Category: Legal Business Development

What It Takes to Make It Rain: Rainmakers Now, and Rainmakers of the Future

rainmakerIn the rapidly changing legal industry, it is no surprise that broad conceptions of what it means to be a rainmaker are also evolving. Dr. Heidi Gardner, Lecturer and Distinguished Fellow at the Center on the Legal Profession at Harvard Law School, has been conducting research over the past decade on collaboration in law firms. Her findings have also revealed insights into rainmakers: what makes them successful, how their roles changed over time, and how the next generation of rainmakers can be primed to succeed. She will be presenting her findings on the myths and realities of rainmakers at the Thomson Reuters 24th Annual Marketing Partner Forum.

Successful Rainmakers: Extroverts, Introverts, and Cultural Understanding

A common discussion regarding rainmakers, and leadership in general, is whether they are born or made. Based on her decades long research, Dr. Gardner’s answer to whether rainmakers are born is a resounding no. What makes someone a successful rainmaker is their ability to exhibit other sides of their personality, or other strengths and traits, depending on their audience. Rainmakers are typically discussed as being highly extroverted—charismatic, forceful, possessing great salesmanship skills. However, these traits themselves don’t make rainmakers successful, but rather it is their enormous ability to connect with whomever the buyer of their services. Because buyers are not a homogeneous group, most successful rainmakers are able to adjust or adapt their style appropriately.

Introverts are therefore not precluded from being successful because of their commonly thought of as “quiet nature”. In fact, introverts may make better rainmakers in some regard. Dr. Gardner points out that introverts tend not to think out loud and consider what they’re going to say before they say it. They often take time to reflect and appropriately listen to the person that is sitting across the table. This makes introverts very adept at identifying the buyer’s underlying issues and thinking through what it takes to connect the dots inside their firm to help clients solve complex issues. Dr. Gardner also points out that “Many buyers of legal services are also introverts, and they will appreciate someone who has similar a demeanor—not salesy or pushy.” Great rainmakers who are introverts are chameleons. It likely takes more energy for them to be outgoing and interact with strangers in a bigger setting, but they will have developed the capacity to be gregarious enough to make those connections.

Successful rainmakers have a foundation of being highly empathetic and have a strong motivation and interest in understanding other clients—it’s part of what makes them so successful. Dr. Gardner posits these skills are the “basic building blocks for being able to communicate across cultures” and make rainmakers more equipped to be successful with buyers from other countries. What’s required is an additional measure of cultural intelligence; successful rainmakers take part in and study the behavioral mimicry of their buyers in addition to having an appreciation for why different people approach different problems from different perspectives in general.

Evolution of Rainmaker: Toward Collaboration

During the course of Dr. Gardner’s research, she has discovered an interesting trend, or rather non-trend, in the legal industry: the rainmakers at law firms are largely the same people. During the past ten to twelve years, firms have moved away from mandatory retirement. Partners are staying longer than ever, so the rainmakers at firms now are the same ones from a decade past.

There is a new generation of rainmakers coming in now, but there is a lot of frustration in the profession regarding the structure and effectiveness of succession planning (which will be discussed further below). Despite the fact that the legal industry is currently dealing with the same cast of characters, one profound change Dr. Gardner has observed in the last decade involves a simultaneous broadening and narrowing of the role of the rainmaker.

According to Dr. Gardner, “clients increasingly expect a level of industry expertise” that requires attorneys to identify their practices with more specificity than ever. An attorney can no longer be an “environmental attorney”, but must become “an environmental attorney with a focus on extractive industries”, or an “intellectual property lawyer” must be an “IP attorney who specializes in the patent prosecution of computer hardware”. However, because clients’ problems are becoming increasingly complex, rainmakers are less able to be seen as the single go-to person for a particular client who puts together a team of experts in a single discipline, but rather as needing pull together teams of multidiscipline experts. So along with the narrowing of the rainmaker’s own field of expertise, successful rainmakers are broadening their ability to pull together diverse teams to tackle their client’s problems. The rainmaker is the conductor; as Dr. Gardner states: “The client counts on them to be a broker to all of the kind of experts that exist within the firm.”

