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Career Development For Lawyers
1. Career Planning for Lawyers:
Why It Is Important, What It Looks Like,
and Why Law Firms Should Invest in It
Kathleen Bradley Choua , Esquire
Knowing others is intelligence; knowing yourself is true wisdom.
Mastering others is strength; mastering yourself is true power. -- Tao Te Ching
Lawyers are far behind their corporate clients, end up proceeding through our careers in a
and even professionals in other professional reactive mode, without a clear idea of what we
service firms, in recognizing and appreciating need to do, and who we need to be, in order to
the importance of taking control over their have a satisfying and fulfilling career. This
careers. The reason for this may lie in the fact impacts not only our quality of life, but also
that historically the career path of a lawyer the quality of our work and the environment in
was clear â go to a good law school and get which we do that work.
good grades, join a major firm to get practical
It is because, as lawyers, we do not tend to
training, âsink or swimâ through the process,
invest in clearly formulating our career (or, for
and make partner. This traditional path has
that matter, our life) objectives and because
not, however, been available to most lawyers
our failure to do so negatively impacts our
for many years. Yet, the mindset that still
work environments that this article suggests
dominates in most law firms has not moved on
and advocates that professional coaching
substantially, and it continues to impact most
should be incorporated as an integral part of a
severely the careers of women and minorities.
law firmâs professional development and
So, given this mindset, what can individual
diversity efforts. It articulates the benefits to
lawyers do to develop their careers?
law firms of having a focused career
The most obvious answer is for each lawyer to development program for their lawyers, and it
define, for herself, her individual career makes the business case for investing in this
objectives and become her own ardent effort. It concludes that dedicating a
advocate. Obvious, yes; but difficult to professional with executive coaching skill to
implement in practice -- particularly for hard- support firm lawyers in one of the most
charging, high-performing lawyers who do not important aspects of their lives â their careers
take the time to consciously and clearly â not only makes good sense, it also generates
articulate their goals and are not always skilled a return on the investment far in excess of the
in the fine art of advocating for themselves. cost. The return on investment comes in the
Nevertheless, despite these difficulties, form of better recruiting results, higher
individual lawyers can take charge of their retention rights, shorter learning curves,
careers if they make the time and space in their improved performance and capability, more
lives to stop and pay attention to where they well-rounded lawyers, increased client
are going. This is where professional satisfaction, enhanced reputation, and higher
coaching, as so clearly illustrated by the other profits.
authors in his Journal, can be of great
Why Career Planning Is Important to
assistance.
Lawyers and Firms
For most of us in the legal profession,
Law firms generally invest heavily in the
however, stopping and paying attention to our
recruitment of star talent. In addition, they
own lives runs contrary to our natures (that is a
provide good support for the development of
topic for another article!). Therefore, unless
their lawyersâ substantive skills. Most do not,
we ourselves take the initiative (and incur the
however, provide their lawyers with the
expense) to hire a personal coach to support us
individual support they need in order to help
in connection with our career goals, it just
them identify their unique talents, round out
does not happen. Yet, by failing to do so, we
their skills and abilities, and align their talents
As published in the Summer 2005 edition of
The Women Lawyers Journal
1 Š Kathleen Bradley Choua , June 2005
All Rights Reserved
2. with the firmâs overall strategy. In addition, membership, budgeting, bill collecting, and
the inconsistency of development the like â and all this in addition to
opportunities within the firm, office or practice maintaining her billable hours. A lawyer who
group â for reasons ranging from partner has a clear sense of her self, her strengths and
work-styles, to inefficient or inequitable work weaknesses, and her values and interests can
assignment systems, to unconscious more easily negotiate this change by
motivations relating to preferences, diversity identifying the types of responsibilities that
and the like -- often leads to the dissatisfaction she can take on and by advocating for herself
of those who perceive that the firm is in relation to the coaching and training she
providing better opportunities to some than to may need to help her to fulfill these duties.
others.
