Better Law Practice Through Better People Management
In addition to the factors we pointed out as relevant in evaluating the Sotomayor Supreme Court nomination, recent studies provide some additional insight into the impact of minority judges just in time for consideration of Kagan’s SCOTUS nomination.
The ABA Judicial Division reported this spring on two studies conducted by the University of Pittsburgh…
Steve Brill, the initial publisher of The American Lawyer, some 30 years ago invented the AmLaw 100 and began reporting comparative financial figures for that group of firms. Surprisingly enough, firms submitted that information for him to publish, showing definitively how much money lawyers make on the backs of their clients.
Unclear Payoff
Why do private…
Muir recently led an Introduction to the Business of Law seminar for junior associates at an AmLaw 100 firm. The presentation is customized to the firm and is gauged to bolster associates’ engagement and loyalty and to improve their productivity.
Topics include a definition of terms, such as utilization, realization and cash management, and a discussion of what…
As our entry Barbarians at the Partnership Gate? on January 10 predicted, the great partner smack down is getting under way, and the first out of the box is Howrey’s announcement last month that it was dismissing up to 10% of its partners. Mayer Brown’s recent firing of 28 lawyers included counsel, another tier of long-term lawyers, in addition to associates.…
From 2:00 pm to 3:15 EST on Thursday April 29, 2010 Muir will lead an audio conference discussion hosted by the Center for Ccompetitive Management (CCM) entitled "Lateral Partner Hires: Selecting and Integrating the Best Fit for the Firm," centering on the issues associated with hiring and integrating lateral partners. A record number of lateral partner…
It was my great pleasure–something I don’t often say about a conference– to attend this invitation-only gathering last week, March 21-23, of both august and up-and-coming law industry professionals as they prognosticated the future of our practice and what that might in fact look like up close for a broad array of providers and clients.
While I will digest and relay over the…
Muir will participate in a webinar entitled “Think Like a Lateral—How to Hire and Retain Quality Lawyers” to be presented on Tuesday, March 9 for the members of the Attorneys’ Liability Assurance Society (ALAS).
Ronda Muir is participating as a panelist in CCM’s audio conference on "Compensation for Client Development: Tracking, Measuring and Rewarding for New Business Origination" being held at 2pm on Thursday, February 18, 2010. To register, please go to http://www.c4cm.com/lawfirm/compensation_client_development.htm.
The partner smack down has begun.
Here’s the most recent tally for equity partner announcements: Skadden, Arps named 8 new partners, down from 25; Debevoise & Plimpton named 2, down from 6; Weil, Gotshal promoted 3, down from 7; Cleary Gottlieb elected 4 new partners, half as many as in 2008; Ropes & Gray named…
While no one in his or her right mind yet concedes it, let’s just assume that the tides have turned and the billable hour is a thing of the past. What becomes of all the firm procedures and evaluation and promotion and compensation systems triggered or run by billable hours?
How do you tell your associates how much you expect them…