Alert the Media! The National Law Review is offering law students the opportunity to publish their work in the months of October & November. No entry fee is required.
Entries will be judged and the top two articles chosen will be featured in the NLR monthly magazine prominently displayed on the NLR home page. Up to 5 runner-up entries will also be posted in the NLR searchable database each month.
Each winning article will be displayed accompanied by the student’s photo, biography, contact information, law school logo, and any copyright disclosure.
All winning articles will remain in the NLR database for two years (subject to earlier removal upon request of the law school).
Students have the opportunity to publicly display their legal knowledge and skills.
The student’s photo, biography, and contact information will be posted with each article, allowing for professional recognition and exposure.
Winning articles are published alongside those written by respected attorneys from Am Law 200 and other prominent firms as well as from other respected professional associations.
Now more than ever, business development skills are expected from law firm associates earlier in their careers. NLR wants to give law students valuable experience generating consumer-friendly legal content of the sort which is included for publication in law firm client newsletters,law firm blogs, bar association journals and trade association publications.
Student postings will remain in the NLR online database for up to two years, easily accessed by potential employers.
This week’s National Law Review Business of Law Guest Blogger is Deborah Knupp of Akina Corporation . Deb authored a very helpful three part series on specific steps that attorney’s can take to increase business! The following is part two:
This week’s posts are identifying the Top 10 Rainmaker Best Practices, that when focused on with discipline and intention, distinguish you and your firm and help you gain a competitive sales advantage. Our previous post focused on the first three Rainmaker Best Practices. Today’s article focuses on the next set of three Best Practices and discusses WHAT works in any market and HOW to implement the best practices to impact your business with increased revenue, increased leverage of time and resources and improved accuracy and predictability in your sales pipeline.
4) Operate by the Platinum Rule through Discovery Questions
At Akina, we often speak about operating out of the Platinum Rule, which says “do unto others as they would be done unto,” or in more basic terms seek to serve another’s interest first, understanding that your own interests will be satisfied over time. By operating from the Platinum Rule, we take on a posture of service over self-interest. One of the best ways to evidence the Platinum Rule is through Discovery Questions. “Discovery” implies that we are interested and care about others. We often demonstrate more credibility by the types of questions we ask because our questions reveal our character. Discovery Questions ultimately get others talking about the thing that they know best… themselves. If new business is the natural outcome of solving problems, then the only way to understand what problems should be solved is to ask.
Getting into the habit of asking good Discovery Questions also enables us to find the most authentic way to stay connected over time. When we ask good questions, it often becomes obvious how we can be most helpful to someone else, either through our introductions, information (knowledge) or invitations (access to events or opportunities).
Finally, good Discovery Questions help orient us as to where a prospective buyer might be in their decision-making process. We don’t have to worry about “hard closing” if we’re paying attention to a buyer’s readiness to close. Discovery Questions give us access and insight into a prospect’s perspective so that we can respond appropriately and adequately.
5) Time-Boxed Follow-up
Which brings us to the next best practice…great rainmakers call out Definitive Next Steps as they go. Time-boxed follow-up is the opportunity to set next steps in the moment. It’s saying “I’ll call you next Friday to set up lunch” or “I’ll reach back out to you in six months if we don’t connect again before then” versus leaving next steps open-ended or saying “we should do this again some time.” Time-boxed follow-up concretely identifies what actions will be taken and by when. Definitive Next Steps give us the chance to demonstrate that we are our word, that we are responsive, and that we care.
6) Prep/Plan/Strategy
At a high level, effective preparation demonstrates that you honor another’s time by caring enough to have a game plan designed to get to a clear destination. Tactically, effective preparation helps you control the variables you can in an uncertain market place.
At a minimum, they key elements of preparation include identifying:
Your objective for why you want to meet
Your distinct key messages to convey interest and value
The discovery questions you will ask to deepen understanding and relationships
Anticipated scenarios and outcomes with potential definitive next steps, typically from a best case, likely case and worst case scenario
When done well, effective preparation, planning and strategy is done more than 24 hours before a meeting and is not conducted in a parking lot, elevator or car while driving. Look for the final Rainmaker Best Practices in the following days!
