Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

An Attitude of Gratitude

“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.

Categories
Law Firm Management

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

“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.

Categories
The Practice of Law

Might Means Right

By Maureen T. McKay and Murray Gottheil

Recent events in Venezuela have us thinking about the expression, “might means right,” and what it means for our legal systems.

Categories
Law Firm Management

Legal Problem or Leadership Problem?

I am going to tell you a story that was told to me by a law firm partner who cannot risk telling it herself.

Somewhere in the world of Common Law, a rainmaker partner in a huge firm did dreadful things and was pushed out. A scandal ensued. The details were sketchy. Among those trying to figure out exactly what happened were hundreds of the partners of the now disgraced lawyer.

Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Things That Get Better With Age: Fine Wine, Cheese, and Lawyers

One of my favourite mentees made the long drive to the country for lunch with Maureen and me the other day. I will call her Sara. We enjoyed the lunch, and Sara’s company was delightful, as always.

Categories
The Mentality and Attitudes of Lawyers

Humans Practicing Law Inhumanely

It is not what a lawyer tells me I may do; but what humanity, reason, and justice tell me I ought to do. ~ Edmund Burke

Today I would like to weave together two disparate stories to make my point.

Categories
Legal Ethics

Refresher on Legal Ethics For Unscrupulous Litigators – Part Two

In Part One, I told the story from out west of a lawyer who I called Bill. Bill, apparently at the urging of his boss (who had bigger fish to fry), tried to dump a client by making a motion to get off the record a few days before the trial date, and returnable on the trial date. He showed up, having done no trial preparation, and put the client at risk of being ordered to proceed with the trial.

Categories
Legal Ethics

Refresher on Legal Ethics For Unscrupulous Litigators – Part One

I am going to tell you a true story from out west. The names and a few details have been changed to protect me.

Bill is fairly new to the profession. Bill works for Sue, who has been around quite a while, has a boutique practice, and has made a name for herself handling high profile cases.

Categories
Mental Health and Work/Life Balance

Deny, Deny, Deny – Right Up to the Breakdown

“Denial ain’t just a river in Egypt.”  

~ Mark Twain

I was speaking to a mom of three children the other day. She drives them to their different schools every morning and ferries them to sports activities after school and on the weekends, while trying to advance her career in the remaining time. She was talking about how difficult it was to stay on top of everything and take care of her own health, but she was pleased that she was somehow managing it all. My response? “Sure, right up to the breakdown.”

Categories
Legal Tech

A.I. is No Substitute for a Determined Soul

My wife likes to tell the story of the first file that she worked on for me when she articled for my firm. (Those were in the days when she did what I told her to do, because I was the boss. Things have changed.)

I had her work on a financing file. Back in the day, financing statements under the Personal Property Security Act were typed on a government form, and submitted over the counter.