Ronda Muir, Esq.

Ronda Muir is a Senior Consultant with Robin Rolfe Resources, Inc., providing custom management consulting services to law firms and law departments. Ronda’s expertise is in lawyer personalities and organizational development. She draws from her experience in law, behavioral science and conflict resolution to offer business-savvy, psychologically sophisticated and real-world solutions to people management issues in the legal workplace. By enhancing these dynamics, her clients achieve the collaborative, energized culture that best supports lawyers and the clients they serve.

Ronda has advised Fortune 500 corporations and law firms of all sizes on the personal dynamics unique to law firms and law departments as they impact such issues as organizational transition and change management, management structure, compensation, retention, leadership development, diversity, risk management, culture, morale and communication. She is a frequent speaker and an award-winning author. 

Formerly an attorney at New York's Davis Polk & Wardwell, Co-General Counsel for the TAG Group, based in Paris, France, and Vice President of the CPR Institute for Dispute Resolution, Ronda graduated with Distinction in Psychology from Swarthmore College, and received a J.D. with Honors from the University of Texas Law School and a certificate in International Law from the London School of Economics. A mediator with advanced training from Harvard University, she is also certified to administer several assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Mayer-Salovey-Caruso Emotional Intelligence Test (MSCEIT). Ronda is a member of the ABA Practice Management Group, Yale Leadership Development Committee and the Coaches Training Institute.

Ronda has served on a number of boards, including the Dispute Settlement Center, a Connecticut mediation firm, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors for The Institute for Social and Psychiatric Initiatives at New York University's Langone Medical Center.  As part of her community involvement, Ronda oversees leadership training for at-risk youth for Community Centers, Inc. and conducts leadership and teamwork retreats for UNICEF national offices.

Robin Rolfe Resources (RRR)

Ronda Muir is a Senior Consultant with Robin Rolfe Resources, specializing in lawyer personalities and law firm and law department organizational development and dynamics. 

Established in 1999, RRR is headquartered in New Jersey and provides custom management consulting services to law firms, law departments, and providers serving the legal profession. All of RRR's consultants are lawyers and all staff members have either JDs or other advanced degrees. The advice offered by RRR is grounded on sound business principles and behavioral science, delivered with practical implementation programs, while making use of sophisticated tools tailored to lawyers.

RRR specializes in addressing the wide range of issues challenging contemporary law practice, including:
 

• Strategic Planning
• Practice Management
• Business Development
• Organizational Dynamics
• Professional Development 
 

Progress in Work LLC

Ronda Muir collaborates with Progress in Work, a career management firm, in providing timely, practical professional development services for lawyers at all stages of their careers.  Progress in Work focuses on outplacement, executive/professional development coaching, business development training and coaching, and career counseling with its clients from most of the AmLaw 100 and many of the Fortune 500 corporations.

 

Testimonials

             "I’m using Muir’s piece on 'What the New Law Firm Looks Like' for the Law Firms course that I will be teaching at Harvard Law School this spring. It does the best job I’ve seen of succinctly describing in one place the various trends that are likely to be transforming law firm practice." Mitt Regan, Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Center for the Study of the Legal Profession at Georgetown University Law Center January 2010

            Muir "...presents as cogent an expression of what the future of law firms and law practice will look like as we have yet found." IOMA’s November Law Firm Leadership Alert naming Muir Thought Leader

            “Absolutely brilliant analytical article!” Managing Partner of AmLaw 100 Law Firm, describing “What the New Law Firm Looks Like”

             Muir's presentation at the ARK Group’s “Risk Management for the Modern Law Firm for Managing Partners” "was pivotal to the success of the program… and brought a fresh perspective to the agenda" and also received rave reviews from participants:

  • "Innovative, new information!"
  • "Excellent, new material of real value.  I would love even more detail and time on this topic."
  •  "Great presentation!" 
  • "Great speaker!  Knowledgeable and forward thinking."
  •  "Ronda Muir is terrific and great to work with!" 
  •  "Frank and pragmatic." 

