Firms That Lead With Values

This isn’t just what I teach. It’s what I’ve seen firsthand. When law firms take the time to define their core values, it transforms the way they recruit.

I’ve worked with firms struggling with high turnover, unclear culture, and hiring mismatches. The common thread is always the same: unclear values. Once we define what makes their firm unique; its mission, culture, and vision, finding the right candidates becomes so much easier.

And the best part? Teams built on shared values don’t just work well. They thrive.

What do you think about leading with values in the recruiting process? Share your thoughts. I’d love to hear them!

Do you hear this voice in your head too?

Do you also hear that voice in your head?

You know the one: the inner critic that whispers, “You’re not smart enough for that,” or “You’re too young,” or even, “That’s impossible.” It’s there to keep us safe, but it also keeps us small.

I’ve heard it in my own head, and I see it in my clients all the time. That voice shows up every time we dream big or want to make a change. However, growth happens when you acknowledge that voice, understand it’s trying to protect you, and take action anyway.

Why do attorneys seek a career coach?

Looking to transition practice areas? Go in house? Make Partner? Work/life balance? Exit a toxic working environment? Some of the many reasons attorneys seek a career coach…

Five Uplifting Practices to Be a Healthy and Happy Attorney

The key to a successful career and a happy life is to prioritize your personal wellbeing as an Attorney. Here are 5 tips to maximize your wellbeing through a proper work-life balance:

1. Time Blocking. As attorneys, we can have a tendency to be reactive instead of proactive. Take control of your time management by scheduling uninterrupted time to focus on longer term projects and allow yourself to respond to emails and phone calls outside of these blocked hours. Consider when during the day your focus is the highest and block that time. Both you and your clients will appreciate the increase in your efficiency by enabling yourself to better focus on important tasks.

2. Night and Weekend Boundaries. To maintain balance, you need to treat your time off as time off unless there is an emergency. We recommend turning off work alerts while you are off the clock. When you feel you must respond to a client or employer on off hours when it is not an emergency, try replying that you’ve received their email and will address it first thing during your next scheduled work hours. These boundaries will create appropriate expectations for clients and employers and enable you to fully relax before your next workday.

3. Learn to Say No. It’s okay to say no (or yes, but not right now)! This is especially important for people pleasers, who tend to feel the burden of the office, and take it on. You are looking out for everyone else. Who is looking out for you? While you may feel compelled to say yes to please others, remember that in order to effectively perform your job and to stay healthy, you need to keep a manageable workload.

4. Maintain Relationships and Outside Interests. Stay interested and interesting by prioritizing having an identity outside of your legal career. Keep your hobbies and remember to carve out time to spend with your family and friends. Not only will you feel better balanced, but you will also incidentally help your legal career by better connecting with others on a deeper level through common interests.

5. Don’t Wait Until You Are Miserable. Often, people sense they are off balance and unsatisfied but try to push through in hopes that things will eventually get better. However, balance cannot be regained unless you incorporate changes to your current work life. While this may be daunting, you are not alone! Reach out to Law Life Coach today for a consultation to take control of your happiness and career.

Chelsea Ramel, with Law Life Coach.

Four Good Habits Every Lawyer Should Implement Into Their Routine

1. Establish Clear Boundaries. Remember, it is your responsibility to establish the expectations of your clients about how and when to respond to emails and texts and your overall availability. Too many attorneys get burnt out by attempting to be available all the time, and you do yourself a disservice by not being able to "turn off" work. One example you can use to respond to non-urgent weekend communications is, “Received, I will get back to you on Monday. Thank you.” Clearly defined boundaries help establish expectations and prevent misunderstandings. Additionally, it allows attorneys to effectively manage their time, prioritize tasks, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

2. Get Involved. Your community is the one that supports you and has your back. A strongly established network and community involvement enables attorneys to foster referral relationships and expand their client base. It doesn't take much effort to remind folks who you are and also what you do and how you can be of service.

