In-House Counsel

The Upside Of COVID: A License To Risk And Fail

The limitations of the legal swim lanes are a fiction that many of us have collectively bought into.

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After watching so many of my friends in the global legal community say goodbye to their jobs on LinkedIn, I posted the following offer: “DM me if you can benefit from the perspective of someone who has done a few things in law, has seen a few ups and downs, and pivoted her career multiple times in good times and bad.”

And DMs I got! Many, many, many DMs … DMs and calls later from lawyers all over the world.

So, here is my general advice: If you lost a job (and even if you haven’t), now is a good time to stop swimming in your proverbial legal lane. Hustle. Create your own opportunities. Take risks. Very big risks. There’s no blueprint. There are no rules. Try things that may be a bit out there and feel uncomfortable. If you fail, recover quickly, learn, and blame on COVID if needed. Then, repeat until you get what you want.

This method works, in good times and bad! Why?! Because the limitations of the legal swim lanes are a fiction that many of us have collectively bought into. In fact, there are many ways to practice law or have an amazing legal career profitably, impactfully, sustainably, and (gasp!) joyfully.

In bad times, the downside of risk is much greater. Now, you have an easy excuse to blame that failure on. In other words, the license to fail is the upside of COVID. I promise you that everyone will nod in understating, and likely will give you a hug (even if virtually), when you explain a failure with “yep, COVID,” followed by eyes roll.

So, why not do something unprecedented in unprecedented times?!

Now you may be asking: “Where do I start?” I am glad you asked.

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Generally speaking, I am a fan of just jumping into proverbial cold water and making a big splash. After all, while diving may be more elegant, cannon-balling is infinitely more satisfying! But if you must take small steps, how about you start with learning, through books, research, and observations, the following soft skills that your law school was (and possibly still) blissfully unaware of.

Innovation

Innovation is a must-have skill for every modern lawyer. Lucy Endel Bassli, former Microsoft lawyer and author of Simple Guide to Legal Innovation, recently spoke about legal innovation in law. Suffice it to say that it is a huge opportunity. After all, over $70 million was invested in legal tech last week, in the middle of a pandemic. No need to chase Biglaw or other scarce opportunities. Follow the money. That is where legal is going. That is where you must pay attention.

 

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Change Management

The cliché rings truer today than ever: change is the only constant thing! Julie Honor, general counsel at 3Q Digital, shares simple steps to implement a change management mindset in your organization. In sum, fact-based decisions, supportive communication, and consensus-building are a must. And caring for your organization and colleagues will go a long way. This is how general counsel and in-house lawyers lead!

Leadership

Transparency is the currency of leadership. Being truthful and helping others be heard builds trust and long-term relationships. For example, Nina Chang, Associate General Counsel of Neo4j, discusses lagom, a Swedish word meaning “just the right amount.” Incorporating the principles of lagom into the corporate culture and everyday practices such as contract negotiations leads to a more transparent culture, happy stakeholders, and satisfied customers. Ultimately being transparent allows all of us to show up as ourselves, have honest conversations, and be of service. Why not try that sometimes?

 

For those of us in the legal community that still have a job — pause and stay grateful. Then actively assist those in transition. We are a community! That is by far, hands down, the best part of law practice. Remember, very few pools have only one lane. Even if swimming across lanes is not your thing now, it’s time to learn. We must support each other. That is what communities do in good times and bad.

Olga V. Mack is the CEO of Parley Pro, a next-generation contract management company that has pioneered online negotiation technology. Olga embraces legal innovation and had dedicated her career to improving and shaping the future of law. She is convinced that the legal profession will emerge even stronger, more resilient, and more inclusive than before by embracing technology. Olga is also an award-winning general counsel, operations professional, startup advisor, public speaker, adjunct professor, and entrepreneur. She founded the Women Serve on Boards movement that advocates for women to participate on corporate boards of Fortune 500 companies. She authored Get on Board: Earning Your Ticket to a Corporate Board Seat and Fundamentals of Smart Contract Security. You can follow Olga on Twitter @olgavmack.

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