Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Seeing Around Corners

Ancient arches covered in vegetation suggesting that danger may lurk within.

One of the best compliments that I ever received when I was practicing law was that I had the ability to ‘see around corners,’ meaning that I was often able to predict where problems were going to arise out of a proposed course of action. That comes with general knowledge, thoughtfulness, experience, and a healthy (or unhealthy?) dose of paranoia.  

Speaking of paranoia, some years ago I underwent one of those psychological assessments, where you answer a whole bunch of questions, and the computer tells you whether or not you are crazy (something that your loved ones can do without the testing.)

read more about seeing around corners “Seeing Around Corners”
Categories
Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

A Long Night’s Journey Into Day

The sun rising over the ocean.

I used to be the type of lawyer who woke up early and headed into the office.  On my commute, my head would be full of ideas about my files, firm management, and marketing.  I would call and leave messages for my staff and associates or call clients and referral sources to say hello and stay ‘top of mind.’  My commute was part of my workday, and I tried to make it as productive as possible.  When the calls were about files, I would be sure to remember to docket the time when I got back to the office.  I would do the same on the way home and put my dockets in remotely when I arrived.  

read more about there being a better way to live “A Long Night’s Journey Into Day”
Categories
The Practice of Law

David and Goliath in the Legal Profession

Statue of Michelangelo's David

In my early years of practice, I received a phone call from a friend who practiced union side labour law.  He had a question about Civil Law and having recently graduated from McGill with a Civil Law degree in addition to my Common Law Degree, I was able to answer his question.  He appreciated my help.  Or so he said.

read more about why the best lawyers may not be available to represent small clients “David and Goliath in the Legal Profession”
Categories
People I Met Practicing Law

People I Met Practicing Law Episode Three: Zero Trust

A kite that looks like a shark.

Eleanor practiced family law.  She was pretty smart, and she knew all of the technical stuff cold.  What Eleanor was not that good at was the part about dealing with clients.  Especially vulnerable clients.  Such as people going through a separation or a divorce.

read more about lawyers who care more about protecting themselves than their clients “People I Met Practicing Law Episode Three: Zero Trust”
Categories
People I Met Practicing Law

People I Met Practicing Law Episode Two: Ethically Challenged

A fox by the side of the road.

Patricia was a good lawyer.  She knew her law.  She worked hard.  She produced billings. She brought in clients.

We all have character flaws.  Even me.  However, Patricia had more than most of us. She was uber competitive.  She liked to win.  She hated to lose.  Patricia and others saw these attributes as positives. If she had been able to keep them under control, they might indeed have been assets.  She was not, so they were not.  

read more about ethically challenged lawyers “People I Met Practicing Law Episode Two: Ethically Challenged”
Categories
People I Met Practicing Law

People I Met Practicing Law Episode One: Tough Love

An owl perched in a tree looking wise.

They say that the Americans are tougher than we are when it comes to business.  I think that it is probably true. 

I met John in the early 90’s, shortly after he had arrived in Toronto to set up a Canadian branch of his large Buffalo law firm.  John was a very senior lawyer by then and he was the managing partner of the Toronto branch office of his firm, and in charge of the firm’s cross-border practice. 

read more about what i learned about tough management techniques from a senior american lawyer “People I Met Practicing Law Episode One: Tough Love”
Categories
Firm Culture

Of Sisyphus and Speakerphones

A wall of boulders with the sea in the background.

When I started out in the legal profession many years ago, becoming a Partner at a law firm was the dream of every new lawyer.  At the firm where I articled in 1979, each new Partner received two gifts from the firm upon being admitted to partnership.  The first was a gold sculpture of Sisyphus, pushing the boulder up the hill.  The second was a speakerphone, which at the time was new and exciting technology. 

read more about lessons about the legal profession from the ancient greeks “Of Sisyphus and Speakerphones”
Categories
Law Firm Management

What Have You Done For Me Lately?

An old fishing boat abandoned on the side of the road

In the summer of 1976, I worked for the largest law firm in Montreal, which was Ogilvy, Cope, Porteous, Montgomery, Renault, Clark & Kirkpatrick, as a student doing research.  You likely do not know that name, but you may recognize the name of its successors Ogilvy, Renault and Norton Rose.

read more about the loyalty problem “What Have You Done For Me Lately?”
Categories
Law Students and Young Lawyers

Ten Things I Liked About Being a Lawyer

The author playing Jenga.

Since I retired, I have been writing articles about the legal profession “from the safety of retirement”.  It occurred to me recently that many of them may have been a bit negative in tone. Someone carefully studying my growing body of work (and I do realize that absolutely nobody is doing that) might conclude that I have a negative view of the profession in which I worked for 40 years. 

read more about what I actually liked about being a lawyer “Ten Things I Liked About Being a Lawyer”
Categories
Legal Fees

Putting In Time

Building with clock tower in Peru

Back when I started practicing law, I used to record my time on a docket sheet stapled to the inside front cover of each file.  When it came time to bill the file, all of the information that I needed was there for me to use, but I was the only one who had it.  Firm management did not have it.  They could not tell me that my docketed time for the month was too low, or that I had recorded less time than last month or how my work in process compared to the same month of the year before.  They could not easily compare my docketed time to what I had billed and tell me that my write-offs were too high, and they certainly could not look at my work in process and easily tell me how I was doing compared to other associates.

read more about the pressure on lawyers to bill their recorded time “Putting In Time”