3. Prioritize Self Care. Remember, no one will prioritize your self care except for you. We can become addicted to responding to client and partner's urgencies without thinking about our own self care. It is crucial for attorneys to prioritize self-care in order to maintain their physical and mental well-being, sustain their productivity, and prevent burnout in the demanding and high-stress field of law.

4. Constantly Evaluate Your Career Direction. Your goals will always change throughout your career. Thus, it is necessary to reevaluate your career direction to ensure it is matching your values and current life situation. Major life events such as marriage and having children often change our values. Remember to reassess these life phases often. If you are ready to take control of your career, legacy, and purpose make sure to contact Brooke! Brooke helps motivated attorneys build their book, transition to their dream role, or pursue an alternative legal field.

Bailey Greenberg, with Law Life Coach.

Six Tips For Attorneys Navigating The Hidden Risks Of Chat GPT's Confidentiality

AI language models, such as Chat GPT, can encounter privacy problems that stem from the lack of confidentiality. Because AI models process and retain the data provided during conversations, attorneys should be aware that this lack of confidentiality poses a significant risk of unintentionally exposing their client's information to third parties. To avoid compromising their client's privacy, attorneys must exercise caution when they share personal, financial, or confidential information.

Furthermore, Chat GPT's design for natural language processing may lead to unintended privacy-related consequences. The model generates responses based on patterns learned from vast training data, raising concerns regarding sharing harmful information. For attorneys, this can lead to severe ethical consequences due to compromising their client's privacy. As exciting as this new sophisticated software is, attorneys should be cautious when interacting with AI language models. Below are six practical tips to help protect your client's privacy:

1. Avoid sharing clients' sensitive information: It's better to be cautious and avoid sharing any information that could compromise your privacy.

2. Use anonymous or generic identifiers: Consider using pseudonyms or generic names during conversations instead of providing specific identifiers. This helps to minimize the risk of leaking your client's personally identifiable information.

3. Be mindful of context: Be cautious about discussing specific or unique circumstances relating to your client and their case that may indirectly reveal sensitive information.

4. Regularly review and clear conversation history: Regularly clearing the chat logs reduces the likelihood of information being stored or accessed inadvertently.

5. Stay informed about data handling practices: Familiarize yourself with the privacy policies and data handling practices of the platform providing the AI service.

6. Report any concerns: If you encounter privacy-related issues or suspect a breach, promptly report it to the platform. Reporting problems helps raise awareness and contributes to improving privacy safeguards.

Remember, while AI models like Chat GPT strive to protect user privacy, the attorney must be cautious and vigilant when engaging in conversations.

Bailey Greenberg, with Law Life Coach

Connect with me on LinkedIn.

New Report Finds Grit And Growth Mindset Boosts Work Of Teams

The ABA Commission on Women in the Profession’s new report shows that a majority of lawyers agree that when working with gritty, growth mindset-oriented teams, the quality of work that is produced is excellent. Additionally, the report showed that team members developed new skills and delivered excellent service to their clients when they worked with a grit and growth mindset.

“When asked to describe their general experiences working with teams, only 19.5% of respondents said they had a very positive experience. However, according to the report, that number increased to about 58% when asked about experiences with gritty teams and to about 62% when asked about experiences with growth mindset-oriented teams.”

Milana Hogan, the lead researcher for the Grit Project and author of this report, introduced a leadership-development model lawyers can use to develop these types of teams in their workplace. It includes asking team members about their interests; focusing on the purpose of the work; planning shared learning opportunities; helping team members understand their work is worth the effort; and creating a psychologically safe space for the team.

By fostering a culture of continuous learning and embracing challenges as opportunities for growth, these teams are better equipped to overcome obstacles, enhance their expertise, and deliver exceptional legal outcomes.

Grit and growth mindset are the top two behavioral traits law firms look for when searching for associates. Learn more about it in this article!

https://www.abajournal.com/web/article/grit-and-growth-mindset-boosts-work-of-teams-new-aba-report-finds

Study Finds Black Women Leaders - Including Lawyers - Are More Ambitious But Less Supported At Work

A new study from McKinsey and LeanIn.org finds that Black women leaders are more ambitious than other women at their level, but are more likely to have their competence questioned and have less support from their company and supervisors compared to their colleagues.

