In-house counseling
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In-House Counsel, Screw-Ups
Moonlighting: Try This One Out -- ‘My Bad’
Why can’t people admit it when they’ve made mistakes? I think it’s because they focus on the potential negative consequences and not enough on the benefits that admitting mistakes can have on their careers. It’s irritating when people can’t admit that they’re wrong in any situation, but it seems most annoying when it happens in the work environment. -
Biglaw, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: The Injustice Of Trust
I have two memos sitting unread in my inbox. One of the memos is great; the other one is terrible. I know which is which. And, as I said, I haven't yet read either one of them. Isn't trust terribly unfair? - Sponsored
How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Learn how emerging tools will likely change and enhance the work of lawyers for years to come in this new report. -
In-House Counsel, Job Searches
House Rules: Use Your Resume and Cover Letter to Get Inside
This is the second part of a series on getting yourself in the door to an in-house position. Even though you might not have that much “sexy” work to list on your updated resume, it may not be a problem...
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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Law Schools, Old People, Student Loans
Fall into the Gap
A generation gap has opened in the legal world. On one side there are lawyers over 50, for whom law still looks like a safe, reliable ladder to the upper-middle-class. From the other side — where their kids are perched — law more closely resembles un ascenseur pour l’échafaud… -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, In-House Counsel, Litigators, Money, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: Creating The Wrong Incentives
When we create rules, we want people to follow them. When we build incentives into rules, we want people to be motivated by those incentives. But the rule-makers cannot foresee all of the consequences of the rules they create. In the end, we're counting on people to act in good faith and use common sense. Will that work? -
Contracts, In-House Counsel
Moonlighting: What’s the Big Deal? (Part II)
In the last installment of Moonlighting, we examined the importance of understanding the big picture at work. This week, we’ll consider one method of finding out more about the big picture: asking questions. Not the dumb ones. The good ones. So what are some good questions that can help us to see the bigger picture? […] -
In-House Counsel, Job Searches
House Rules: Getting Inside (Part I)
Once you’ve decided — either on your own, or with the help of your law firm review — to make the move in-house, what do you do next? The first thing to decide upon is a method to your madness. Disclaimer: If you’ve been engaged in a search for some time, or you are happily […] -
Biglaw, Books, In-House Counsel
Checklist
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 […] - Sponsored
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… -
Contracts, In-House Counsel
Moonlighting: What’s the Big Deal?
Lawyers are great at thinking small — small picture, that is. We’re awesome at details, however painstakingly minor. We sport the “grammar police” badge proudly, even though we know that it’s the dorkiest one out there (wait, except for the “I memorized all of the two-letter words in Scrabble” badge — that one’s slightly dorkier). […] -
In-House Counsel, Labor / Employment, Layoffs
House Rules: RIF Is a Four-Letter Acronym
When I was a kid, before many of you were born, there were ads during Saturday morning cartoons for a program called “RIF” -– an acronym for “Reading is Fundamental.” Started in 1966 in Washington, D.C., it is supposedly one of the oldest non-profit educational programs in existence. I mentioned RIFs in my last column, […] -
Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Job Searches
Moonlighting: Going In-House? It’s About Time
You may be one of those people who realized early on that law firm partnership is not for you. For me, this was the case even before I started law school. Law was going to be a second career for me, and by the day of my first 1L class, I already had two small […] -
In-House Counsel
House Rules: State of the Union
February 1, 2012 is a singularly important day to Rush geeks (like me). 2112, get it? I’ve been drumming for over 30 years, and was brought up on trying to play along with Mr. Peart. While I succeeded somewhat in gaining enough chops to play Moving Pictures, Side 1 (back when they had albums, which […] -
Clerkships, Federal Judges, In-House Counsel, Job Searches, Litigators
The Clerkship Archipelago
The People's Therapist, Will Meyerhofer, thinks it's hard to conjure up bad stuff to say about clerking. It's an honor, and an all-expense-paid ticket on an exclusive legal gravy train. If you're lucky enough to clerk for a federal district or circuit court judge, you can rest assured you're looking good and feeling good. You might even shoot the moon and sing with the Supremes. In that case, you're good to go: You'll never have to practice actual law again....
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Profit Powerhouse: Elevating Law Firm Financial Performance
In this CLE-eligible webinar on April 10th, we’ll explore the most common accounting pitfalls and how to avoid them for your firm.
Sponsored
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…
Sponsored
How Generative AI Will Improve Legal Service Delivery
Learn how emerging tools will likely change and enhance the work of lawyers for years to come in this new report.
Sponsored
Sponsored
This AI-Powered Document Tool Will Meet You Where You Are
Lexis Create provides simple access to internal and external knowledge — directly within Microsoft Word.
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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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Biglaw, In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers, Shameless Plugs
Inside Straight: You Are Not A Potted Plant!
First, a shameless plug. Then, back to business. I’ll be giving my “book talk” about The Curmudgeon’s Guide to Practicing Law at The University of Michigan Law School on Monday, March 5, and again at Northwestern University Law School on Tuesday, March 27. If there’s a chance your organization might be interested in that talk, […] -
In-House Counsel, Money
Moonlighting: Why Just Being a Great Lawyer Won’t Get You a Promotion
In-house promotions are tricky. There are so many different kinds of companies, and so many things that can go wrong when you’re looking for a promotion. Some companies are upfront about the process: they’ll inform you if you’re being considered, let you know which committees need to approve, etc. Others are kind of like, “Uh, […] -
In-House Counsel, Technology
House Rules: They Don’t Realize What They Have
This column will be published the day our year-end numbers are made public. Word on the street (and the Street) is that we should beat expectations. If true, that would be a very good thing. This isn’t inside information; it’s been opined and published in several national media outlets, and in any event, I am […] -
In-House Counsel, Practice Pointers
Moonlighting: Soft Skill Strategies That Aren’t Too Hard
Last week, we looked at why lawyers need soft skills and noted that there’s a general lack of this kind of training for them. Today, we’ll consider some strategies for learning to play nice in the legal sandbox. As mentioned last week, there are so many different types of soft skills — communication, leadership, management, […] -
Biglaw, General Counsel, In-House Counsel, Partner Issues
Inside Straight: If You Touch It, It's Yours!
Here’s the sad rule: If it comes across your desk, then you’re responsible for it. Period. That’s the rule at law firms. It was my rule when I worked at a firm, and it’s the rule that I now impose on outside lawyers. Thus, when I was a partner, I did not tolerate this excuse […] -
In-House Counsel
House Rules: Responding to Guesty
I very much appreciate reader feedback on my columns, whether received via email or in the comments. Here’s one of the better critiques from the comments section last week, from “Guesty”: “David — you need to decide what you’re trying to accomplish with this column rather than just describing negotiating a form contract with a […] -
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....