By institutionalizing a program that supports
By supplementing existing professional the development of lawyersâ career paths,
development efforts with a program that firms not only encourage their lawyers to work
provides lawyers with the opportunity to purposefully toward their goals, they also
develop, and be coached in relation to, engender increased loyalty, satisfaction and
customized, individual career development performance, which inevitably lead to
plans, and by dedicating an in-house increased profitability.
professional to facilitate the process of
What a Comprehensive Career Planning
ensuring that lawyers get the opportunities
Program Looks Like
they need to develop targeted skills, firms can
fill in these gaps and enhance their The essence of career planning has been
professional development efforts overall. understood by mankind for millennia. It can
perhaps best be summarized by the motto that
Developing a personal career plan is
Socrates learned from the Oracle at Delphi in
particularly important for associates and
the 5th Century, B.C.: âKnow Thyself.â It is
partners working in large firms. From the
only by knowing who we are â our strengths
moment a young lawyer begins to work at a
and weaknesses, our values, our passions, and
large firm, he submits to client needs and the
our purpose â that we have a chance to achieve
shadow of the billable hour. In many cases,
true success, happiness and personal
absent an institutionalized program to support
fulfillment. Yet, as poets and philosophers
his development, he does not stop to think
have known throughout the ages, knowing
about the direction his career, or for that
oneself is one of lifeâs most difficult and
matter his personal life, is taking until he
challenging tasks.
wakes up one day, perhaps several years later,
suddenly conscious of the fact that he is The other articles in this Journal give you an
feeling overwhelmed, disillusioned and idea of what one-on-one career planning for
dissatisfied. This is often the result of poor lawyers can look like. This article describes
professional development and career how an internal coach (referred to here as a
management planning. Had the lawyer Career Development Officer), working as an
developed a sense of purpose by defining a integral member of a firmâs professional
clear direction at the outset of his career, he development and diversity teams, can assist a
would feel more confident about his career lawyer to develop her career plan. The steps
path, more empowered to make the decisions that can be taken include:
necessary to keep his career on track, and
⢠identifying the lawyerâs strengths,
more resilient when subject to the set-backs
weaknesses, values and personal interests
that he will inevitably experience along the
through her own self-assessment, through
way.
360° feedback, and/or with the use of
Similarly, when a lawyer suddenly finds various assessments administered by the
herself in the partnership ranks, she generally coach:
finds that numerous additional demands are
suddenly placed upon her, such as marketing, ⢠assisting the lawyer to articulate her own
client development, practice leadership, career (and life) goals over the next 1
training and mentoring, committee year, 3 years, 5 years, etc., and counseling
As published in the Summer 2005 edition of
The Women Lawyers Journal
2 Š Kathleen Bradley Choua , June 2005
All Rights Reserved
3. the lawyer on the practicality of those Enhance Recruiting. Todayâs law school
goals; graduates are not well prepared for the practice
of law and they know it. In choosing a firm,
⢠determining how the lawyerâs strengths
they are looking for an environment in which
and interests can be leveraged for her
whey will receive top-notch training and
benefit and for the strategic benefit of the
thereby develop marketable skills. By
firm, and how weaknesses can be
providing individualized attention to
overcome or developed;
associates and partners, a law firm with a
⢠developing a plan that includes clearly defined career development program
manageable and measurable stretch goals has an edge over its competitors who do not
to be achieved by the lawyer within provide programs of this type, and therefore
defined time periods (e.g., substantive and becomes a âfirm of choice.â
executive skills to be developed, work Strengthen Existing Professional Development
assignments needed, exposure to partners Efforts. Training and development programs
and clients to be obtained, gaps to be are extremely useful development tools, but
filled, etc.); they only go so far. A Career Development
⢠periodically monitoring and assessing the Officer, acting as a coach, can supplement
lawyerâs progress in relation to her goals; these efforts by working with individual
and lawyers to implement the learning they acquire
in these programs and to assist them in the
⢠coaching her with regard to essential development of executive skills.