To see Part I of Top 10 Rainmaker Best Practices to Win in 2010 click here.
Deborah Knupp has worked globally with CEOs, executives, managing partners and attorneys as a coach and business executive for over 20 years. She has helped these leaders align their people systems and business objectives to create cultures based on the principles of accountability, integrity and authentic relationship building. Her work has focused on making the work environment a place where employees “want” to be; where clients “want” to buy; and, where leaders “want” to serve a bigger purpose in their communities and families. www.akina.biz /312-235-0144
This week’s National Law Review Business of Law Guest Blogger is Deborah Knupp of Akina Corporation . Deb authored a very helpful three part series on specific steps that attorney’s can take to increase business! Read On:
This week’s posts will identify the Top 10 Rainmaker Best Practices, that when focused on with discipline and intention, distinguish you and your firm and help you gain a competitive sales advantage. They focus on WHAT works in any market and HOW to implement the best practices to impact your business with increased revenue, increased leverage of time and resources and improved accuracy and predictability in your sales pipeline.
The Rainmakers Framework
Many people think that successful selling is all about “hard closing” the business. The perception that you have to morph your personality into a pushy salesperson and pressure people to buy will often evoke fear, discomfort (and nausea). Consider that the real truth about closing business happens long before the end of the deal. Closing business is the natural outcome of an authentic relationship and providing a solution to a problem that should be solved… even if you must temporarily suspend self-interest in the short term.
Closing starts with targeting the right relationships in the right situations that might have the right problems for which you have the right solution. When an authentic relationship exists and all conditions are present to close, business will often close itself.
The First Three Rainmaker Best Practices
So how do you focus with intentionality and discipline in ways that are likely to give you a better return on effort (ROE) and return on investment (ROI) as you pursue new business?
1) Targeting through the Top 40
Consider focusing your attention on your Top 40 Contacts – these include Prospects (people who can buy now or at some point in the future) and Connectors (people who can refer you to prospects – which may also include your clients.) As you think about your top connectors, peruse your entire network. Often many of our best connectors get overlooked because our relationships are rooted in personal contexts (i.e., family, neighbors, personal service providers, etc.) Realize that targeting is about determining “who is most likely to have a problem I can solve through my legal skills” and “who do I know that knows people who have problems that can be solved by legal skills”.
Be intentional, be selective and be aware of how all your networks may be beneficial.
2) Getting in the Door with the Authentic Reason
If you don’t have a good reason to pick up the phone and call, don’t. Having authentic reasons to connect is one of the keys to creating genuine relationships over time. Authentic reasons require you to look for ways to connect that are relevant and authentic from the other person’s perspective, not just your own.
Ask yourself – “If I was the person I’m about to call, why would I be interested in hearing from me?”
If you are struggling for an authentic reason, brainstorm against your three “IN’s”:
Invitations: what events do you have access to that your contact would appreciate or value attending?
Introductions: who do you know that your contact may find beneficial to know?
Information: what do you know that your contact would benefit from knowing?
3) Memorable Messaging
If you want to make yourself memorable, you need to be message ready with a “Quick Pitch” and a “What’s New? Message.” A Quick Pitch answers the question, “what do you do?” with a response to the question “what problem do I solve for whom”. By answering this way you increase the odds of sounding more interesting and compelling yet remain conversationally appropriate. When you communicate what problems you solve and for whom, you are able to draw people into further conversation and provoke genuine curiosity and interest. To that end, “quick” is the operative word in “quick pitch”. You will want to be relatively brief and create interest. Instead of saying “I am a <noun>” try responding with “I <verb> <target market> <problem solved>”. People care about what you can do for them or others more than your job title.
