Aug
07
Lawyers are taught to strive for perfection. That means crafting impeccable memoranda with more-than-ample precedent, syntactical precision, and just the right number of erudite footnotes. That’s great if one is submitting a brief to the Supreme Court, but it’s overkill if the forum is Small Claims Court and a pro...
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Aug
03
Inside Voice is a new column featuring articles authored by the leaders of ACC's legal services. Here, they reveal insight on the pressing trends affecting in-house legal practice and corporate legal departments across the globe. During the month of June, a handful of conversations got me thinking about the trajectory...
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Jul
27
“If you are smart and into science, go to medical school–otherwise, get a law degree” was a popular adage when I was an undergraduate. Law school was the shorter, easier route to a stable professional career, and law grads were paid handsomely for their ‘internships and residencies’ compared to their...
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Jul
20
The corporate segment of the legal marketplace is a buyer’s market, and they are driving change. Legal consumers were once content to proscribe cost-controls including discounts, staffing limitations, “most favored nation” rates, and travel. That was followed by more aggressive steps including variations on fixed-fee arrangements, requests for proposals (RFP’s),...
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Jul
13
Gina Passarella’s recent article, “Talking Business of Law: The Dance Around Change,” explores whether the long static legal industry is undergoing real change or simply dancing around it. The analysis emanates from her attendance at a panel discussion on law firm innovation hosted by an international firm. Let’s put aside...
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Jul
06
‘Culture’ describes the values, philosophy, shared objectives, and interactions–internal and external-- of its members. Corporate culture, at its best, aligns the interests of the enterprise with customers and imbues workers with a collective mindset. That is crucial to brand building and market differentiation. Legal culture is something quite different. Legal...
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Jun
29
The most accomplished lawyers are those that become ‘trusted advisers’ to clients. That means their counsel is sought not only for discrete cases but also on an enterprise basis–and not just for ‘legal’ matters. The trusted adviser has a profound understanding of the client’s business and provides professional judgment, emotional...
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Jun
22
Until recently, lawyers needed just a few tools to ply their trade–legal knowledge, licensure, and clients. Good ones had a fuller kit–specialized skills and/or expertise, oratorical and writing proficiency, and a combination of intellectual and people smarts that elevated their client standing from lawyer to trusted adviser. (more…)
Jun
15
‘Innovation’ and ‘disruption’ are the legal industry’s favorite terms these days. Articles and conferences on ‘legal innovation’ and ‘disruption’--whether, when, how, and by whom–are legion. Pinpointing when disruption will occur is as unpredictable as an Amtrak train’s arrival. As Yogi said, ‘it’s tough to make predictions, especially about the future.’...
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Jun
08
The career paths and prospects for young lawyers are markedly different than recent generations. A law degree was once a passport to a stable, predictable, and financially secure career. Most lawyers began their careers with little or no student debt and entered a marketplace where on-the-job training and mentorship were...
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