Leadership Development

53 ABA Journal Leadership Development articles.

The legal profession doesn’t have a leadership problem—it has a character problem

“We’ve become self-important takers who favored me over you, more over less, and shiny objects over personal connections,” writes lawyer Charles P. Edwards. He discusses why having good character is important for leaders in the legal field.

Nov 7, 2019 6:30 AM CST

Former FBI Director Comey encourages law students to be ‘ethical leaders’

It was never one of former FBI Director James Comey’s career goals to be an “unemployed B-list celebrity,” he said, addressing a crowd at the University of Chicago Law School on Tuesday. During a lecture he gave on leadership roles, he said it became his mission to communicate what being an ethical leader means after President Donald Trump fired him in May 2017.

Oct 31, 2019 12:40 PM CDT

The secret to successful lawyer leadership

Did you miss the class on leadership in law school? There probably wasn't one. And at most law schools, leadership lessons are, at best, an afterthought. Yet, from virtually the day we pass the bar exam, lawyers must lead teams: first staff, then younger lawyers, then case teams, and ultimately, perhaps, entire law firms or offices, large or small.

Oct 17, 2019 6:00 AM CDT

8 ways to enhance workplace inclusivity through physical space and design

While it’s not far-fetched to speculate that changing office temperatures more than a few degrees in either direction could turn the thermostat into courtroom evidence, have entities that are committed to inclusion in the workplace considered whether a rise from 70 to 72 degrees might be enough to keep everyone more comfortable and increase overall productivity?

Oct 3, 2019 7:00 AM CDT

More law firms may close if recession hits; recruiter: ‘Once this party ends, it’s going to end very quickly’

A recession could be the final nail in the coffin for struggling law firms.

The prior recession was an aggravating factor in the dissolution of several law firms, Bloomberg…

Sep 4, 2019 3:11 PM CDT

What one thing do you wish you were told about legal practice?

Mark Herrmann takes on a flinty, severe persona to lay down the law on legal practice in the real world. But as law grads draft their first pleadings, the former…

Jun 12, 2019 3:34 PM CDT

Public speaking skills every lawyer should master

In this episode of the Modern Law Library, Ashley Alfirevic of ABA Publishing speaks to lawyer and author Faith Pincus about how to ditch notecards, engage an audience and ask the right type of rhetorical questions.

May 22, 2019 6:00 AM CDT