Changing Law Firms for the Worse (Yet Again)
Photo by Rdne at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | November 12, 2024 I was speaking to a recent retiree from a Canadian Big Law firm the other day, and she introduced a new law firm concept to me, that of the “practice assistant”. Apparently, her firm did away with the concept of legal assistants (formerly, a […]
That Whooshing Noise
By Murray Gottheil | October 10, 2024 Let’s talk about deadlines. Here are two quotes to get started: From Douglas Adams, we give you the light-hearted associate’s perspective: “I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.” Don’t let that lull you into a false sense of security, because the truth […]
Vacation Frustration
By Murray Gottheil | September 10, 2024 A junior associate at a law firm called me the other day to complain. There is nothing unusual about that. Associates complain a lot, often with good reason. Her complaint this time was that she had told H.R. that she needed to take a day off for personal reasonS and […]
What Does Loyalty Have To Do With It?
Photo by Roman Odintsov at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | September 4, 2024 Leadership is a two-way street, loyalty up and loyalty down – Grace Murray Hopper I thought it might be fun to test my skills as a writer by writing about two things that have virtually nothing to do with each other. I considered writing […]
Understanding Crazy
By Murray Gottheil | August 19, 2024 Photo by Cottonbro Studio at Pexels According to the fictional Professor Kingsfield in the movie The Paper Chase, law students “come in … (to law school) … with a skull full of mush and … leave thinking like a lawyer.” I have often wondered whether I would have been […]
When Mentoring Disappears
Photo by Pixabay on Pexels By Murray Gottheil | August 11, 2024 Many new lawyers start their own practices soon after graduation or join firms that offer little mentoring or training. I attribute this to a number of factors, including the law firm model falling into disfavour over issues of work/life balance and mental health, and prejudice […]
Toxic Productivity Update
By Murray Gottheil | July 25, 2024 Coming on two years ago, I posted about toxic productivity on Linkedin. Among my pithy comments were the following nuggets: I am retired. I live in the country near a lake and the weather is lovely. I could be going for a walk, reading a book or paddling […]
The Business Development Question
Photo by Anna Shvets at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | July 23, 2024 I speak to a number of newly called lawyers looking to secure associate jobs. I tell these applicants that they should be ready to answer questions about business development. Here are my tips: And then there is the famous, “Do you have any questions […]
Being Brilliant is Over-Rated
Photo by Mart Production at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | Juily 22, 2024 Way back before the cell phone, we had a telephone in our reception area for clients to use. At the same time, my doctor had a sign in his reception area advising patients that the doctor’s phone was for his staff’s use and […]
Keep it Simple, Start With the Statute, Stupid
Photo by Caleb Owens at Pexels By Murray Gottheil | July 22, 2024 You may be familiar with the “KISS Principle” attributed to one Kelly Johnson, a renowned aeronautical engineer at Lockheed Martin. It turns out that “Keep It Simple, Stupid” applies whether you are designing aircraft or solving legal issues. There is nothing simpler than starting […]