Tag: articlingstudents

Be Wrong, Confidently!

Confident looking man. — Photo by Rene Asmussen at Pexels.

I came across a lawyer the other day who makes mistakes in his communications with clients and the other side. None of the errors will likely land him in too much trouble. They may even be excusable based on the theory that spending too much time trying to be ‘perfect’ is unhealthy and expensive for clients who are being billed based on the amount of time spent on the matter. But they are mistakes nonetheless, and they could all be caught with a bit more thought and proof-reading.

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, lawfirms, lawstudents, lawyers

Law Students and Young Lawyers

Living in Different Worlds

Post author By Murray Gottheil
Post date January 3, 2024
2 Comments on Living in Different Worlds

The Milky Way. — Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.

I believe that lawyers should not compete based on price. I tell this to my mentees, and sometimes the response is, “that is easy for you to say from a cruise ship in the Pacific. I’m struggling to get files in the door and pay my rent.”

I also think that new lawyers should avoid practicing in areas that have become commodities and are particularly fee sensitive, such as residential real estate. My young friends tell me that they have to get cash in the door and that doing some real estate files is the best way to do it.

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, lawfirms, lawstudents, lawyers

People I Met Practicing Law

Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Eight: The Chief Marketing Officer

Post author By Murray Gottheil
Post date December 12, 2023
No Comments on Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Eight: The Chief Marketing Officer

People mingling at a bar. — Photo by Helena Lopes at Pixels.

Those of you who have been following this series know that I said that Part Seven was the final article in the series. It turns out that I lied.

The purpose of the series is to set out the questions which Articling Students and new Associates should figure out about their firms when deciding whether to stay there over the long-term.

This time it is about the Chief Marketing Officer (“CMO”).

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, lawfirmmanagement, lawfirms, lawyers, marketing, mentoring

Mentoring

Users and Mentors

This is an abridged version of one of my first posts from several years ago.

Supervising lawyers fall into two groups.

Emily Two – A Tale about Sun Visors, Money, and Ego

Post author By Murray Gottheil
Post date October 7, 2023
No Comments on Emily Two – A Tale about Sun Visors, Money, and Ego

Woman in car looking at mirror on sunvisor. — Photo by Gustavo Fring at Pexels.

When automobile manufacturers first put vanity mirrors on sun visors, they only put them on the passenger side. Their reasoning was that the passenger was usually a woman who had makeup to apply. The car was being driven by a man and men did not wear makeup.

Why do you figure that the manufacturers eventually started putting vanity mirrors over the driver’s seat? Did they come to believe that men also like to look at themselves in the mirror? Or was it that they suddenly discovered that women also drive cars?

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, ego, lawfirms, lawstudents, lawyers

Firm Culture

How Quickly My Good Idea Becomes Your Great Idea

Post author By Murray Gottheil
Post date October 2, 2023
No Comments on How Quickly My Good Idea Becomes Your Great Idea

Woman holding up a picture of a light bulb against a background of a wall-board full of diagrams. — Photo by Andrea Piacquadio at Pexels.

Now and then I will tell a story about something that I did back in the day when my wife Maureen and I practiced at the same law firm. Typically my story involves a brilliant legal strategy that I developed, a big win, and a grateful client.

Occasionally Maureen will observe, “how quickly my good idea becomes your great idea.” Her point, I guess, is that she was the brilliant one and I just took her idea and ran with it. It could have happened that way. It was a long time ago and it really is not in my interest to remember the details that clearly.

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, lawfirmculture, lawstudents, lawyers, mentoring

The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Worrying For Godot

Man sitting hunched over and looking worried. — Photo by Keira Burton at Pexels.

When I practiced law, I worried a lot. I worried about making a mistake on my files. I worried that I was too busy. I worried that I was not busy enough.

Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Seven: The Supervising Lawyer

Post author By Murray Gottheil
Post date September 14, 2023
2 Comments on Law Firm Primer For Articling Students and New Associates – Part Seven: The Supervising Lawyer

A lawyer looking at a book while standing over another lawyer who is seated at his desk. — Photo by Sora Shimazak at Pexels.

This is the last in a series about the questions which Articling Students and new Associates should figure out about their firms when deciding whether to stay there over the long-term.

This time, I will speak about supervising lawyers (“SL”).

Tags articlingstudents, attorneys, lawfirmmanagement, lawfirms, lawstudents, lawyers, mentoring

Law Firm Management

Grilled Cheese, Please

Grilled cheese sandwich on a board with avocado and fries in the background. — Photo by Ahmed Rabea at Pexels.

There is a restaurant in Lakefield, Ontario called the Canoe & Paddle. On their regular menu is a panini called the “Ultimate Grilled Cheese” which comes with smoked bacon, cheddar, asiago, tomato, and garlic butter.

On their Kids & Seniors menu they offer a grilled cheese sandwich for which the ingredients are listed as “white loaf, cheddar.” They call this the “Grilled Cheese Please.”