by Kim Barrett, MBA, MPS As is the case with many first-generation professionals, I grew up with only the bare necessities and attended public school. Neither of my parents attended college. In fact, neither of them even graduated high school. It wasn’t until they were well into adulthood that they each (separately) earned a GED. They worked, but didn’t make a lot of...
By Joseph Lavelle, Esq. and Maureen C. Washington, ACP, CAS What is one word with thirteen characters that can lead to loss or victory? COMMUNICATION. Thousands, maybe millions, of articles have been written that describe, define, characterize, explain, or expound on this essential durable skill. But what does this combination of five syllables, four vowels, and four consonants...
By Lawrence Pascoe Compared to other businesses, lawyers have not evolved in how they serve their clients Let's be honest; the way lawyers serve their clients has not changed much, not just from the late 1970s when I started practicing law but probably since the 1200s when England passed laws regulating the conduct of the legal profession. Lawyers have harnessed technology to do tasks...
Jathan Janove As a former labor and employment law attorney, I’ve taken issue with the popular employee disciplinary tool commonly referred to as “progressive discipline.” In my view, it’s a pernicious contradiction in terms. Here’s what I published on this topic with SHRM. I advocate replacing conventional employee disciplinary policy with the following three communication...
Helpful "be more productive at work" find from the folks at Web Worker Daily. Yeah, actually napping at your firm during the day might not be a good career move. But what about all-night document productions? "We’ve written before about the benefits of an afternoon “power nap” in helping you get through the day and attack problems with renewed energy. But some folks have...
Goodness, gracious, this is a remarkable discussion about the future of big law firms! Thanks to lawyer, author, & blogger Robert J. Ambrogi for highlighting it in Legal Blog Watch:"When the general counsel of a major corporation says that the current model of the large law firm is heading towards extinction, ears perk up throughout the legal industry. That is precisely what happened...
Pretty poor reaction to need for increased training given that documents produced by law firms are so important!"When talking to law firms about training, I often hear the following statements: 'It's so easy, you don't need training'; 'If you can't learn it in an hour, it's not worth knowing'; and my favorite, 'We're getting documents out the door.' "Law firms often use arguments like...
Good old index cards are surely not of much use for law firms or legal departments with thosands & thousands of files. Read how Frost Brown Todd upgraded to Interwoven:"...Frost Brown Todd LLC, an AMLAW 200 law firm, has adopted Interwoven Records Manager to enable comprehensive information management. "Combined with Interwoven WorkSite, the industry-leading document management...
Ah, the "trying to do my job, but people keep interrupting" problem. Do you have time management on the job under control? "If you've been living in the corporate world for some time, you've probably attended a training session where one of the exercises was to conduct a 'time spent' analysis in order to increase your efficiency. You cracked open your calendar, reviewed how you...
Calling all workaholics! Be smart & take some time off for a rejuvenating nap..at work! "The Power Room at one Raleigh law office isn't a place where high-profile deals get done or important meetings occur. "It's for snoozing. "As workers log in longer hours, there is increasing interest in the revitalizing power of naps. One company in New York sells 20- minute sessions in nap...