The Quick Pitch is useful when meeting people for the first time, however, there are messaging opportunities that happen every day with people we already know. How you respond to the question, “What’s new?” or “What have you been working on lately?” is rife with opportunity if you can respond strategically and appropriately. Rather than mumbling the usual, “nothing” or “same old, same old,” consider filling the void with something you are genuinely spending time doing or thinking about. For example, you might reply, “I’ve just picked up a new employment case that is really interesting” or “I’m preparing to speak on employment updates at a conference in LA next week.” Either response may spark additional queries and conversation, and they definitely help reinforce the kinds of problems you solve and for whom. To that end, if a more personal “what’s new?” is a better fit for the situation, share a recent story about your family, an upcoming vacation or your golf game. Effective messaging invites people to know you, care about you and want to develop a deeper relationship with you.
To see part II of Top 10 Rainmaker Best Practices to Win in 2010 – Click Here
Deborah Knupp has worked globally with CEOs, executives, managing partners and attorneys as a coach and business executive for over 20 years. She has helped these leaders align their people systems and business objectives to create cultures based on the principles of accountability, integrity and authentic relationship building. Her work has focused on making the work environment a place where employees “want” to be; where clients “want” to buy; and, where leaders “want” to serve a bigger purpose in their communities and families. www.akina.biz /312-235-0144
The National Law Review’s featured Business of Law Guest Blogger Meredith L. Williams of Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz, PC outlines some very real concerns for lawyers and law firms related to social media and state bar assocation guidelines. Ms. Williams also offers some very concrete Do’s and Don’t on how to address these concerns. Read on….
Today, social media encompasses a broad sweep of online activity, all of which is trackable and traceable. These networks include not only the blogs you write and those to which you comment, but also social networks. Each day brings new online tools and new advances introduce new opportunities to build your virtual footprint.
As a law firm, social media can help drive business initiatives and support professional development efforts. In basic business terms social media can be considered the least expensive form of large scale advertising. However, social media is not exclusively used for business by law firm employees. When it comes to expressing opinions about anything having to do with the law, firm employees are in a position that requires limitations and have certain limitations. Statements in public forums may inadvertently create an attorney-client relationship, and they may also violate the rules prohibiting law firm advertising. The wrong communication can be construed as exposing firm or client secrets; invasion of privacy and defamation; trademark violations; and may even lead to wrongful termination claims. Therefore, a law firm must attempt to provide reasonable guidelines for online behavior by members of the firm.
The following are five (5) ethical areas that all law firms should address when drafting internal social media policies. These can also be utilized by law departments when dealing with lawyer and non-lawyer employees. All of these rules are simply an extension of model rules of professional conduct & state rules of ethics. The over arching principles should remain the same as new social media sites and technologies emerge.
Advertising (Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.2)
Marketing and advertising are key functions for any business survival. However, lawyers, especially in law firms, are held to a higher standard when advertising through electronic means. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.2[1] states a lawyer or law firm may advertise through written, recorded or electronic means. This includes all social media sites.
Quick Reference
Do
Have any personal or professional social media site as desired.
Use appropriate disclaimers as needed.
Do NOT
Use the organization’s name or email address on a personal site unless using the appropriate disclaimers.
Use the organization’s assets to update personal sites.
Example: A law firm creates a site on Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. using the firm name. Is this advertising?
Example: An employee of a law firm uses the firm name or firm email address on their personal Facebook site. Is this advertising?
State ethics boards consider the true crux of the advertising issue to be not who creates the site or the intent of the site but rather whether or not the site can be considered to be used for professional use. If being used for professional use, social media presence and communication can be considered to fall within the advertising rules.
Below are a few guidelines to include in firm policies to teach your employees (lawyers and non-lawyers) how not to create a professional site unless intended.
Employees should not associate the firm name or firm email address with the site unless it is intended for professional use. This includes stating they are an employee of the law firm.
Do not use firm assets to update personal sites. This includes any law firm owned laptop or computer, I-Phone or blackberry, firm IP address and email address. Using the firm email address implies the employee is acting on the firm’s behalf.
Create an advertising disclaimer to help employees specifically state their use is personal or professional.
