The Lawyer as Leader: How to Own your Career and Lead in Law Firms

This special report is a practical, experience-based guide to personal development at every stage of a lawyer’s career. The author draws on over 30 years as an international commercial lawyer and senior partner in a Magic Circle firm to offer a roadmap for moving from a “What’s expected of me?” mindset to self-leadership and leadership of others.

This special report is a practical, experience-based guide to personal development at every stage of a lawyer’s career. The author draws on over 30 years as an international commercial lawyer and senior partner in a Magic Circle firm to offer a roadmap for moving from a “What’s expected of me?” mindset to self-leadership and leadership of others.The report’s main theme is that retaking autonomy and control can transform engagement and fulfilment in a legal career. Topics covered include career planning, confidence, fulfilment, wellbeing and work-life balance, building an internal support network and “trusted adviser” client relationships, communication and feedback, project management, commerciality and understanding value from the client’s perspective. It also contains a section on pre-retirement planning.The special report is above all practical and contains a wealth of tools and templates developed by the author for career planning, self appraisal and project management.

1. Creating the environment for successful development1.1 Inside the lawyer’s mind1.2 Autonomy2. Where are commercial law firms heading?2.1 The bigger picture2.2 Money and lateral hires2.3 Globalisation and mergers2.4 And then what?3. Lawyers as leaders – leading others3.1 Lawyers as leaders3.2 Effective legal teams3.3 Communication, feedback and critical conversations3.4 Building your connections3.5 Business awareness3.6 Managing deals for value: legal project management3.7 Working effectively across borders4. Self-leadership – getting the career you want4.1 Career possibilities – Inside, outside, rock star4.2 Why do a plan: what will it bring you?4.3 What should a good plan look like?4.4 Where am I now?4.5 Where next?4.6 Making it happen: Commitments and follow-up4.7 What does it take to make partner?5. Coaching yourself and others through change5.1 Visiting the oracle5.2 Self-assessment5.3 Anchors and drivers5.4 Values and simple guiding principles5.5 Motivation5.6 Readiness for change5.7 Emotional intelligence5.8 Walking in another’s shoes5.9 Mapping the environment5.10 Knowing goals and managing expectations5.11 Weighing up change5.12 Confidence6. Types of change in a lawyers’ career6.1 Types of change and their challenges6.2 The stages in a lawyer’s career7. Wellbeing7.1 Energy budgets7.2 Mindfulness and microbreaks7.3 Sleep, diet and exercise7.4 Fear and loathing in law firms – a plea for psychological safetyAppendix 1 – Emotional intelligenceAppendix 2 – Self-appraisalAppendix 3 – Partner/senior associate career planning templateAppendix 4 – Project management