Author: Murray Gottheil

Categories
Legal Tech

You Can’t Take a Taxi Off-Roading

A green taxi cab against a black and white background.

Chris was a client of mine who was in deep, deep trouble. I was brilliant, as usual. Following a period of intense stress for us both, Chris escaped with his business and fortune intact. He paid me handsomely, and without question. Seeing how appreciative he was of my efforts, I took the opportunity to ask him why he never sent me his easy stuff to do. I appreciated the challenging files, but being the greedy lawyer that I was, I also wanted his routine work to keep my juniors and clerks busy billing hours.

read more about which lawyers are going to survive ai “You Can’t Take a Taxi Off-Roading”
Categories
Legal Tech

The Problem With Great Expectations

Bill and Paul sitting on cruise ship.

I am on a slow boat to Tokyo. Over the last few weeks, I have come to know Bill and Paul, both good looking guys in their early eighties. Bill is a pianist and music aficionado. He wears a baseball cap that says, “I’m old, but I’m cool,” which pretty much sums things up for both of them.

read more about the problem with having expectations “The Problem With Great Expectations”
Categories
Legal Tech

Hansel and Gretel in the Age of AI

You will all remember Hansel and Gretel. Abandoned by their stepmother, they left a trail of breadcrumbs to find their way out of the forest. Birds ate the crumbs, and Hansel and Gretel got lost, and eventually fell into the clutches of an evil, cannibalistic witch. Imagine, with me if you will, that AI was around at the time. Had AI trained on those breadcrumbs before they were eaten, it could have produced a map to lead Hansel and Gretel to safety.

read more about cleaning your data for AI “Hansel and Gretel in the Age of AI”
Categories
Law Firm Management

Gutless Partners Tell H.R. To Fire Lawyer  

A small child covering his eyes.
Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.

I recently met with a law firm Associate of a recent vintage, whose employment was terminated after a short tenure at her firm. She has no idea why she was fired, for the simple reason that the firm has not told her. She had received no complaints about her work and had even been given a few compliments. In the legal world, that is just about a ringing endorsement.

read more about gutless partners “Gutless Partners Tell H.R. To Fire Lawyer  “
Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Lawyers Cruising For a Bruising

A cruise ship at Port.

Back when I was still willing to set foot in the United States, I booked a cruise from L.A. to Dubai.

But then war broke out in the Middle East, and the cruise line eliminated several ports from the itinerary, shortened my cruise by six days, and dropped me off in Cape Town.

read more about putting clients first “Lawyers Cruising For a Bruising”
Categories
Legal Tech

What I learned About Artificial Intelligence in the 1990’s

Small floppy disks.
Photo by S J at Pexels.

My firm had a thriving real estate practice in the 1980’s. When the real estate market tanked from 1989 until about 1996, they were not happy times. We did not hire any real estate lawyers in those days.

read more about how using ai is going to change the training required by lawyers “What I learned About Artificial Intelligence in the 1990’s”
Categories
Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Macro Marvellous, Micro Miserable

Man at desk looking stressed.
Photo by Kampus Production at Pexels.

Bob told me about his law firm exit interview with Joan from H.R. When Bob said that he was leaving due to the unreasonable workload, Joan was curious, because Bob was one of several associates who had left that department for the same reason. What surprised Joan was that in other departments, the associates were working many more hours, but no one was complaining, let alone quitting.

read more about what matters for your happiness in a law firm “Macro Marvellous, Micro Miserable”
Categories
Law Students and Young Lawyers

Predatory Compensation Arrangements For Junior Lawyers

Tiger
Photo by Pixabay at Pexels.

Say what you will about Big Law (and I say plenty of unflattering things about them), at least when they hire a junior lawyer, they give them a generous salary and benefits, and more often than not, appropriate training and mentoring.

read more about junior lawyers being taken advantage of “Predatory Compensation Arrangements For Junior Lawyers”
Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

An Attitude of Gratitude

Machinery in a factory;
Photo by Kalpesh Damor at Pexels.

“Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos into order, confusion into clarity.”    

~ Melody Beattie.

An old man takes his seat on an airplane. The attendant offers him a blanket and a pillow, and helps him settle in. She asks, “are you comfortable?”  The old man replies, “I make a living.”

After we earn enough to cover our basis needs, how much more it takes to be comfortable depends on our values. Some people need money for luxury cars, jewelry, big houses in fancy neighbourhoods, and private schools. Others do not.

read more about (Not) being grateful in the legal profession “An Attitude of Gratitude”
Categories
Law Firm Management

Churn Through Your Associates if You Must, But At Least Do it Well

A line of people.
Photo by Krizjohn Rosales at Pexels.

“Prepare the clone army!” 

~ Dr. Evil

Back before today’s young lawyers were born, law firms and new lawyers had an unwritten social contract.

Firms were prepared not to make much money on newcomers. They made an investment to mentor, supervise, and train them. If the firm was lucky, it could cover its costs in the first year, and start making a profit in subsequent years. The new lawyers knew that they would have to put in some time before they could earn the big bucks, but if they hung in, a partnership would be offered within a reasonable time frame.

read more about churning through associates poorly “Churn Through Your Associates if You Must, But At Least Do it Well”