This subject is difficult to approach with employees. Many will argue it is the same as verbally telling someone they work at a specific law firm. However, state boards have compared the online activity to a law firm website vs. verbal communication. The best approach is helping employees understand how not to blur the lines of professional/ personal sites for their own protection. As an employer, you want employees to continue using social media sites to broaden and help promote the firm brand. However, you only want them to do it in the most ethical way.
Attorney-Client Relationship (Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1 Series)
The attorney-client relationship is one of the oldest legal ethical standards. It creates a certain set of duties the lawyer owes the client. The model rules of professional conduct set forth a series of guidelines that help regulate the creation and existence of this important relationship. In the electronic world, especially when utilizing social media, the important issue is whether any electronic communication creates an attorney-client relationship inadvertently.
Quick Reference
Do
Post non-legal comments, blogs, etc. on any personal or professional site.
Use appropriate disclaimers as needed.
Do NOT
Post legal advice.
“Friend” anyone on a professional site unless previously corresponded or known.
“Friend” a Judge on a professional site.
Example: A lawyer of firm ABC is blogging on a social media site regarding new tax laws. A non-client comments to the blog inquiring about his specific tax situation. The lawyer in turn comments again discussing how the new tax laws apply to the non-client. Has an attorney-client relationship been created?
Law firms presently use disclaimers for emails and firm websites to verify no implied relationship is created. But how do we instruct employees to this standard when social media sites are interactive by nature? Below are a few key policy guidelines to help employees navigate this difficult area.
Employees should never post legal advice. This does not mean employees cannot comment or post to social media sites. It only relates to publishing or posting that could be construed as legal advice or opinion. If the subject matter is related to a legal or ethical situation, attorneys and staff may only discuss the legal standards but not apply those standards to any particular fact situation.
Firms should provide a disclaimer for employees to utilize when posting or commenting on professional social networking sites.
When using social networks with firm e-mail and professional identification, employees should not “friend” anyone they do not know and/or with whom they have not previously corresponded.
Some states have even gone so far as to also state that lawyers and judges cannot be “friends” on any professional social media sites. State ethics rules should be consulted prior to drafting any policy.
Client Confidentiality (Model Rule of Professional Conduct 1.6)
Client confidentiality and business privacy are two of the largest concerns of employers when dealing with social media communication. Generally, a lawyer shall not reveal information relating to the representation of a client unless the client gives informed consent. In addition, privacy of the organization, the business processes, the firm brand and the IP of the firm are key for business continuity.
Quick Reference
Do
Discuss job generically
Avoid uncontrolled forums.
Be respectful of other’s and the company’s privacy.
Get approval when responding to negative requests.
Do NOT
Discuss job specifics.
Use the client’s name.
Disclose specifics related to the business.
Disclose confidential information.
Upload law firm contacts onto a social media site.
Example: A lawyer begins discussing a case he is handling on his personal Facebook blog. Although not referencing the client name, details of the case are discussed. Has the client confidentiality been broken?
Example: A law firm employee tweets about a firm staff meeting discussing salary and new hires. Has the privacy of business been destroyed?
Law firms must address confidentiality and privacy standards in social media policies. In addition, consequences for breaking these standards should also be detailed. Below are a few policy considerations to navigate this area.
Employees should never use a client’s name unless written permission has been received.
Employees should never disclose confidential or private business information. Sharing this type of information, even unintentionally, can result in legal action against the employee, the firm, and/or the client.
Outside the workplace, rights to privacy and free speech protect online activity conducted on personal social networks used with personal email addresses. However, what is published on personal online sites should never be attributed to the firm and should not appear to be endorsed by or originated from the firm.
Employees should avoid forums where there is little control over what is known to be confidential information. In the world of social networking, there is often a breach of confidentiality when someone emails an attorney or posts a comment congratulating him/her on representation of a specific client or on a specific case.
Respect the privacy of other employees and of the opinions of others. Before sharing a comment, post, picture, or video about a client or other employee through any type of social media or network, his/her consent is not only a courtesy, it is a requirement.
