Mind Your Business

What to do when friends or family members ask for legal advice

“It’s never going to go well,” Arizona attorney Lynda C. Shely says about the prospect of representing anyone you are close to, including family members and friends. Shely, the immediate past chair of the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility, works in private practice and has advised more than 2,500 law firms around the country on legal ethics matters.

Jan 25, 2024 8:34 AM CST

Start 2024 off right with these 12 Mind Your Business columns

The ABA Journal hosts the Mind Your Business column to facilitate lawyers talking to other lawyers about the business side of law. We had 12 contributions in 2023, and we've put together this roundup as a perfect way to help readers get in a growth mindset for 2024. Please enjoy, and scroll to the bottom to see how you could share your own wisdom next year.

Dec 22, 2023 10:05 AM CST

Now is the time to consider a lawyer exchange

As lawyers, whether we practice in a corporate legal office, a global law firm or an independent firm, we are all trying to position ourselves for success in a changing and more globalized legal landscape. We are also all facing challenges in recruiting and retaining the young lawyers who will help us get there. Lawyer exchanges are one tool that can be effective on both fronts.

Dec 12, 2023 12:22 PM CST

It’s not too late to adopt a virtual or hybrid work model at your firm

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, offices worldwide have been compelled to adapt to virtual or hybrid work models, transforming the way businesses operate. While the urgency to implement these changes may have diminished since restrictions have become almost nonexistent, the impact of virtual and hybrid work environments continues to resonate strongly, particularly within the legal industry.

Dec 1, 2023 2:10 AM CST

Making It Work for Working Moms (and Dads): How law firms can support new parents

There are few events in life more pivotal and significant than becoming a parent, especially for the first time. Yet even in today’s era of post-COVID-19 extravagant employee wellness initiatives that focus on mental health, many employers fail to recognize the importance of providing their workforce with the one benefit that will enhance both employee retention and job satisfaction: a robust parental leave policy.

Oct 24, 2023 2:30 PM CDT

4 ways to grow your new law firm without overextending yourself

Before you start drafting a plan to expand your firm into new territories or practice new areas of law, it’s important that you don’t fall into the habit of overworking yourself in order to achieve your business goals.

Sep 18, 2023 11:19 AM CDT

Why differentiation is your firm’s responsibility

According to the Thomson Reuters 2022 State of U.S. Small Law Firms report, 22% of law firms admit that “differentiating your firm from your competition” is one of the top three goals or priorities for their practices. The report also indicates that 50% of firms find “challenges acquiring new client business” a moderate challenge, and 22% see it as a significant one. At the same time, almost three-quarters of the firms feel that the most competition comes from other law firms of similar size.

Aug 22, 2023 2:05 PM CDT

Beyond the Hype: Lessons on auditing AI systems from the front lines

“Generative AI systems are made up of billions or even trillions of parameters trained on vast amounts of data, and their complexity makes their outputs notoriously difficult to explain. But can complex generative systems undergo meaningful audits?”

Jul 17, 2023 8:12 AM CDT

Consider teaching law in business school as an alternative career

A JD degree is a gateway to various career alternatives. One of these opportunities, teaching law in a business school, receives little publicity and often is overlooked by law school graduates.

Jun 1, 2023 9:16 AM CDT

5 ways to scale in-house resources in the face of an economic downturn

After years of unbridled hiring, a growing number of tech companies recently have made headlines with layoffs and recruiting slowdowns. In-house counsel jobs, especially at tech companies, are not exempt.

Apr 20, 2023 8:51 AM CDT

Preventive Law: Helping your clients before push comes to shove

Rare is the client who looks to litigators, alternative dispute resolution specialists or even corporate counsel as the “go to” persons for providing services that will prevent disputes. Most attorneys serve their clients by representing them in disputes that are already or soon to be underway, with a focus on billable negotiation, mediation, arbitration or litigation representation. When it comes to employee and manager education, skills training and systemic dispute prevention, business leaders look not to their attorney advocates but to a potpourri of human relations consultants, trainers and behavioral science experts.

Mar 21, 2023 10:14 AM CDT

Humanizing the Process: A new approach to interviewing for law firms

For the past 20 years in the legal recruiting business, my firm, the Advocates, has focused on helping our clients land key lateral attorneys and improve retention through several unique processes designed to match candidates’ personalities to the right law firm and corporate cultures for them.

Feb 16, 2023 12:21 PM CST

Technology streamlines in-house work, but have a plan before making purchases

The pandemic pressured corporate legal departments to control costs and collaborate online to an unprecedented degree as demand for legal services surged. But missteps await legal departments that rush into implementing technology without first taking a thorough look at the bigger picture.

Feb 1, 2023 2:20 AM CST

Anti-discrimination laws are faltering in the face of artificial intelligence; here’s what to do about it

“On the basis of.” These four words from the Civil Rights Act of 1964 underlie the modern conception of illegal bias. From federal anti-discrimination statutes to state and local laws, this phrase nearly unites them all.

Jan 24, 2023 2:42 PM CST

How an Am Law 200 firm created an incubator program for associates to learn business, leadership skills

An intrepid cavalier King Charles spaniel inspired a microincubator program aimed at giving associates room to develop leadership skills, foster creative thinking and facilitate collaboration with colleagues in different locations and practice areas.

Dec 12, 2022 8:45 AM CST

What to do when friends or family members ask for legal advice

Start 2024 off right with these 12 Mind Your Business columns

Now is the time to consider a lawyer exchange

It’s not too late to adopt a virtual or hybrid work model at your firm

Making It Work for Working Moms (and Dads): How law firms can support new parents

4 ways to grow your new law firm without overextending yourself

Why differentiation is your firm’s responsibility

Beyond the Hype: Lessons on auditing AI systems from the front lines

Consider teaching law in business school as an alternative career

5 ways to scale in-house resources in the face of an economic downturn

Preventive Law: Helping your clients before push comes to shove

Humanizing the Process: A new approach to interviewing for law firms

Technology streamlines in-house work, but have a plan before making purchases

Anti-discrimination laws are faltering in the face of artificial intelligence; here’s what to do about it

How an Am Law 200 firm created an incubator program for associates to learn business, leadership skills

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