JD Bliss

Tools to Help You Be Happy and Successful as a Lawyer

2008-08-19T21:07:04-07:00

We all want to be happy. It is possible to find happiness in the practice of law. A successful work-life balance involves being content in the professional and personal areas of our lives.

That's the idea. Making that idea a reality, however, can be challenging. Happily, Laura Milligan at Job Profiles has compiled a list of "100 Tips and Resources to Be a Happy, Successful Lawyer."

This helpful collection, designed for busy lawyers and law students, offers resources on the following subjects:

lawyer associations,
lawyer blogs and social networking tools,
continuing legal education,
avoiding burnout,
keeping your clients, your family, and yourself happy (also known as work-life balance),
job and career sites,
law references and legal research tools,
lawyer humor: jokes and cartoons,
information for law students and new attorneys,
tools for dealing with discrimination in the workplace, and
getting out of debt, with a primary emphasis on student loan debt.

Bookmark this list. You'll find lots of links and plenty of sound suggestions that will help you get the most out of your life as a lawyer.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Dr. Paul Lanthois Advises Busy Professionals to Achieve "Work-Wife" (or "Work-Husband") Balance

2008-08-14T19:51:28-07:00

In a recent article in the American Chronicle, Dr. Paul Lanthois, a successful chiropractor and kinesiologist and Director of the Work Life Balance foundation, offers solutions for dealing with the stresses that arise in a marriage when a spouse in a demanding occupation (e.g. law) spends too much time and energy at work and not enough time and energy at home. In a play on words, Dr. Lanthois describes this phenomenon as a lack of "work-wife balance" (obviously when it's the husband who is spending too much time at work and the wife is at home full time taking care of kids and running the household). Dr. Lanthois opines that the way in which a couple deals with the imbalance between "work" and "wife" will determine whether their relationship survives or ends in divorce.

As a starting point, based on his observations of successful and unsuccessful relationships involving couples in demanding occupations, Lanthois suggests "bringing some gratitude and praise back into the relationship." He has some specific recommendations for both the partner who works outside the home and the stay-at-home (SAH) partner.

Lanthois advises the partner working outside the home to appreciate the SAH partner's work and to communicate that gratitude clearly and regularly. Some things to be grateful for include a safe environment for the children, a clean home, a cooked meal, and having your family home when you get there. It's easy to take such simple pleasures for granted, but sincerely thanking your spouse for making them possible can help deepen your relationship.

In turn, the SAH partner must discover and express his or her gratitude for the partner who leaves home each day to generate income for the family. SAH spouses can thank their partners for working hard and long to support the family. Additionally, by making the home an enjoyable place, the SAH spouse can encourage his or her partner to spend more time there. Part of making the home an enjoyable place is greeting your partner with enthusiasm when he or she returns from the workplace. People want to spend time where their loved ones are happy to see them.

Finally, both spouses must ensure that each of them gets some time to themselves to do whatever they want to do. Such time can be spent on exercise, playing sports, or pursuing hobbies or other interests, and it can be a great benefit to people who have busy careers.

Dr. Lanthois concludes his article nicely with these observations:

"By both partners showing appreciation and gratitude at home and at work you can enjoy both [your work and the rest of your life]. Enjoying work, and your life and family away from work, is what they really mean when they talk about having a work life balance."

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Lack of Work-life Balance Can Be Fatal

2008-08-05T04:51:51-07:00

Karoshi. Have you seen that word before? Karoshi is a Japanese word that describes sudden death from overworking. Recently, The Juggle reported the sad story of a 45-year-old Toyota engineer who died in 2006 from heart disease. The man "had been traveling and working extremely long hours, including an average of 80 hours of overtime a month in the months before his death." The deceased engineer's family had sought to collect benefits from his insurance, and a Japanese labor board ruled last month that the engineer had worked himself to death.

