Inside Straight: On Lawyers’ Business Plans
In-house lawyers, like their non-lawyer colleagues, prepare business plans. Why don't lawyers at law firms?
Inside Straight: Kvetching About Comp
Do lawyers at your corporation complain about their compensation compared to the compensation of their peers within the company? Or are law firm partnerships uniquely vicious in that regard? If so, why?
AI Is Killing Legal’s Billable Hour. It’s Also Repeating Its Worst Mistake
Law firms and legal departments are writing the future of the profession in separate rooms. What happens when they actually work together?
Inside Straight: Dewey Know Who’s Next?
Mark Herrmann believes it’s a near certainty that another firm will collapse within the next year or two. Who will it be?
Inside Straight: On Clients Who Can’t Tell Good Work From Bad
How should a lawyer deal with less-sophisticated clients, the kind of clients who can't tell good work from bad?
Inside Straight: On EUSLAs, Depositions, And Trials
Wherein our columnist gets called out by one of the outside lawyers he discussed in a recent column....
Inside Straight: On Robin Williams And Saying ‘Thank You’
In-house columnist Mark Herrmann offers some good, simple advice -- which not enough people follow, sadly.
AI Is Reshaping Legal Practice—But Tools Aren’t The Real Differentiator.
Explore the mindset, cultural shifts, and training strategies that define the AI‑savvy lawyer, revealing why human judgment, standardized competence, and integrated learning—not technology alone—will shape the future of the profession.
Inside Straight: Breakfast With Easterbrook
Litigators, how should you NOT open a brief?
Inside Straight: The Generational Divide In Legal Humor
Is lawyer humor a generational thing?
Inside Straight: Why Are Elections Like E-Discovery?
Here's some food for thought, from in-house columnist Mark Herrmann: Why are elections like e-discovery?
Inside Straight: The Annoying Ramblings Of An Uber Douche
Business meetings: We have them all the time, and people misuse them. How can we fix this?
Schenck Price Competes Smarter With Lexis+ With Protégé
LexisNexis sat down with John Ursin, Managing Partner at Schenck Price, to learn how the firm is using legal AI to strengthen client service and daily legal work.
Inside Straight: The Ten Rules For Writing Articles To Generate Business
What are the ten rules for writing an article that will generate legal business for the author?
Inside Straight: How Do You Displace A Competent Incumbent?
In-house columnist Mark Herrmann tackles a tough question: How do you replace a competent incumbent?
Inside Straight: No More Projects Named ‘Death Star’ Or ‘Piranha’!
Columnist Mark Herrmann has some advice for in-house counsel on how to name shell companies.
Inside Straight: Provide ‘Advance Praise’ For ‘Inside Straight — The Book’!
The "Inside Straight" column is being turned into a book. And some of your words might appear in it!
Inside Straight: Creating A Unifying Mind
For every matter that you handle, you need one "unifying mind," one person at the helm. How can this get screwed up?