executive leadership skills she will need in
order to succeed. Shorter Learning Curve. The reality of
todayâs marketplace is that there is no time to
Although the lawyer will receive the support waste trying to âsink or swimâ in the murky
of the coach in terms of the continuous waters of the legal profession, trying to
monitoring of her performance and adherence acquire skills in an ad hoc fashion. Whatâs
to her plan, she will be required to herself take more, learning in such a manner is inefficient,
ownership of the plan and responsibility for stressful, costly and likely to irritate clients.
her own career development. Lawyers get up to speed much more quickly
In addition to supporting the development of when they know where they are headed. By
career plans, a Career Development Officer focusing attention and defining direction,
can also support the firm by working with individual lawyers can much more efficiently
senior lawyers to provide coaching at the go about the task of acquiring the skills that
critical, and highly stressful, point of they need to get there, and avoid being subject
partnership consideration and subsequent to the burden and stress of acquiring them
integration, and to provide coaching and haphazardly along the way.
consulting with regard to executive skills such Improved Attorney Performance and
as management and supervision, client Capability. Focused attention on oneâs career
relationship and development, marketing, goals, knowledge of oneâs strengths and
communication, leadership, and mentoring. weaknesses, and a clear sense of oneâs
Why Law Firms Should Invest in Career professional identity lead to increased
Planning performance, capability and confidence.
When a lawyer is empowered with this
Set out below are the reasons why firms awareness, both lawyer and firm can better
should invest in implementing a career align themselves to achieve the firmâs strategic
development program as part of their objectives.
professional development efforts. The
business case ranges from enhancing Satisfaction and Retention. Law firms make
recruiting and retention efforts to improving large investments in the recruitment and
the bottom line. Hereâs how: training of their lawyers. When a young
associate leaves her firm before the break-even
point in her second or third year due to lack of
As published in the Summer 2005 edition of
The Women Lawyers Journal
3 Š Kathleen Bradley Choua , June 2005
All Rights Reserved
4. professional development opportunities (which reputation in the marketplace. Law firms that
is the most frequent reason cited for a ensure that their lawyers have a positive
departure), her firm suffers a real financial loss experience overall while at the firm enjoy
(i.e., loss of initial investment and replacement better reputations in the marketplace and are
and outplacement costs). By having a Career more likely to receive referral business from
Development Officer to support associate lawyers that leave. Even lawyers who depart
professional development, firms can from a firm at the firmâs request can leave
substantially improve the level of associate with a sense of loyalty if they understand and
satisfaction and thereby recoup the cost of appreciate the efforts that the firm made in
investing in this effort. connection with their development and they
receive meaningful outplacement counseling
Diversity. Underlying much of the
prior to their departure from the firmâs Career
dissatisfaction expressed by associates is the
Development Officer.
issue of diversity. Notwithstanding that most
firms now understand the business case for Emotional Intelligence. Most firms do great
diversity, for a variety of reasons, certain jobs at developing their lawyersâ substantive
associates are consistently given better skills, but little to assist them in developing
development opportunities than others. In my the executive leadership skills that they need
experience, many of these reasons are not the to be good lawyers. We have all heard a story
result of intentional discrimination, but rather of the brilliant Law Review editor who had
arise from unconscious biases that we all such poor interpersonal skills that neither
carry. Itâs pretty simple. We naturally partners nor clients wanted to work with him.
gravitate towards people who are like us (e.g., The good news is that these skills, now
white men gravitate towards other white men). referred to as EQ or emotional intelligence,
In order to effectively address the inequities can be developed with the sincere and
that arise from these unconscious biases, law concerted effort of the individual.
firms need someone to regulate and monitor Corporations have long recognized that the
the work given to individual associates, and difference between executives who are
these biases need to be surfaced in a safe way mediocre and those who progress to senior
so that the impact that they have on the leadership positions are primarily attributable
development of minorities and women can be to emotional intelligence factors rather than
overcome. Professional coaches are generally cognitive abilities (i.e., nearly 90% of the
skilled at surfacing these biases, when working difference in the profiles of the executives who
one-on-one with their clients. rise to the top and those who remain in middle
management is attributable to EQ, not IQ).