Get Marketing/ PR departments involved when responding to certain inaccurate, accusatory or negative comments about the firm or any firm clients.
Expertise (Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4)
Quick Reference
Do
Allow recommendations.
Review and monitor all recommendations carefully.
Edit or hide recommendations as needed to remove any verbiage that states you are “better”, “the best”, “expert”, “specialized” or “certified”.
Do NOT
Be false or misleading in online credentials.
Use the words “better” or “the best” in credentials or when recommending others.
Use the verbiage “expert”, “specialist” or “certified” to describe experience unless certified by an organization that is accredited by the ABA or the state bar.
Many lawyers are considered experts or specialists by their peers in select areas of law. However, using the expert designation can only be done with appropriate approval. Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7.4 generally states that a lawyer may communicate the fact that the lawyer does or does not practice in particular fields of law. In addition, a lawyer may promote the engagement in specific areas of practice. However, a lawyer shall NOT state or imply that a lawyer is an expert or a certified specialist unless the lawyer has been certified by an organization that is accredited by the ABA or the state bar.
This model rule affects the use of credentials and recommendations on social media sites. What are the key areas to include in law firm policies?
Employees should never be false and misleading in online credentials. All employees should maintain complete accuracy in all online bios and ensure no embellishment.
Recommendations should be used carefully. Employees should review all recommendations created for them for any embellishment (i.e. use of the words better or best) expertise, certification or specialization listing. Edit or hide recommendations as needed.
Employees should not include the words “expert”, “certified”, or “specialized” in their credentials unless authorized to do so.
Expertise and specialization is heavily regulated at the state level. Some states have gone further in their restricted verbiage. State rules of ethics should be reviewed prior to any policy drafting.
General Communications (Model Rule of Professional Conduct 7 Series)
The final social media ethics concern revolves around general law firm and lawyer communication. In personal and especially professional communication, all communications must be truthful and accurate.
Quick Reference
Do
Credit appropriately
Fact check
Spell & grammar check
Correct errors promptly
Be transparent
Follow firm policies
Obey the law
Do NOT
Personally attack, become involved in an online fights or hostile communication.
Solicit or use commercial speech. The content must be informative only. Nothing should propose a commercial transaction
Law firms and law departments should consider the following general policy guidelines when drafting social media policies.
Identify all copyrighted or borrowed material with citations and links. When publishing any material online that includes another’s direct or paraphrased quotes, thoughts, ideas, photos, or videos, always give credit to the original material or author, where applicable.
Ensure material is accurate, truthful, and without factual error prior to posting.
Spell and grammar check everything.
Correct any mistakes promptly.
When participating social media sites in a professional manner, disclose identity and any firm affiliation. Never use a false name, alias, or be anonymous. Many courts have looked poorly on law firms and lawyers using alias names while on social media sites.
Follow all firm policies and procedures regarding online communications. Be respectful and do not make statements that are defamatory; racially, sexually, or otherwise insensitive or offensive; or otherwise improper or likely to conflict with the interests of the firm, its employees, clients, affiliates and others, including competitors.
Follow the site’s terms and conditions of use.
Do not post any information or conduct any online activity that may violate applicable local, state or federal laws or regulations.
Avoid personal attacks, online fights, and hostile communications.
Employees should never solicit or use commercial speech. Employees should not use a site as a way to directly solicit business for the firm. While a blog itself is not subject to the limitation on commercial speech, the content of a blog can be. The content must be informative only, and nothing in the content should propose a commercial transaction or be for the purpose of directly gaining a commercial transaction.
Conclusion
As discussed in this article, there are many ethical considerations when law firms and their employees decided to use social media sites. Similar to email emerging as the main form of business communication ten (10) years ago, social media is now the communication wave of the future. This new format is how the next generation of leaders presently lives and communicates day to day. The legal community must embrace the new technology and the opportunity to educate employees.