In order to be successful going forward, rainmakers of the future need to be more collaborative as far as seeking out complementary experts to serve clients. A common obstacle that prevents rainmakers from being successful in this is the reliance on bringing in the “obvious suspects” as a matter of prestige in front of the client. But when called upon to do work on the case, these attorneys are nowhere to be found. Dr. Gardner believes that a key to building a successful team will be to find the hidden gems at the law firm—rainmakers should seek out attorneys who are hungry for client service opportunities. She acknowledges that doing this can be a risky. It’s easier to put someone in front of your client who has an existing reputation as a guru in their sector, but their value to the process is limited if their participation is not complete.

People who are truly intent on becoming successful rainmakers should be investing the time and the energy on others who are not necessarily thought of as the “obvious suspects”. They must access the deeper well of talent that exists and bringing them through the system so that they become committed, loyal, deeply engaged attorneys who are serving the client. To continue to be successful, rainmakers will need to take the risks and bring different kinds of people on board; as Dr. Gardner stated “The legal industry is too fragile to rely on just small pool of experts.”

Rainmakers – The Next Generation

As stated previously, Dr. Gardner has found that effective succession planning in law firms has been found wanting. Even though this generation of rainmakers has been around longer than ever, it is critical for the continuing success of firms to take a hard look at bringing up the new generation of rainmakers on deck. The most effect way to begin doing this is through mentorship. Dr. Gardner states, “People need to accept responsibility for developing a pipeline of talent.” She experienced some of the effective mentoring while she was working as a consultant at McKinsey’s Johannesburg office. She worked under a partner that would take her to all the important meetings, where she wasn’t expected to participate, but allowed to observe. During her time under the tutelage of this partner at McKinsey, she learned a tremendous amount about the ins and outs of client handling. Today’s rainmakers need to make those types of investments in people that will eventually come after them.

Up-and-comers also need to be willing to take responsibility for the trajectory of their career. Too often, Dr. Gardner has encountered partners who have tried to give junior partners or associates the opportunity to participate in learning experiences, who are asked “Can I bill the time?” This is the incorrect mindset to have on the road to becoming a successful rainmaker. Dr. Gardner elaborates: “If you’re trying become a successful rainmaker, you have to invest some non-billable time in your own development as well.” Both the willingness of existing rainmakers to mentor and the tenacity of of rising rainmakers will be what dictates the success of the next generation of rainmakers.

Learn more about the Thomson Reuters Legal Executive Institute Marketing Partner Forum here.

ARTICLE BY Nicole Cudiamat Minnis of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC

Copyright © 2017 National Law Forum, LLC

January 25-27: 24th Annual Marketing Partner Forum – Client Collaboration & the New Rules of Engagement

In January 2017, Marketing Partner Forum returns to Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, CA for a three day summit on law firm marketing and business development set against the breathtaking Southern California shoreline. Marketing Partner Forum will welcome law firm marketing partners, rainmakers, practice group heads, business development leaders and esteemed corporate counsel for a dynamic and vibrant conference designed for the industry’s most experienced professionals.

Call to register: 1-800-308-1700

Or click here to email and we will contact you.

For more information, click here.

Terranea Palos Ranchos Verdes Marketing Partner ForumWhy You Should Attend

Marketing Partner Forum is designed for client development partners, rainmakers, and the senior-most legal marketing and business development professionals across the legal industry. Our content reflects the experience and sophistication of our international audience in terms of rigor, ambition and scope. Attendees can expect to hear from venerable thought leaders both within and outside of the legal industry. Enjoy ample networking opportunities and the stunning scenery, golf course, spa and hiking trails at one of California’s most picturesque resorts. Take advantage of our brand new Marketing Partner Conference Track consisting of several compelling sessions designed specifically for the law firm partnership. Interact directly with senior clients and network for new business. Explore the brand new Marketing Partner Forum Technology Fair. Bring your family to our Thursday night reception and Friday Bloody Mary Brunch. Depart the event with practical takeaways to share with peers and firm leadership.