“Many Black women leaders find themselves caught in a dysfunctional, non-reciprocal relationship with the workplace—continuing to contribute to and support organizations that clearly don’t nurture us in return.”

Upsettingly, Black women also ranked last in their experience of receiving workplace support—managers showing interest in their career, checking in on their well-being and promoting inclusion—as compared to other identities. Similarly, Black women ranked near last in experiencing sponsorship and allyship as well as psychological safety.

Now more than ever, It is crucial to recognize and support women of color, especially Black women, in the legal field as they bring unique perspectives and experiences that enrich the profession. By elevating and empowering these women attorney leaders, we can promote diversity, equity, and inclusion, ultimately leading to a more just and equitable society.

Check out this article in Forbes to learn more about the study.

https://www.forbes.com/sites/danabrownlee/2022/10/21/black-women-leaders-are-more-ambitious-but-less-supported-at-work-mckinsey-and-lean-in-study-finds/?sh=5fcab3136e48

Three Tips For Practicing Gratitude As An Attorney

Practicing gratitude can have significant benefits for your mental health, job satisfaction, and overall well-being. In a field that can be demanding and stressful, intentionally cultivating gratitude can help you stay grounded and focused on the positive aspects of your work and life. Here are three tips for forming a gratitude practice as an attorney:

1. Start Small and Make it a Habit:

Developing a gratitude practice is all about consistency. This can be as simple as writing down three things you are thankful for in a gratitude journal, or taking a moment during your morning routine to think about what you appreciate in your life. Make it a daily habit, and over time, you will find it becomes a natural part of your routine.

2. Focus on the Present Moment:

As attorneys, we are focused on rectifying the past and anticipating the future. Therefore it is important to bring your focus back to the present moment. Take a few moments each day to practice mindfulness, such as sitting quietly and focusing on your breath or taking a break mid-day to stretch or move your body around.

3. Embrace Challenges as Opportunities:

You are likely to face challenges and setbacks as an attorney. Rather than letting these difficulties bring you down, try to reframe them as opportunities for growth and learning. When faced with a challenging situation, take a moment to think about what you can learn from it or how it might help you grow as a person or professional. This mindset shift can help you develop a more positive outlook and cultivate a sense of gratitude even in difficult times.

Developing a gratitude practice can help you stay grounded and focused on the positive aspects of your work and life. Start small, make it a habit, focus on the present moment, and embrace challenges as opportunities!

Ten Strategies Lawyers Can Take From Entrepreneurs To Simplify Your Days And Avoid Stress

Ten members from the Young Entrepreneur Council each shared one specific strategy that they have found works well for simplifying their day and allowing them to take on their duties without added stress. Read on to learn about three of these methods:

1. Block Out Time For Distraction-Free Work

Finding a time of the day where you can block out certain hours to work without any distractions is one simple way to increase your productivity. This may look like taking half an hour daily to turn off notifications, communicate clear boundaries to your colleagues, and dedicate yourself to working through that set time completely distraction-free.

2. Focus On One Activity That Improves Your Life

It is helpful to prioritize one specific activity every few months that aligns with your personal and professional goals. This way, you can effectively concentrate your efforts and achieve meaningful improvements in your life. For example, doing whatever exercise you choose first thing each day will allow you to carry the satisfaction of knowing that you pushed one activity forward no matter how the rest of your day goes.

3. Consider What Keeps You Up At Night

Consider using the “up at night” planning strategy to ensure that you are focusing your time on the most impactful parts of your work. Try brainstorming the top things that keep you up at night and then put those at the top of your list when planning each work day. This may sound simple, but it is one effective way to keep your priorities organized and focus on what matters most!

Check out the Forbes article to learn more about these ten valuable tips here:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2022/10/28/10-strategies-these-entrepreneurs-use-to-simplify-their-days-and-avoid-stress/?sh=ce8f9a72dc6d