National Recognition

            Named IOMA Thought Leader October 2009

            Member of select group of ENABLE advisors to law firms put together by Patrick  McKenna (co-author of First Among Equals and Herding Cats) September 2009

            Awarded 2007-2008 Edge International Law Practice Magazine Award for excellence in writing for "The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Law Firm Partners"   August 2008

 

Speaking Presentations

            ALAS (Attorneys' Liability Assurance Society)

Panelist on lawyer personality, firm culture and other aspects that impact risk at annual General Meeting of over 300 managing and risk management  partners June 2009                

Webinar Speaker “Think Like a Lateral—How to Hire and Retain Quality  Lawyers”     March  2010

             APLF (Association of Patent Law Firms)

 Webinar Speaker "How Progressively Managed and Adaptive IP Firms Can Gain an Advantage in a Down Economy" March 2009

Roundtable Leader “Law Practice Management for Current and Prospective Law Firm Leaders” 12th Annual Meeting September 2009

            ARK Group

Speaker “Risk Management for Managing Partners” April 2007

Speaker “Developing a Risk Conscious Culture in Your Firm” June 2007

            CCM (Center for Competitive Management) Audio Conference Speaker

“Laterals” April 2010

"Compensation for Client Development: Tracking, Measuring and Rewarding for New Business Origination" February 2010

“Retooling Associate Pay: Key Strategies to Adapt to the New Economy” June 2009

"Turning Lawyers Into Leaders: How to Survive the Economic Slide" March 2009

“Associate Compensation: Remain Competitive without Breaking the Bank” March 2008

 “Associate Compensation: Weighing Current Market Trends & Alternatives” Sept 2008

"Revenue Per Lawyers: Increase Profitability not Billable Hours" October 2008

            INTA (International Association of Trademark Attorneys)

Speaker “Lawyer Personalities” Women’s Power Breakfast Annual Meeting May 2007

 IOMA (The Institute of Management and Administration) Audio Conference Speaker

"Associate Compensation: New Alternatives for a Difficult Economy" July 2008

 “Associate Compensation: Where Do We Go From Here?” Sept 2007

            Northwestern University Business Institutions Program

Speaker "Promoting an Effective Board or Management Group" 2007-2010

            Swarthmore College’s Lax Conference on Entrepreneurship

Speaker “Teambuilding” 10th Annual Anniversary Conference March 2009

            UNICEF Three-Day Leadership and Teambuilding Retrea

Macedonia National Office May 2009

Armenia National Office May 2007

            WLA (Women Lawyers Alliance)

Panelist “Does Gender Affect Business Development and Leadership?" Annual Conference May 2010

            Yale Law School

Speaker “Law Economics 101: How to Be a Valuable Associate” April 2007     

Yale Law School has been acknowledged by the Carnegie Foundation as one of only three law schools offering a balanced curriculum.

 

Major Articles

  • “What the New Law Firm Looks Like: the Reinvention of a Reluctant Industry” 2009 republished frequently, including on the cover of IOMA Compensation & Benefits for Law Offices December 2009, Partner’s Report December 2009 and Larry Bodine’s www.lawmarketing.com
  • “Women and Happiness” December 2007
  • "The Importance of Emotional Intelligence in Law Firm Partners" ABA's Law Practice Magazine July/August 2007
  • "The Looming Associate Crisis" ALM Law Firm Partnership & Benefits Report July 2007
  • “What Makes Lawyers Tick—and How to Engage Them” The IRE Journal May/June 2007
  • “Handling Conflict and Dissent in Law Practice (And Life)” February 2007
  • "Promoting an Effective Board or Management Group" 2006
  • “What Juniors Need to Know about Your Firm’s Bottom Line” IOMA Compensation & Benefits for Law Offices August2006
  •  “The Unique Psychological World of Lawyers” March 2006 
  •  “Decision-Making by Committee: Perceptions and Misperceptions” November 2005
  •  “Beyond Pro Bono: the Case for Corporate Citizenship” September 2005
  •  “The Case for Assessment: Using Discrimination for Better Hiring” November 2004
  •  “Lawyers, Leadership and Feedback” July 2004