Law Firm Business Development: How to Stop Procrastinating

law firm business development procrastinatingMany of my clients procrastinate doing the hard work of business development.  Time, fear, not knowing where to start or something else seems to tie them in knots and prevent action. As a law firm business development consultant and coach, part of my job is to help my coaching clients understand the underlying reason for their business development procrastination so we can attack the problem together and move forward.

When working with procrastination issues, I often use something called the Zeigarnik effect to help people get started. You can use this tool to overcome procrastination in a variety of settings. At its core, the method can be reduced to a simple phrase: “Take the first step.”

In his recent book 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot, Richard Wiseman tells the story of a young Russian psychology graduate student named Bluma Zeigarnik, who was seated at a café in Vienna in the 1920s observing the behavior of waiters. She noticed that the waiters had the ability to remember details of multiple food orders without writing themdown. They retained this information until each check was paid. When queried after the check was paid, they struggled to remember items on the order.

Zeigarnik’s study led her to conclude that starting a task creates a sort of psychic need or anxiety to complete what was started. If you begin and are then interrupted, the mind creates a way for you to remember what is necessary and pesters you until you’ve completed it.

The theory is often applied to students. Those who suspend their studies briefly and undertake alternative activities (studying other subjects, playing foosball, etc.) tend to remember material better than do those who don’t take a break.

Psychologist Jeremy Dean posits that procrastination is most crippling when we are faced with a large task and don’t feel we have all the information to start. Lack of business development training hampers lawyers because they don’t know where to begin and desperately don’t want to fail. What the Zeigarnik effect teaches, as Dr. Dean points out, is that one way to beat procrastination is simply by starting whatever you’ve been avoiding. Just start somewhere. Don’t attempt the hardest part first. Pick something trivial and easy, such as making a list or meeting with a coach or making a phone call. Once you’ve made a start, however trivial, you’ll want to finish to allay the anxiety you feel around not having completed the task.

We use the Zeigarnik effect as a tool in our workshops by requiring participants to write down the names of people with whom they know they should be in touch. Try it right now. Write down a list of people you really ought to be keeping in touch with but haven’t reached out to in the past six months. Keep it on your desk and then go back to the rest of your day. Perhaps making the list will create the anxious mind you need to stay on task.

ARTICLE BY Craig Brown of LawVision Group LLC

Content copyright 2016 LawVision Group LLC All rights reserved.

Power of Communication in Legal Marketing – The Medium Does Change the Message Part 2

communicationsCommunication is important to almost everything we do–and today, we have more ways to reach out than ever before.  Lee Broekman of Organic Communication and Judith Gordon of LeadeEsQ presented at the LMA Tech1 conference in San Francisco, focusing on empowering communication by understanding the medium. In Part 1 we discussed some of the advantages and challenges of communicating face to face and through print.  In this article, we will examine communication over the phone and panel communication–or any way of communication through a screen.

Phone as a medium is what it sounds like–talking on the telephone either one or one or on a conference call. The danger with this form of communication is all the other things we might be doing while we are on the phone–especially on a conference call–everyone knows how easy it is to click over to email, check Facebook on your smartphone, or start to scribble your to-do list on the paper at your desk. While you are still physically on the call, your attention drifts to the other things on your to do list. This hints at what Gordon calls “the lost art of focus.”  She says, “Today’s attention spans have been radically reduced by our tether to technology. We leap from conversation to conversation—from the person speaking to us to email to headline notifications to texts back to the person speaking—without fully engaging in any one of those communications.” Staying engaged on a phone call, and reminding yourself to be present and aware is important when using the phone as a medium. One way to do this is to make sure the conversation is a back and forth–and not just a series of monologues. Additionally, if the call is a conference call with multiple participants, making sure there is a plan in place, so that each participant has a role, and that ground rules are established and enforced, can help.

