Leadership Development

How to address financial challenges in a law firm succession plan

Many law firms have to plan for the eventual departure of increasingly large numbers of aging partners. Having a strong financial plan for these departures will help smooth the transition of leadership roles and operational responsibilities.

Dec 8, 2025 10:18 AM CST

Quest for new ways to learn the law leads to Dungeons & Dragons courses

Know elaborate laws, precedents and procedures. Present cases to the keeper of the law, who determines the outcome. Tell stories well. Behave ethically—or face real consequences. All of the above reflect what happens in a courtroom. And in a game of Dungeons & Dragons.

Nov 24, 2025 9:10 AM CST

Women attorneys gain ground in higher ed leadership but still face bias, new study finds

While more attorneys are being appointed to top leadership positions at universities and colleges, those roles are overwhelmingly held by men, according to a report released Tuesday by the Association of American Law Schools.

Nov 20, 2025 1:42 PM CST

C-suite executives use generative AI, tech adoption and training to shape next generation of legal services

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Olivia Mockel, the chief brand and market strategy officer at SurePoint Technologies; Debbie Foster, the CEO of the Affinity Consulting Group; and Laura Wenzel, the global marketing and insights director at iManage.

Oct 28, 2025 9:03 AM CDT

Changes in leadership, oversight come to State Bar of California

In the wake of California’s disastrous rollout of a new, proprietary bar exam in February, the state is mandating additional oversight responsibilities to its testing process.

Sep 26, 2025 2:09 PM CDT

How law department leaders should approach technology adoption to maximize impact and efficiency

Ari Kaplan recently spoke to Anne Post, the CEO of Xakia Technologies' North America division. Xakia Technologies is a provider of legal matter and contract management solutions.

Sep 23, 2025 8:54 AM CDT

ABA House takes aim at bullying in the legal profession

More needs to be done to understand and respond to the pervasive problem of bullying in the legal profession, the ABA said during its annual meeting in Toronto.

Aug 12, 2025 10:58 AM CDT

What today’s rainmakers do differently

The Rainmaker Genome Project surveyed 3,000 partner-level professionals in 41 firms. And it turns out that what makes a lawyer an effective rainmaker is not necessarily what makes a salesperson an effective seller.

May 21, 2025 3:22 PM CDT

What to know when hiring the next generation of lawyers

It's not your grandfather's law firm anymore. Technology, shifting societal norms and generational differences are reshaping today's legal practices. To attract the new generation of legal professionals, lawyers must throw out "the way things have always been done" and reinvent their firm's culture.

May 19, 2025 11:11 AM CDT

How law firm leaders can identify cyber threats, leverage artificial intelligence to enhance cybersecurity

Ari Kaplan recently spoke with Edward Chick, the chief revenue officer at NopalCyber, a managed security services provider that offers outsourced cybersecurity support while seeking to democratize enterprise-level security for law firms and organizations in other sectors.

Mar 21, 2025 9:51 AM CDT

2025 Outlook for Legal Leaders: It’s time to focus on big-picture strategies

As we begin 2025, three emerging trends point to a future where legal teams will have the insights they need to play an integral role in their organization’s revenue goals. Here’s a look at how these shifts will transform legal work.

Jan 8, 2025 10:47 AM CST

Remembering President James Earl ‘Jimmy’ Carter, ever the teacher

Educators and students preparing to begin a new semester can make good use of lessons about leadership and purposeful service that can be gleaned from the beautiful life of former President James Earl “Jimmy” Carter. That is especially so for law school communities for at least two reasons.

Jan 7, 2025 8:51 AM CST