While lawyers in English-speaking lands may seem half a world away from the intense pressures of the automobile manufacturing industry in a country known for its intense dedication to company loyalty and working long hours, attorneys face comparable pressures dressed in different disguises. For example, The Juggle's blog entry points out that:

technological tethers like wireless devices and laptop computers can keep us connected to our work 24x7, with little opportunity to escape from job-related stress;
the ability to be working during every waking moment can make us feel guilty for not being "productive" all the time; and
economic pressures intensify our compulsion to work harder, if only to keep our jobs in an uncertain economy where unemployment is rising.

It is now common knowledge that stress can harm our health. High levels of stress can increase our risk for heart disease and many other illnesses. As the subtitle to The Juggle's blog entry asks, are we working ourselves to death?

The comments below the blog post offer a number of perspectives about this phenomenon, many of them from lawyers.

Karoshi--death caused by working excessively--is a complex problem. However, looking at some of our ideas for managing stress may help attorneys re-balance their personal and professional lives to avoid facing such serious, and final, effects of working too much.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Professional Coach James Dolan Advises Lawyers to Work--and Live--in the Present Moment

2008-07-31T21:11:55-07:00

It's a busy, demanding world for today's lawyers. Like a swift, strong current at sea, various time pressures can sweep our minds far out into the future--a future filled with anxiety about how we can meet our quota for billable hours, get a favorable result for our client in court, or finally close a deal after months of negotiation. Similarly, the past haunts us with its doubts and second-guessing--the seemingly endless parade of "what if?" questions that marches through our minds.

In a thoughtful article in Texas Lawyer, James Dolan, a Dallas-based professional coach and psychotherapist, warns attorneys about losing themselves in the past or the future--what he calls the "Preparing to Live Syndrome" or "PtLS". Dolan describes PtLS as an extreme form of deferred gratification in which the sufferer endures a lot of unpleasant experiences today, hoping that those experiences will somehow lead to a better life tomorrow.

As an example, Dolan mentions a partner at a large law firm for whom the promise of a better life during her early retirement, still eighteen years away, kept her going. When Dolan asked that attorney what she would do during her retirement, she replied simply but vaguely, "I'm going to live my own life for a change."

That lawyer is not alone. Dolan says that PtLS is a common condition in modern Western culture that causes a lot of anxiety, depression, and suffering. Specifically, the problem is that "we trade what we truly have"--the present moment--for a future that does not yet and might never exist. As a result, many of us seek relief in "addiction, pay raises and promotions and all manner of frantic behavior." Dolan points out that the present moment is "the one moment of the only life we will ever have that we truly possess."

If PtLS is the disease, then what's the cure for it? Dolan suggests that lawyers promise themselves: "Today is the only day that belongs to me; I will live it the best way I know how."

From there, he offers numerous examples of how to work, as well as not work, consciously and mindfully. Not working includes spending time doing pleasant activities with full awareness, as well as simply being in touch with and enjoying our surroundings, without having to do anything. We can pursue interests outside our work. We can spend a little more time with our loved ones. We can slow down. We can enjoy our lives in this moment. Right here. Right now.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Want to Retain Your Attorneys? Try Mentoring

2008-07-29T14:53:12-07:00

Mentoring is an important element of life at companies like Xerox, IBM, KPMG, and Deloitte. A recent article in the New York Post explains how these companies are using mentoring effectively to develop the careers of women and minorities, as well as to retain those employees. Through a combination of affinity groups and networks, as well as formally structured and informal mentoring relationships, these business giants help employees understand better how their business operates and give them an opportunity to talk with their mentors about a range of topics including career advancement and work-life balance issues. Mentoring is becoming increasingly popular as a way to retain employees.

But mentoring isn't just for technology and accounting powerhouses. Law firms can benefit from mentoring, too. Attorneys benefit from having personal relationships with more experienced lawyers in the firm. Ari Kaplan, the author of The Opportunity Maker: Strategies for Inspiring Your Legal Career Through Creative Networking and Business Development, says, "Most employees want two things: someone to emulate and someone to inspire them. Seeing someone like you that has achieved a certain level of success can be truly inspiring."