Panel refers to any form of communication with a screen between the speaker and the listener.  With technology, this is becoming common–web meetings, webinars and some panels where there is an audience in the room, but also some audience members are tuning in via videoconference.  Gordon says, “Presenters are well served by understanding that their ‘audience’ may be viewing or only listening to a recording at a later point in time, and taking those parameters into account when preparing their presentations.” Going beyond just the people in the room is important–and one way to make sure everyone stays engaged is to have an interactive portion. Another good practice for webinars is to focus on visuals. Broekman says, “When our communication is on a panel, we need to color our black and white text and bulleted lists with vibrant visuals that will captivate our audience and keep them attentive to our intention. Many webinars present dry data instead of information that is new, relevant and interesting. Charismatic conversation, speaker photos and conceptual images in shorter timeframes will go a long way towards making the communication in this channel more effective.”

Another major concern with a panel can be a false sense of distance, and the tendency to feel bold when you cannot see the person you are talking to. This barrier is one reason Internet comment sections can get nasty, and people become callous over social media. These tendencies can be devastating when they seep into professional communications.  Broekman argues, “If you can’t say it to someone’s face, don’t say it behind a screen.”

Other pitfalls haunt Panel as a communication method.  Like the phone, placing the screen between people communicating removes the opportunity to see facial expressions and body language.  Gordon says, “When we remove that layer of information, our brains ‘fill in the blanks’ by superimposing our own judgment, which can be devastating.” Additionally, Broekman describes one of the biggest communication problems as a failure to listen with an intention to understanding the speaker. “Instead of listening to what the other person is saying, we listen to our own internal dialogue and filter information through our personal judgments, thoughts, opinions and ideas.”  A screen between parties can only amplify the tendency to hear what we want to hear.  With that said, clarity in transmission is crucial, and consistent checks on understanding are important.  Above all, awareness of the potential for misunderstanding is important.

For attorneys, communication is paramount. Communication is also very complicated. Gordon says, “to put it simply, lawyers ‘speak for’ their clients. Whether in transactional matters or litigation, lawyers are conduits of their clients’ intentions. To fully and accurately represent another—the essence of a lawyer’s work—understanding the fundamentals of communication is essential. Key communication skills—such as the ability to listen, understand, and then accurately present a client’s position to third parties in negotiations or litigation—are essential to a successful practice, and the smooth running of our legal system.”

Click here to read part one: Power of Communication in Legal Marketing – The Medium Does Change the Message Part 1

ARTICLE BY Eilene Spear of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC
Copyright ©2016 National Law Forum, LLC

1 Broekman and Gordon spoke at the Legal Marketing Technology Conference on October 6th in San Francisco. Their session was entitled Webinars, Podcasts and Mobile (Oh My!) The Medium Does Change the Message. The LMA Tech conference is the largest conference dedicated to technologies that law firms use to identify, attract and support clients.

Power of Communication in Legal Marketing – The Medium Does Change the Message Part 1

communicationToday’s business environment offers more methods of communication than ever before.  However, more choices does not equal clarity or effectiveness, and in some ways, with the many mediums available communicating effectively requires a thoughtful understanding of the medium being used and how to best stay on message within that medium.  Lee Broekman of Organic Communication and Judith Gordon of LeaderESQ presented at the LMA Tech1 conference in San Francisco, focusing on empowering communication by understanding the medium at play.

Communication can be a major challenge for attorneys, yet it is a critical part of a lawyer’s job.  Gordon says,

To put it simply, lawyers ‘speak for’ their clients. Whether in transactional matters or litigation, lawyers are conduits of their clients’ intentions. To fully and accurately represent another—the essence of a lawyer’s work—understanding the fundamentals of communication is essential. Key communication skills—such as the ability to listen, understand, and then accurately present a client’s position to third parties in negotiations or litigation—are essential to a successful practice, and the smooth running of our legal system.

