Transcranial magnetic stimulation for in-house brains. TMS translates electric signals into a magnetic field that passes through the skull and into the brain. The magnetic stimulation can control certain brain activity and has promise for treatment of depression, migraines and post-traumatic stress disorder. Sounds useful for in-house counsel (See my posts of June 20, 2007#3 for more neuroscience; and July 10, 2007 on generalizations and neuroscience.).
Remember this tidbit on memory. The α2b-adrenoceptor, found in the amygdale – a part of the brain involved in processing strong emotions such as fear – promotes memory formation – but only when it is stimulated by adrenaline. So the rush you felt when you stood up in moot court helped vividly carve that nervous moment in your memory. Some of us are genetically predisposed to have more of that adrenoceptor. So much comes from the Economist, Aug. 4, 2007 at 68. What I recall best about the article, however, is its reference to “a memory-enhancing drug called yohimbine.” When will lawyers turn to neurological aids, the steroids of the mind (See my posts of Aug. 20, 2006; and today.)?
Non-US law firms easier to find in some areas. “Common-law countries like Canada, the UK, Australia and Singapore, and northern European countries are relatively easy [when searching for law firms]. South America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia are quite challenging because the reporting capabilities are very limited. There is no published information readily available.” This quote comes from a report by ALM on how US companies select international counsel (See my post of Feb. 12, 2006 about the difficulties of finding competent counsel in some countries.).
Upcoming conferences for law department leaders that will have management topics. Here are three that have crossed my desk. (1) Northwestern Law School’s 46th annual Corporate Counsel Institute, Sept. 27-28, 2007 in Chicago and Nov. 29-30, 2007 in San Francisco. (2) PLI’s Corporate Counsel Institute 2007, NYC Sept. 25th with a live webcast. (3) The 4th Annual General Counsel West Coast Conference, Nov. 15-16, 2007 in San Francisco.