The recent reports from Citi and Wells Fargo indicating that law firms are fighting a losing battle in the expense-versus-revenue war can hardly be surprising. The economy continues to sputter,…
When I was an associate in a law firm, one of the partners used to say that his role oscillated between counselor and warrior. Sometimes he helped clients stay out…
Last week the Institute of Medicine released a report suggesting that 30 percent of health care spending, or $750 billion annually, is wasted. According…
Rarely a week goes by that some lawyer doesn’t ask me what mindset it takes to leave the comfort of a successful firm and start a new firm. Invariably, I…
Having spent most of my career outside law firms, I am familiar with the modern language of quality, variously referred to as Six Sigma, Lean, Lean Six Sigma or formerly…
The latest analyses of BigLaw financials is out, and things do not look good. In a recent article, Dan DiPietro and Gretta Rusanow of Citibank reported their…
The question “who is the next Dewey?” comes up a lot these days. Because most law firm financial information isn’t public, that’s not an easy guess to make. But it’s…
Because of my strong contacts in the in-house legal community and my experience working with them on their outside counsel relationships, I’m asked by a lot of outside lawyers and…
There is something you probably don’t know about Mike Leach. He toiled through law school and has a law degree. Then he did what very few law grads do—Mike Leach…
When I started practicing law, I worked with a number of partners at the same time. It was an unwritten rule that you didn’t talk with Partner A about the…
The ABA Journal wants to host and facilitate conversations among lawyers about their profession. We are now accepting thoughtful, non-promotional articles and commentary by unpaid contributors.