Broekman agrees, saying: “The lawyers I coach are highly skilled at managing cases and deals, but behind those cases and deals are clients and colleagues. Managing people and relationships is an entirely different skill set—lawyers who want to be successful have to put care into connecting with people who have different perspectives and preferences.”

The four main channels of communication are Person, Print, Phone and Panel. Each channel has strengths and weaknesses in particular situations, and understanding the nature of the message can help determine which channel is the most appropriate.

The first channel is Person—and that is what it sounds like—the fewer and fewer face-to-face meetings, when everyone puts away their phones and looks each other in the eye across a desk or table.  This is the best medium for sensitive issues; even though some of the conversations can be difficult.  Broekman says, “Whenever the issue is sensitive, when a possible conflict is anticipated or a misunderstanding is to be expected —we should have a face-to-face or side-by-side conversation.”  Gordon points out that sensitive matters are best handled in person, because of the way humans process information: “Much of the information we glean from others is visual and auditory—facial expression, tone of voice and body language. When we remove that layer of information, our brains ‘fill in the blanks’ by superimposing our own judgment, which can be devastating.”  When the matter is sensitive or misunderstandings are anticipated, walking down the hall or getting on a plane is worth the effort–and when that’s not possible, a videoconference is a reasonable alternative to try and prevent misunderstandings.

Many times, these face to face meetings can be challenging-and the desire to avoid the awkward, sometimes painful conversation can be tempting.  With so many alternative ways of delivering bad news, it’s important to remember that it can help avoid confusion and drawn out conflict by having tough conversations across a desk without a screen as a buffer.  Broekman points out, “Our instinct is to hide behind the screens of our computers or smartphones, but typing or texting instead of talking could lead to bigger problems and drawn out conflict.”

The second channel, print,  is any medium where the written word is paramount—emails, texts, letters, etc.  This is a channel where misunderstandings tend to cluster around tone—as you are “speaking” to readers, not listeners—who cannot see your face or hear your voice.  With this in mind, Gordon says, “direct communication is best. Write each sentence so that it is able to stand alone. A good rule of thumb is to stick to one message per sentence. The ‘one message per sentence’  rule heightens clarity and lessens ambiguity.  Gordon adds,  “It’s also a good idea to avoid sarcasm or innuendo in print, and allow the power of the written word to speak for itself without relying on inference.”

To be clear in print, sometimes it’s helpful to overcompensate with your words to ensure your audience picks up what you are putting down. Broekman says, “Sometimes it’s helpful to ‘massage your message’ with gentle words such as ‘will you please?’ when making a request, ‘yes, and’ when responding, and ‘yet’ when wanting to suggest that something is not quite done.”  Using the tools at your disposal to convey tone is an important step to take.  While smiley face emojis are appropriate when planning post-work drinks, they are not always professional and appropriate.  Broekman also suggests, “writing feeling behind our statements in parenthesis may be effective.”  For anyone who has misinterpreted all caps as anger, this is a tip that might resonate.

In Part Two, we will examine the Phone and Panel mediums of communication and how to negotiate those streams.

ARTICLE BY Eilene Spear of The National Law Review / The National Law Forum LLC
Copyright ©2016 National Law Forum, LLC

1 Broekman and Gordon spoke at the Legal Marketing Technology Conference on October 6th in San Francisco. Their session was entitled Webinars, Podcasts and Mobile (Oh My!) The Medium Does Change the Message. The LMA Tech conference is the largest conference dedicated to technologies that law firms use to identify, attract and support clients.

Developing a Positive Attitude about Business Development

Businessmen walking, Business DevelopmentAs a busy lawyer, it’s easy to get caught up in your day-to-day office routine and consequently put attention to business development on the back burner. While this might be something to shrug off as no big deal, for many attorneys, this can lead to big issues down the road when looking to make partner or work with your own clients. In order get yourself in a better position for long-term success, it’s critical to start improving your biz dev behaviors.