[1] Model Rules of Professional Conduct are professional standards that serve as models of the regulatory law governing the legal profession. However, each state board of professional responsibility has additional or supplemental states rules of ethics. State rules should be considered prior to policy drafting.
Meredith L. Williams is Baker Donelson’s Director of Knowledge Management. Although trained as a lawyer, she is not actively engaged in the practice of law. Instead, she oversees BakerNet, the Firm’s industry-leading intranet, and coordinates strategic growth on behalf of the Firm in knowledge management, competitive intelligence and technology. Ms. Williams is widely recognized as a leading authority in knowledge management issues for the legal field, and is a frequent presenter and author on knowledge management and competitive intelligence.
Ms. Williams is a member of the Association of Women Attorneys and the American, Tennessee and Memphis Bar Associations. In addition, Ms. Williams is Conference Vice President for the International Legal Technology Association 2010-2011. She is a recipient of the Dean’s Distinguished Service Award from the University Of Memphis Cecil C. Humphreys School Of Law for her volunteer work. 901-577-2353 / www.BakerDonelson.com
From the Business of Law Section of the National Law Review -by Tom Ciesielka of TC Public Relations suggests some applications that help streamline Twitter use for busy attorneys – read on:
For all those lawyers out there on Twitter, I’d like to suggest a few programs to simplify your Twitterverse.
TweetBeep
This web-based application enables users to set up a search for any keyword or phrase on Twitter, and receive hourly updates via email when any tweets include that keyword, phrase or hashtag. TweetBeep is an easy tool for tracking talk on Twitter about your firm, website, events or services. By monitoring the conversation about your firm, you can make sure you are managing your reputation and engaging with people who are interested in you – people who can become potential clients. You can also use TweetBeep as an application to measure the impact and engagement level of various cases, or track the reactions to your firm’s announcements or legal victories. It can also be a valuable tool for industry research if you monitor industry-specific terms (such as “intellectual property”) or even a competitor’s name.
Tweet All About It
Sometimes it takes too much time to think about what to tweet (and we all know time is money). Tweet All About It makes it easy as “highlight” and “right click.” This downloadable program allows you tweet pieces of text from websites viewed on Firefox or Internet Explorer by highlighting the text, right clicking and selecting “Tweet All About It.” The text will automatically be tweeted from your Twitter username, and you will have saved time, energy & potentially, money.
Monitter
Anyone, even those without Twitter accounts, can go on the Monitter website and search and track keywords being using on Twitter (somewhat similar to TweetBeep). Users enter words into the search box and instantly see relevant tweets streaming in real-time. They can also send tweets or retweet to their accounts directly from the Monitter interface. You can download the widget for your website to keep track of what people are saying on Twitter about you or your firm. It also can help you identify social media influencers for a certain legal topic or in a specific conversation and it allows you to quickly respond to or join those conversations.
This posting is republished with permission from the Chicago Lawyer Magazine Blog “Around the Watercooler” located at: http://h20cooler.wordpress.com/2010/
This Week’s National Law Review Business of Law Guest Blogger is Vera Djordjevich, Senior Law Editor of Vault.com. Vera explains why diversity in the legal profession benefits everyone.
As the latest “Jobs & JDs” report from NALP makes clear, today’s lawyers face a challenging job market. Widespread layoffs, reduced summer programs and other recruitment-related cutbacks raise particular concern for those tracking diversity in the legal profession. Even before the recession, progress in this area, particularly at the law firm partnership level, had been slow; now, many worry that the economic fallout will have a disproportionate impact on attorneys of color and other under-represented minority groups.
It may be commonplace for employers to voice their support of a diverse workplace, but making diversity a reality rather than simply a refrain requires work, planning and, to some extent, money. When there’s less cash to go around, budgets for programs that ostensibly represent only a company’s conscience rather than its fiscal responsibility may be the first to shrink. However, diversity is not simply an ethical imperative, it is also a strategic endeavor. A company or law firm with a long-term strategy needs a well-rounded and able workforce to preserve and grow its business. The cultivation of talent, diverse in experience, culture and outlook, represents an investment in a firm’s future. It is not a distraction from, but a contribution to, a law firm’s fiscal health.
