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Commentary
Lawyers' Unique Role in Observing Veterans Day
Texas Lawyer
Monday, November 9, 2009
On Veterans Day, Texas lawyers should pause to reflect on the freedoms veterans secured for all Americans and our duty as attorneys to further those freedoms, says State Rep. Allen Vaught. While this solemn day was originally enacted in 1938 as a legal holiday honoring World War I veterans on the annual anniversary of that war's armistice, it was expanded in 1954 to a holiday honoring all U.S. veterans.
SPONSOR SPOTLIGHT
Don't Rely on Conclusory Statements
Texas Lawyer
Monday, November 9, 2009
Lawyers identify with their clients. As the saying goes, "When their clients bleed, they bleed." They empathize with their clients and show anger and indignation toward the other side. This is good bedside manner — clients love to be validated — and thus it is good business. But lawyers should be careful that their empathetic enthusiasm doesn't carry over to and dominate their persuasive writing, where indignation is no substitute for analysis.
Use LinkedIn to Enhance Networking and Visibility
Marketing the Law Firm Newsletter
Monday, October 26, 2009
LinkedIn is different from Facebook and similar social networking sites. LinkedIn is designed for businesspeople to share professional contacts; there is limited personal information and no photos (other than a headshot should you choose to post one). It works this way: You build a profile (essentially your résumé) and then invite people into your online network. You use that online network to tap into the networks of the people you know. And best of all, it is completely free to join.
Informational Interviews Can Aid Job Search
Law.com
Monday, October 26, 2009
Mention "networking" to a law student and watch her cringe. Suggest an informational interview and prepare for her eyes to glaze over. Law students are told frequently about the value of these activities but generally find the idea of an informational interview intimidating and overly time-consuming.
Commentary: Five Management Principles Firms Should Implement Now
Texas Lawyer
Monday, October 19, 2009
Law firms are businesses. While that is hardly a startling revelation, firms do operate on a different model from most other businesses. The Assistant-at-Law recently took note of all the opportunities firms are missing by ignoring long-established management techniques, particularly those aimed at motivating people.
What Lawyers Can Learn From Sisyphus
Texas Lawyer
Monday, October 19, 2009
In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned to roll a heavy rock uphill to a point almost reaching the light of the living world, only to witness its descent after each day's labor, the ultimate expression of the absurd. As the echoes of Sisyphus, we all possess a rock, says psychotherapist James Dolan.
Choose Descriptive, Not Intensifying, Adjectives to Persuade
New Jersey Law Journal
Monday, October 12, 2009
Instructors in legal writing tell us to feature nouns, which identify actors and those acted upon, and verbs, which represent action. This is good advice because nouns and verbs are the essential components of a good story. They answer the question, "Who did what to whom?"
Lessons of Letterman: The Top Reasons Bosses Should Be Concerned About Workplace Relationships
Texas Lawyer
Monday, October 12, 2009
As the David Letterman saga plays out, employers across America should take some time to think about the dynamics of relationships between the top boss, say a CEO, and his or her subordinates, and how these dynamics play out in the workplace, says Michael P. Maslanka. While a celebrity scandal won't come across most attorneys' desks, most management lawyers will handle sexual harassment suits.
Keep Your Résumé Honest
The Recorder
Monday, October 5, 2009
In the age of e-Résumés and data systems that store millions upon millions of historical documents, recruiters and employers now have the ability to look longitudinally at information in Résumés provided by candidates over many years and map the "content drift" of this information. This provides an entirely new way of determining a candidate's veracity when it comes to his or her employment history.
How a Managing Partner Adds Value to a Firm
Texas Lawyer
Monday, October 5, 2009
After many years of analyzing the personal and professional styles of lawyer managers who are perceived as leaders of successful firms, three inescapable conclusions have become apparent:
I Like Being a Lawyer!
Texas Lawyer
Monday, October 5, 2009
James "Jim" Potts lists the top five reasons he likes being a lawyer.
Seize the Day When It Comes to Creative Trial Advocacy
Texas Lawyer
Monday, September 28, 2009
Trial lawyer anxiety has reached an all-time high, with lawyers and judges writing and worrying about the age of the vanishing jury trial. Despite this existential crisis, lawyers have had no better opportunity for creative advocacy than they do today.