There are three internal motivators that drive people to improve their existing situation; behavior, attitude and belief. While all of these are important to accomplish a goal or succeed in an endeavor, the most important for business development is always behaviors. Without executing positive behaviors it’s nearly impossible to accomplish anything, let alone something as challenging as developing new business.

It might seem rudimentary to talk about having good behaviors, as you’re not a child being scolded by your parents.  After all, you wouldn’t be a licensed attorney if you weren’t able to implement good behaviors to study in law school and pass the bar exam. However, in my experience many attorneys overlook the importance of forming good behaviors when it comes to business development. I accept as the standard definition of behavior “a manner of acting or controlling oneself.” Your behavior directly affects everything that happens in your life, including your income, your relationships, and your ultimate destiny. As you know, your actions have the ability to set you on positive paths while negative ones can cause you to veer off course.

A profound consequence of having negative behaviors and habits takes place subconsciously. Broken self-promises pile up and directly affect your general attitude and belief in yourself. Consider the behavior of putting off attending networking events using the “I’m too busy” excuse. Despite the best intentions, this behavior can all too easily continue indefinitely. The lack of follow-through can have a dramatic impact on your outlook toward business development. On the other hand, exhibiting positive behaviors creates good feelings and opportunities.

However, researching an upcoming event, registering for the event, and logging it on your calendar are all positive behaviors that will propel you forward to accomplishing your goal. Every time you commit to taking action and then actually follow through on that commitment, you’re positively reinforcing winning behaviors. The positive experience creates momentum to continue these behaviors in the future.

To assist you in forming good biz dev behaviors, here are five things you can do to get on the right path:

#1. Start putting business development at the top of your “to-do” list. Mostly it falls to the bottom. To grow a book of business, move all biz dev activities to the top of your weekly “to-do” list.

#2. Create a positive habit of doing one biz dev activity a day. This could be an email to a client or researching a networking event. If you do one thing a day, these will add up to big numbers for you at the end of the year.

#3.  Get prepared to go to battle on your biz dev work. One of the main reasons lawyers put off biz dev calls is due to lack of preparation. Build a list of clients, friends and strategic partners that you can call on for meetings. This will help get you in the right frame of mind to actually make the calls.

#4.  Schedule 30 minutes a week of uninterrupted biz dev time. Do not pick up the phone and do not respond to emails. Just get a list of solid contacts in front of you and make your calls. This routine should be scheduled early in the day to ensure you’re not interrupted and that the day doesn’t get away from you.

#5. Find a “work-out buddy” for your biz dev activities. This could be your co-worker who is also challenged to focus on biz dev activities or your marketing person at the office. Accountability is key to holding firm on the commitments you make to yourself.

Following good behaviors is the number one reason why some lawyers are more successful in accomplishing their goals than others. Don’t be afraid to start small and build up from there. The small victories add up over time and reinforce the drive to continue good behaviors.

ARTICLE BY Steve Fretzin of Sales Results, Inc.

Copyright @ 2016 Sales Results, Inc.

Attend NAWL’s General Counsel Institute – Pathways to Success

NAWL Logo General Counsel InstituteSuccessful people share common characteristics that drive them on their road to success, including keeping a positive mindset and being comfortable taking on new challenges. No matter what your definition of success is, the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Twelfth General Counsel Institute offers a roadmap for getting to where you want to go.

 

When: November 3-4, 2016

Where: Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, NYC

Register today!

In today’s ever changing legal landscape, we invite you to advance your career by securing success through agility and creativity. Gain insight into the hottest topics in the law. Acquire knowledge or enhance your proficiency about the most talked about labor and employment matters. Take a deep dive into today’s regulatory and compliance issues. Tap into technology and embrace the challenges and changes that accompany this ever-evolving area of the law.

At GCI 12, you will be asked to think outside the box and blaze your own trail of success by articulating your own vision, laying your own foundation, and growing both personally and professionally. Through powerful stories, substantive legal workshops, and GCI’s unique open exchange of ideas, GCI 12 will empower you to embrace opportunities with agility and creativity and gain leadership skills and business acumen on your pathway to success.