Moreover, if you look at both the tools that promote diversity and the effects that a diverse staff has on a work environment, it’s clear that they provide broad benefits to the business as a whole.
1. Retention and development tools benefit all associates
Naturally, law firms need to be strategic and focused in their spending. But some of the most successful measures when it comes to diversity require little, if any, extra spending — mentoring, monitoring the progress of attorneys, and ensuring they have equal access to significant opportunities and clients in order to move forward in their careers.
The real hurdles may be less financial than philosophical. The legal profession is famously slow to institute significant structural change and law firms in particular hew to traditional systems of hiring, advancement and compensation. But the inherent limitations in the up-or-out pyramid model, lockstep salary system and trial-by-fire training are coming to the surface as more legal professionals consider alternative frameworks for compensation, assignment, advancement and development — frameworks that are merit-based, but focused more on evaluating than judging, developing than criticizing.
While many of these new models are discussed specifically in the context of improving retention among minority and women attorneys, the truth is these approaches should help all lawyers succeed. Consider these examples:
Effective frameworks based on core competencies
Solid, practical training programs
High-quality mentoring, in which mentoring is treated as a valuable contribution to the firm rather than a pro-forma obligation
Regular and substantive feedback regarding performance and expectations, rather than cursory annual reviews that take associates by surprise and offer little guidance
Recognition that there can be more than one effective approach to a given task
These are tools that benefit all associates and, by extension, the firm itself. Having a cadre of confident, well-trained and high-performing lawyers should be every law firm’s goal.
2. Everyone shares the benefits of an inclusive culture
This Friday, Vault and MCCA will be holding their fifth annual Legal Diversity Career Fair, giving diverse law student and lateral candidates and legal employers an opportunity to meet. As a prelude to the fair, Vault will be hosting a special breakfast to announce its 2011 Law Firm Diversity Rankings and honor the law firms who were the most highly rated by their own associates for their commitment to hiring, retaining and promoting diverse attorneys.
It seems no coincidence that the law firms that receive high marks for their commitment to diversity in our annual Law Firm Associate Survey include many of the same firms that are rated highest for firm culture and professional development. Of the top 20 firms in overall diversity this year, more than half were also ranked among the best in firm culture and for formal training and/or informal training and mentoring.
As an associate at one of the top-ranking firms noted in response to our survey: “The firm makes a conscious effort to recruit attorneys from diverse backgrounds and experiences, and it makes for noticeably better, more well-rounded case teams. I am continually amazed and impressed by the experiences my colleagues bring to the table.”
A law firm that keeps minority and women lawyers challenged, engaged and optimistic about their careers likely offers a welcoming environment and professional development opportunities to all of its attorneys. Having a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives and insights represented among employees not only makes for a livelier, more interesting workplace, but it also produces better results.
Vera Djordjevich is senior law editor at Vault.com, where one of her areas of focus is diversity in the legal profession. She oversees the research and publication of information about law firm diversity initiatives and metrics for the Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Database. She also edits Vault.com’s content related to law practice in the UK and co-authors Vault’s law blog, which provides career news, advice and intelligence to the legal community. Prior to joining Vault, Ms. Djordjevich was an editor at American Lawyer Media and practiced law in a small litigation firm in New York. She has a law degree from New York University School of Law and a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University.
ABA (American Bar Association) Annual Meeting in San Francisco, CA Law Practice Management Section are meeting August 4-7 at the Hilton Union Square / Business Law Section is meeting August 6-9 at San Francisco, Fairmont / Intercontinental Mark Hopkins http://new.abanet.org/annual/pages/default.aspx
The National Association of Women Lawyers (NAWL) is the leading national voluntary organization devoted to the interests of women lawyers and women’s rights. Founded over 100 years ago, NAWL has historically served as an educational forum and an active voice for the concerns of women in the legal profession .