Wendy Schwarz, a partner at Reed Smith, agrees and points out how the mentoring relationship can be especially valuable for women attorneys. Schwarz serves as a mentor through the firm's Women's Career Advancement Initiative, and points out that it's important for female lawyers to see other women succeeding in the profession. She explains, "One of the reasons women leave law firms in higher numbers than men is because they don't often see someone like them getting ahead."

Law firms invest a lot of resources in developing their lawyers. It makes sense to retain those attorneys so the firm can reap a full return on their investment. Following the example of major business enterprises, and other law firms like Reed Smith, that operate formal mentoring programs is one way to hold on to that legal talent.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Stephen Ellis Offers Seven Simple Suggestions for Success and Happiness in the Law

2008-07-24T21:13:37-07:00

Who says lawyers can't be happy? Certainly not Stephen Ellis, a partner at the Cleveland office of Tucker, Ellis & West, a 150-lawyer full-service firm. A happy--and successful--lawyer who has spent 36 years in the profession, Ellis challenges the ideas that the number of hours billed determines a lawyer's worth, and that making more money makes lawyers more happy.

In a time when there are many news reports about lawyers' unhappiness, depression, lack of civility, and poor work-life balance, Ellis offers a refreshing viewpoint. While he doesn't ignore the problems lawyers face, he focuses on the positive aspects of the practice of law. He observes that when we lawyers move away from an emphasis on billable hours as the basis of generating revenue and, even more problematically, our own worth, we can turn our attention to helping clients solve problems and even rediscover what he calls "the endlessly fascinating puzzles that make being a lawyer fulfilling."

What's Stephen Ellis' secret to a happiness and success in a lawyer's life? He recently shared seven of them at the May 2008 commencement ceremony at Case Western Reserve University's School of Law.

Be there for your clients when they need you.
Don't be obnoxious. Do a good job on the law, facts, and strategy, but don't make it personal.
Be enthusiastic about your clients' matters; ask how something can be done rather than rattling off reasons why it can't.
Believe in your brain--some things people tell you really might not make sense.
Stay focused and stay with it--renew daily your commitment to good work and reliability.
Get "outside" yourself and participate in community events. Such involvement is a great way to meet more people and broaden your appreciation for your community; plus, you have a lot to offer, and you'll have fun.
Be nice. In Ellis' own words, "Cliche it may be, but being pleasant and friendly makes the day's good spots better and the rough spots smoother. And that makes everyone's life better--for sure yours."

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Axiom Global Inc. Offers New Model for Delivering Corporate Legal Services

2008-07-20T21:10:02-07:00

Despite earning large incomes at large law firms, some attorneys are unhappy with their overall quality of life. Some corporate clients need legal services from Big Law attorneys, but are unhappy with the high fees that large firms must charge to cover their operating expenses. Many of those clients cannot justify the expense of full-time, permanent in-house counsel. Is there an alternative that addresses these concerns?

Yes. Axiom Global Inc. and other firms like Outside GC, LLC, in Boston and Phillips & Reiter, PLLC, in Houston offer a new type of service model that meets more of the needs of the lawyers and clients who seek something different.

Let's consider Axiom Global Inc., the largest example of this new kind of firm. The attorneys who work for Axiom have been trained by large law firms. By keeping its over costs low, Axiom can provide clients with highly-trained lawyers on site for much lower rates than its more traditional Big Law competitors. Axiom's attorneys work either from home or at the client's offices, so Axiom saves money on office expenses. This new arrangement gives clients major benefits including the flexibility to hire attorneys as needed and savings of as much as 25% to 50% on their legal fees as compared to services provided by traditional large firms.

There are plenty of benefits for the attorneys who work for Axiom, too, including:

the ability to take (unpaid) time off between their assignments;
pay that is about the same as it would be at a large firm, except that there is no annual bonus;
time to pursue personal interests and spend with their families;
benefits that continue during breaks between assignments; and
no pressure to bill large numbers of hours.