NAWL Celebrates the Twelfth Anniversary of its General Counsel Institute®

Although the legal landscape continues to rapidly evolve, many obstacles still remain for women striving to advance their careers. Identifying opportunities, even ones that may seem unconventional, and seizing upon such opportunities, provides pathways to success that may not have been visible in the past. On November 3-4, the National Association of Women Lawyers’ General Counsel Institute expands on this concept with a program entitled, Pathways to Success: Embracing Opportunities with Agility and Creativity.

For twelve years, the General Counsel Institute (“GCI”) has provided an incomparable outlet for women who serve as in-house counsel across the country to discuss pertinent issues that affect their companies. Whether learning and discussing substantive legal matters or attending workshops that focus on professional development, GCI ensures that attendees are gaining insight and knowledge throughout the two-day conference.

But what really makes GCI unique is the inclusive atmosphere of the conference. Attendees range from General Counsel from Fortune 500 companies to in-house counsel for smaller boutique companies, all intermingling and providing valuable insight in a relaxed, friendly, and collaborative setting. The approachability of the speakers, as well as the attendees and organizers, encourages everyone to excitedly anticipate the conference each year.

The mission of National Association of Women Lawyers (“NAWL”) is to provide leadership, a collective voice, and essential resources to advance women in the legal profession and advocate for the equality of women under the law. NAWL was founded in 1899 by a group of eighteen (18) women lawyers in New York City and originally called The Women Lawyer’s Club (“Club”). In 1915, women’s suffrage became the first major project undertaken by the Club. Three-time Club President, Olive Scott Gabriel, argued for women’s voting rights across the country. Four years later, Congress passed the 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution, prohibiting any United States citizen from being denied the right to vote on the basis of sex. The Club’s membership mobilized to work for ratification by the states. It also worked consistently on social legislation – including child labor laws, minimum wage, divorce and marriage laws, the right for a woman to keep her name after marriage, and the right for women to serve on juries. In 1923, due to increasing nationwide membership, the Club became the National Association of Women Lawyers. That same year, it held its first national convention in Minneapolis with Chief Justice William Howard Taft.

In 1935, NAWL became one of the first national organizations to endorse the Equal Rights Amendment (“ERA”), first introduced to Congress in 1922. The ERA became one of NAWL’s highest priorities for the next several decades. In 1943, NAWL became an affiliated organization of the American Bar Association. It led the creation of opportunities for women to serve in the military and had more than 150 of its members serving in the Woman’s Army Corp., Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service, and the Marine Corp.’s Women’s Reserve. In 1952,

NAWL drafted the Uniform Divorce Bill, calling it “the greatest project NAWL has ever undertaken.” In 1972, Congress passed the ERA and NAWL members embraced this victory by seeking ratification of the amendment by the states – a feat that would take until March 22, 1984 when Mississippi ratified it. In 1985, NAWL began granting membership to male applicants.