Loyalty, Morale and Culture. In exchange for
The lesson here: intelligence is important so
their hard work and long hours, associates
by all means go after the best and brightest;
expect top-notch training; it is part of the
but intelligence only goes so far; at the senior
implicit contract that they make with their
(partner) level EQ is equally, if not more,
firm. The higher the quality of the training
important. Assisting individuals to develop
and development program, the more positively
EQ is the primary province of the executive
the associates view their firmâs commitment to
coach.
them. Lawyers who receive the benefit of
customized development plans get the Business and Management Skills. Most law
message more clearly than others that the firm firms do not teach their lawyers good business
is investing in them because they are valued and management skills. However, in todayâs
assets. This perception engenders a sense of market, more and more clients are demanding
loyalty and satisfaction in the associates, that their lawyers have these skills. By
which has a direct impact on the culture of the identifying the skill set required by lawyers,
firm and morale generally. and developing a comprehensive career
development plan that includes the
Alumni. Law firms are coming to appreciate
development of these skills, clients are better
the importance of their alumni. Not only are
served, work overall becomes more efficient,
they important sources of ongoing business,
they also can have a direct impact on a firmâs
As published in the Summer 2005 edition of
The Women Lawyers Journal
4 Š Kathleen Bradley Choua , June 2005
All Rights Reserved
5. and good business practices become the norm Kathleen Bradley Chouai
of the firm. (âKC) was a practicing
attorney for 18 years and
Increased Client Satisfaction and Loyalty. has a broad range of
Again, itâs simple. Better trained and more international, legal,
well-rounded lawyers translate into increased consulting and coaching
client satisfaction and loyalty, which in turn experience. She has
translates into increased profitability. worked with several of the
The investment that lawyers make in their largest law firms in the
world: Clifford Chance in
careers is one of the biggest investments that
London, Bahrain, Moscow
they will make in their lifetimes. In addition
and Washington, D.C., and White & Case in the
to making an investment of time and money in Middle East. She therefore has an intimate
acquiring their education and progressing knowledge of the legal profession, together with
through their careers, they also seek to define a solid management and business background
their professional identities. In exchange for acquired through her representation of
the hard work and grueling hours that lawyers international corporations, financial institutions,
invest, they should be entitled to their firmâs multi-lateral agencies and governments
support in helping them to shape this identity
and achieve their goals. By helping lawyers to After having spent much of her career abroad, KC
take charge of their careers, shape their returned to the U.S. in 2002 to âfollow her bliss,â
professional identities, maximize their which is to work with lawyers and firms in the area
potential, and align their careers with their of career and professional development. In 2003
firmâs strategy, firms are also enhancing their she formed KC Bradley Associates, a company
which offers coaching and consulting services to
own performance by becoming more efficient
lawyers and law firms in the areas of leadership,
and therefore more profitable.
career and professional development, strategic
In conclusion, every lawyer should take charge alignment, diversity, cross-cultural
of her career by dedicating the time and effort communication, recruitment and retention. In
necessary to develop an individual career plan addition, she assists her Arab clients from time to
that aligns with her own unique set of time in connection with their transactions in the
strengths, weaknesses, values and interests. In U.S.
so doing, the lawyer not only puts herself on a KC is certified as a leadership coach by
path towards a successful and fulfilling career; Georgetown Universityâs prestigious Leadership
her firm also gains substantial benefits by Coaching Program and will obtain an Executive
having a high performing fee-earner aligned Masters in Leadership at Georgetownâs
with their overall strategic objectives. Rather McDonough School of Business in 2006. In
than leave it to lawyers to develop their career addition, she is qualified to administer a number of
plans on an ad hoc basis, firms should support assessments, including the Myers-Briggs Type
them in this effort. One of the ways that they Indicator, the Strong Interest Inventory and the
can do this is to make meaningful career Leadership Spectrum Profile, which she uses to
planning an integral part of their professional enhance her work with her clients.
development and diversity efforts.
KC can be reached at kcbradley@cox.net, tel:
It just makes sense. 202.857.0047.
As published in the Summer 2005 edition of
The Women Lawyers Journal
5 Š Kathleen Bradley Choua , June 2005
All Rights Reserved