Say something smart. Say something funny. Ask a good question. And get the heck out of there.” What about on the other side of the table? I really don’t trust interviews. I don’t believe that it’s possible […] -
In-House Counsel, Insurance, Practice Pointers
House Rules: Insurance, LoL, and Indemnity, Redux
I wrote about these contractual issues the week before Thanksgiving. I received so many emails that I thought it best to flesh these topics out a bit more. Also, some of these headings are from the anonymous “comments” section on this site, so I can’t attribute them (and I’ve also edited them for language). 1) […] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues, Practice Pointers
Inside Straight: The Mutual Menace Of One Bad Partner
Suppose your firm has one incompetent partner, and our joint has the misfortune to be working with that person. This guy consistently misses important issues. He sends us briefs that read (as did one draft I recently received): “In response to ALR’s motion to dismiss the OC, [plaintiff] added an allegation in the FAC that […] -
Banking Law, Contracts, Health Care / Medicine, In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers, Privacy
House Rules: HIPAA and GLBA and Indemnity, Oh My!
Caveat: I did not write the following dialogue. It is from the “comments” section of one of my columns where I mentioned I’d be writing about HIPAA and GLBA. Unfortunately, I cannot attribute the comments to the persons who wrote them, as they are anonymous; however they are quite apropos of today’s subject: 1) “I […]