Survival Guide, Esq.

The business of successfully running an in-house department

In-house lawyering is about running a business inside a business. That means managing internal clients, knowing the revenue model, guiding decisions, hiring with leverage in mind, and deciding when to build versus buy.

Oct 1, 2025 1:25 AM CDT

The importance of understanding the business of law firms

“Law firms are for-profit businesses. While law schools equip students with legal reasoning, case analysis and advocacy skills, they don’t teach the business of practicing law—an oversight that can significantly impact career trajectory and success, especially in a law firm.”

Aug 1, 2025 1:10 AM CDT

Relationship building is not just a side hustle

We like to think of relationships as optional—a side hustle to the real work of getting deals done, climbing ladders or checking boxes. But here’s the thing: Your skills get you in the room, your experience keeps you at the table, but relationships are what actually move things forward.

Jun 1, 2025 2:10 AM CDT

How to master client development

Client development is the key to your success as a lawyer in a law firm, especially if you include career autonomy in your definition of success. The trouble is, most lawyers have a very narrow idea of client development. So let’s (re)define the concept of client development, identify the key questions you should be asking yourself, and provide actionable strategies to help you get started and ultimately excel so you can reap the benefits of client development now and throughout your career.

Apr 1, 2025 2:00 AM CDT

Time is of the essence for young lawyers

The concept of time is central to the legal profession. It’s the one thing that you seem to never have enough of, whether it’s billable or personal. So how do we manage this burden?

Feb 1, 2025 1:40 AM CST

Don’t Panic: Your career is going great

It may be a creeping feeling. A pang of existential dread in the night. Everyone at some point senses their career is simply not going the way it should. Whether you feel it now or have confronted the monster under the bed before, this is your sign to take a knee and listen to coach. Your career is in fact going quite well.

Dec 1, 2024 2:00 AM CST

Professional success is not achieved through participation trophies

Lawyers, especially new practitioners, are not rewarded for simply showing up. And since the learning curve from law student to lawyer is steep, most of the feedback you’re likely to receive the first few years of practice is critical. Therefore, it is important to challenge yourself regularly and to find security and confidence from within.

Oct 1, 2024 2:20 AM CDT

Good lawyers don’t only point out problems, they offer solutions

Understanding how to give an unfettered opinion and drive the client’s decision-making can make the difference between great lawyers and those seen as just OK. With smart guardrails, you shouldn’t be afraid to loosen the strict restraints on your opinions—because at the end of the day, your client wants to know what you think.

Aug 1, 2024 1:50 AM CDT

Early career success can come from developing your ‘ownership mindset’

Ownership mindset. Is it the secret to success, or something everyone talks about but no one really knows what it means? Maybe both. The purpose of this installment of Survival Guide, Esq. is to demystify the concept of ownership mindset as well as provide a few practical tips on how to cultivate and demonstrate it.

Jun 1, 2024 2:10 AM CDT

Unwritten Rules: What they expect you to know on Day 1 but don’t tell you

It’s time to open up the clock and show you what your managers expect you to know when you walk in the door on Day 1.

Apr 1, 2024 1:30 AM CDT

The business of successfully running an in-house department

The importance of understanding the business of law firms

Relationship building is not just a side hustle

How to master client development

Time is of the essence for young lawyers

Don’t Panic: Your career is going great

Professional success is not achieved through participation trophies

Good lawyers don’t only point out problems, they offer solutions

Early career success can come from developing your ‘ownership mindset’

Unwritten Rules: What they expect you to know on Day 1 but don’t tell you

Topics: Career & Practice

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