Two decades later, the then Immediate Past President of NAWL, Stephanie Scharf, now a partner at Scharf Banks Marmor LLC, founded the General Counsel Institute (“GCI”). Scharf targeted the meeting to senior corporate counsel who had the goal of advancing to the role of chief legal officer. She recognized the need for in-house attorneys to build top-tier professional and management skills in a supportive and interactive learning environment and to learn from experienced officers and directors about the points of pressure and success for general counsels. Together with NAWL President Lorraine Koc, then General Counsel and EEO Officer at Deb Shops, Inc. (now Senior Counsel at SugarHouse Casino) and NAWL President Elect, Cathy Fleming, then a partner at Edwards and Angell, LLP (now a partner at Fleming.Ruvoldt PPLC), Scharf quickly formed a planning committee which consisted of themselves, as a well as Carole Basri, then adjunct professor at University of Pennsylvania School of Law (now adjunct professor at Fordham University School of Law), Caroline K. Cheng, then Management Principal and Associate General Counsel at Deloitte LLP (now General Counsel at PricewaterhouseCooper LLP), Dorian Denburg, then Chief Rights-of-Way Counsel for BellSouth Corporation (now Executive Director- Senior Legal Counsel for AT&T Services, Inc.), Michelle Speller-Thurman, then a partner at Jenner & Block (now Division Counsel at Abbott Laboratories), and Betty-Lynn White (now an Adjunct and Area Chair for the University of Phoenix and Adjunct Professor at Albertus Magnus College). The Committee arranged plenary and workshop sessions to foster frank discussions about what it takes to be promoted and provide the means to improve skills and knowledge in a collegial atmosphere. They developed an innovative CLE program with opportunities to learn and network with other senior legal and business professionals and featured speakers Peter Harvey, then Attorney General of New Jersey, Catherine R. Kinney, then Co-Chief Operating Officer of the New York Stock Exchange, and Carol Robles-Román, Deputy Mayor, New York City. GCI met with rave reviews!

This year’s GCI will feature keynote speeches from accomplished General Counsel and business leaders who will focus on discussing their successful career paths, as well as providing advice and tips on how attendees can do the same. Keynote speakers will include:

  • Teresa Wynn Roseborough, Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, The Home Depot U.S.A., Inc.

  • Monique Svazlian Tallon, CEO & Founder, Highest Path Consulting

  • H. Gwen Marcus, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, Showtime Networks Inc.

  • Lauren Stiller Rikleen, President, Rikleen Institute for Strategic Leadership

  • Karen Hough, Founder & CEO, ImprovEdge, LLC

Through programs like GCI, NAWL has been empowering women in the legal profession and cultivating a diverse membership dedicated to equality, mutual support, and collective success.

For further information and to register for GCI 12, go to www.nawl.org/GCI12.

ARTICLE BY Eman Ahmed-Fakhry of National Association of Women Lawyers
Copyright ®, 2016 National Association of Women Lawyers

Learn about Leadership Development and Legal Marketing, November 14-15

Join LMA and Lead Star™ for the inaugural leadership development experience for the legal marketing industry. The program incorporates current research with experiential activities, providing legal marketing professionals with a unique perspective on their personal leadership style and tendencies.

LMA Leadership Development

When: November 15-16, 2016
Where: LMA Headquarters, 330 N. Wabash Ave., Chicago, IL 60611

Learn more about the value of your leadership experience with Lead StarLeadstar LMA Leadership Development and prepare for take-away benefits including:
  • A personal assessment of leadership style and its impact on their ability to achieve results
  • Individual leadership coaching sessions to support implementation of lessons
  • Access to online learning resources and social exchange with cohort participants
  • Development of a Personal Action Plan to guide participants in achieving next-level success
  • And much more!

Attend NAWL’s General Counsel Institute – Pathways to Success

NAWL Logo General Counsel InstituteSuccessful people share common characteristics that drive them on their road to success, including keeping a positive mindset and being comfortable taking on new challenges. No matter what your definition of success is, the National Association of Women Lawyers’ Twelfth General Counsel Institute offers a roadmap for getting to where you want to go.

 

When: November 3-4, 2016

Where: Crowne Plaza Times Square Manhattan, NYC

Register today!

In today’s ever changing legal landscape, we invite you to advance your career by securing success through agility and creativity. Gain insight into the hottest topics in the law. Acquire knowledge or enhance your proficiency about the most talked about labor and employment matters. Take a deep dive into today’s regulatory and compliance issues. Tap into technology and embrace the challenges and changes that accompany this ever-evolving area of the law.

At GCI 12, you will be asked to think outside the box and blaze your own trail of success by articulating your own vision, laying your own foundation, and growing both personally and professionally. Through powerful stories, substantive legal workshops, and GCI’s unique open exchange of ideas, GCI 12 will empower you to embrace opportunities with agility and creativity and gain leadership skills and business acumen on your pathway to success.