There are a few drawbacks to working for the new type of firm. For one thing, attorneys do not receive an annual bonus and are not paid during breaks between assignments for clients. For another, lawyers practicing under this new model do not enjoy the prestige of working at a large firm.

New firms like Axiom won't replace Big Law; large, complex cases will still require the resources of large firms. However, for attorneys who are unhappy with their practices at big firms, Axiom and similar new firms offer an alternative that can help attorneys achieve a happier work-life balance.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

Law Society of Upper Canada Seeks to Retain Women Lawyers

2008-07-15T00:30:44-07:00

Like its counterpart in the USA, the Canadian bar is trying to keep women from leaving the private practice of law. While the percentage of female attorneys working in private practice in Canada has averaged about 42 percent (compared with 60 percent of male lawyers) over the last five years, female attorneys have been leaving private practice at about two to three times the rate of their male colleagues. That's very expensive for law firms, since the cost of turnover for a four-year associate is $315,000.

To stem this flow of legal talent out of private practice, the Law Society of Upper Canada, which regulates Ontario's legal profession, has issued a number of recommendations and started the following three major initiatives that LSUC hopes will serve as a model for other jurisdictions in Canada:

establishing a women's institute to support women's leadership and professional development, along with working with law schools to help female law students prepare to practice law and setting up an online resource center for women lawyers;
promoting and supporting the use of contract lawyers through a five-year pilot project that can help lawyers maintain their practices during times they must be on leave for family or personal matters; and
funding parental-leave programs through additional fees for LSUC members. This initiative--the LSUC's costliest recommendation--would offer $3,000 per month for three months to solo practitioners and lawyers in firms that have five or fewer lawyers to help them cover the expenses of maintaining their law practices during parental leave. Lawyers who do not have access to other parental- or maternity-leave benefits will be eligible for this program.

These initiatives are new, so it is too early to measure their success. However, by addressing the most common reason for Canada's female lawyers to leave private practice--childbirth and parenting responsibilities--hopefully, these new programs will allow more women to remain in the private practice of law as they balance their family responsibilities and professional obligations successfully.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

LawCrossing Article Emphasizes the Importance of Attorney Cover Letters

2008-07-09T12:31:56-07:00

When you're applying for a job as a lawyer, how important is your cover letter? Very important, according to this article by Stony Olsen at Law Crossing(tm). Olsen calls the cover letter the lawyer-applicant's "personal marketing tool," and explains,

"A good cover letter grabs the reader's attention and motivates him or her to read the resume and set up an interview. Your resume and cover letter together determine whether you get an interview with a particular employer."

Moreover, Olsen cautions, "Many employers read cover letters first, and if they do not like them, they read no further."

Although your cover letter works alongside your resume, it differs from the resume in several respects. Specifically, the cover letter can be more flexible in content and structure than the resume. Also, the letter can be more personal and can include some of your interests, abilities, and other personal qualities that your resume may omit. Perhaps most importantly, you can use the cover letter to zero in on the particular skills and experiences that make you the candidate that the employer simply must invite for an interview.

Olsen offers a clean, three-paragraph structure for an attorney's cover letter and helpful pointers for the letter's content and tone. Following that advice should get you closer to an interview so that you can explain to the employer why you're the ideal candidate for the job.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger

ABA to Honor Women Lawyers at Margaret Brent Awards on August 10

2008-07-07T12:55:28-07:00

During the American Bar Association's upcoming Annual Meeting in New York City, the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession will present its 18th annual Margaret Brent Women Lawyers of Achievement Award.

The awards luncheon will be held Sunday, August 10, 2008, from 11:30 am until 1:30 pm at the Sheraton New York Hotel & Towers, and will recognize and celebrate "the accomplishments of women lawyers who have excelled in their field and have paved the way to success for other women lawyers." Full event details are available here, and please visit this page to order tickets.

Please note that reservations for tables must be made by July 8, 2008 and advance tickets for individuals (at $100 each) must be purchased on or before July 8. After July 8, individual tickets may be purchased for $125 each.

By Steve Imparl, guest blogger