It is wonderful to hear lawyers say that their general counsel has an the door policy. They can drop in and talk with the lead lawyer with a degree of informality that evidences comfort and teamwork. Conversely, the general counsel is much more aware of workloads, issues, talent, and the…
I have modified these useful distinctions from an article in OD Practitioner 2006, Vol. 38, No. 3 at 13, and adapted them to law departments. Managers of lawyers should bear the differences in mind. • Training: Someone with subject matter expertise and authority shows another person or group how to…
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) properly distinguishes between the two categories of external minority counsel. Assuming solutions to the difficulties of how to define “minority” (See my post of Sept. 4, 2006 on “diversity.”), it makes a big difference. It’s easier to retain lawyers than firms. Moreover, if a…
Citigroup Global Wealth Management has begun an innovative recruitment program aimed at law school graduates. The program will initially target second-year law students. A select group will be employed by Citigroup Global Wealth Management but start their careers at a top-tier New York law firm for two years. Following that,…
The Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) has defined diversity best practices. By my summary, a best practice as to diversity (1) promotes it, (2) addresses barriers to it, (3) evidences serious commitment from management, (4) builds in management accountability, (5) is implements conscientiously, and (6) shows noteworthy results. My initial…
A recent report by the Minority Corporate Counsel Association (MCCA) uses both terms, “diverse” and “minority”. It appears that ethnic minorities are African American, Asian American and Latino while women are gender minorities (See my post of Dec. 4, 2005 that recognizes it’s easier to meet goals for women than…
A powerful truth stands out in a sentence from OD Practitioner, 2006, Vol. 38, No. 3 at 52: “ So much of what occurs in organizations feels personal, but it’s not … it’s systemic.” Your environmental lawyer has been performing poorly, but if you diagnose the causes as personal, then…
Here is how the Fin. Times, March 14, 2006 at 7 explains the concept of “social distance”: “The idea of ‘social distance’, introduced by George Stimmel, the German sociologist, helps leaders identify when they need to be more intimately involved with those around them, and when they need to withdraw…
Many encrustations on efficiency are simply bad habits, those the corporate lawyer slipped into for some reason and never scraped away. Three-hole punching all documents so that they can go in a binder; putting all in-box material back in the box before “making a decision.” Highlighting in yellow marker the…
Robert Half Legal has a pithy comment in a recent release that contrasts generalist skills with the legal specialization rampant in our day. “Today’s GC wears many hats — legal advisor to the board of directors and Chief Executive Officer, savvy business strategist, knowledgeable interpreter of regulations and statutes, risk…