Year-end is normally a busy time. Law firm partners and administrators are hustling to collect fees (at least in those firms that are on calendar years), associates are scrambling to complete assignments with the hope that they’ll be able to squeeze in some time off, and in-house and government lawyers are feverishly completing budgets, staffing projections and forecasts. It is thus with great reticence that I offer some ideas for things that should be added to your never-ending to-do list. I do think, though, that there is a lot of value to recalibrating before the page turns on 2012 and provide 10 recommendations in that regard.
Refresh Your Body and Soul
I recently spoke, in the span of an hour, with a law firm managing partner and a general counsel. While there were quite a few topics that were unique to their particular industries, they had a common refrain: The practice of law, no matter the setting, is a grind, as lawyers work very hard. If some sense of balance cannot be found, burning out will be the least of their worries, as a raft of other maladies will come into play, just as they do for those in other walks of life.
