Mary O’Carroll and Jenn McCarron, two legal operations veterans, share some insights on how to level up the legal ops at your company in 2024. Last week, both came together to hold a virtual question and answer session with tips on how to get better at the job, how to get buy-in from leadership and how to prevent problems with clients before they occur.

McCarron, the new president of Corporate Legal Operations Consortium and head of technology and legal operations at Netflix, recommends that everyone learns to utilize “tactical empathy.”

“Seventy percent of the role is listening and understanding empathetically what they see through their eyes, the pain of the workflow, the problem. And when you say it back to them and then you put it to paper, you can start solution-proposing together,” McCarron said. “So if you’re listening well, you’re going to go forward in a good direction. And when they feel heard and understood, now you’ve earned their confidence.”

O’Carroll is chief community officer at Ironclad, a contract software vendor. Previously, she had worked as the director of operations, technology and strategy at Google Legal for more than a decade. She mentioned that legal ops administrators often hear from in-house attorneys that they could not understand the day-to-day struggles of the job. 

“That’s true. But if I listen, and I try to understand what the challenges are like, I can definitely be good at fixing that,” O’Carroll said. “It’s listening in the right way. It’s tactical. I used to tell my team members, ‘Don’t do as you’re told.’ So when the lawyers come to you and say, ‘I have this problem, and I need you to do this,’ I say, ‘Draw out what the actual problem is.'”

Are you interested in learning more tips about succeeding as a legal operations professional? Read more in this law.com article.

With more than 30 years of experience in professional development, Tracy LaLonde works with law firm leaders on generating better engagement and combating burnout amongst employees. While the 2022 trend of “quiet quitting” has stopped hitting headlines, LaLonde expresses concern that the act have passive disengagement at work has not prompted change in the workplace.

LaLonde shares a few tips on how firm leaders can get their employees engaged again in with their work, even those deemed “quiet quitters” at the job. With more than half of employees contemplating quitting the job, LaLonde encourages leaders to to seek out these individuals to make them involved at the firm with these main steps:

-Uncovering the Hidden Value of the Quiet Quitter

Quiet quitters can be found at any law firm. Individuals who were highly engaged may be burnt out or unhappy with changes at the firm. The signs include decreased productivity, lower quality output, less initiative, reduced participation in team activities and increased skepticism. Once you notice the typical signs of quiet quitting, invest more into these individuals.

-Recovering the Quiet Quitter

Reengaging quiet quitters is a matter of meeting these individuals where they are and providing them with the tools to become more involved. Grant them more, not less, autonomy and responsibility. Consistent research indicates that when team members feel in control of their work and take ownership of tasks, their motivation and dedication soar. 

-‘Not All Those Who Wander Are Lost’

Not every individual contemplating quitting—and doing so without a fuss—is lost from the team. It’s a natural ebb and flow, but noticing the signs of “wandering” means it’s time to act. Firm leaders can recognize these signs then empower employees with more autonomy, promote open communication, and provide more support to help with retaining these talented employees. 

Are you interested in learning more about re-engaging “quiet quitters” at the firm? Read more in this law.com article.

Mike Evers, a recruiter at Evers Legal, shares some unconventional wisdom for attorneys who are looking for happiness in the workplace. Evers describes a television commercial for a job site that shows a woman’s heart tearing itself out of her chest, marching into the supervisor’s office and resigning, then by the tagline “Follow Your Heart.”

Evers Legal receives resumes from dissatisfied attorneys daily, and says that those attorneys typically remain the most difficult to place in a job. According to Evers, happy attorneys tend to fit into two categories: 1) law firm partners with work-life balance or 2) in-house attorneys with good working relationships with business unit leaders and feel valued at work.  

Evers says the best way to get there is to follow your head, not your heart since following your heart tends to turn into an excuse for job hopping.  Frequent job hopping doesn’t lend to dues paying in the legal world and may hurt an attorney’s marketability. 

Evers also advises attorneys to envision themselves as the star at a law firm or as the general counsel of a company. If neither vision gets an attorney excited, then they may need to find an alternate career path. If an attorney on these two paths work hard, network and set specific goals, they may find themselves rewarded with early retirement.

Are you interested in learning more about finding a legal job that makes you happy? Read more in this law.com article.

Lisa Jerles and Mara Geronemous, co-founders of Miami boutique law firm JG Legal, give advice on founding a law firm. Jerles and Geronemous have a cumulative 40 years of experience in litigation and corporate law. Both drew on their experience running All Before Dinner—a networking group for professional women and did the fundamental tasks incorporating their LLC, developing a website, obtaining insurance and selecting a legal research service. 

The co-founders give tips on more nuanced considerations that drove the firm’s initial success. 

Choose Your Partner Wisely

Selecting the right business partner is paramount. Choose a partner who has skills that complement yours. 

Be Prepared to Wear Multiple Hats

Beyond your role as attorney, you’ll find yourself playing the parts of CFO, office manager and administrative assistant. In the first year, launching your own law firm involves a lot of administrative work. You’ll need to select staff and secure services for legal research and billing. 

Decide on the Right Level of Administrative Support

The founders launched their firm with minimal administrative support at first, but have added to their team over time. Plan to evaluate your staffing needs every six months as you grow.

Use Your Network

The co-founders used their network to find help – an IT professional they worked with helped them select a document management tool and a former paralegal helped them schedule hearings. Use your contacts to find people who can help.

Define Your Ideal Client

Take the time to define your ideal client and to think about how you can reach those targets rather than reactively accepting every engagement that comes across your desk.

Make a Business Development Plan That Works for You

Another benefit of running your own firm is that you can choose a business development plan that suits your schedule and personality.

Use the Florida Bar Resources!

The Solo & Small Firm Section of the Florida Bar offers many helpful resources to solo practitioners and law firm owners, including access to free CLE courses and networking events. 

Are you interested in learning more tips on starting your own firm? Read more in this law.com article.

From drafting memorandums to prepping appellate briefs, attorneys need to hone their legal writing skills daily. The main goal of writing assignments are to present your position persuasively to effectively advance your position with your intended audience or objectively present relevant facts and case law to educate your audience on a particular topic.

The Young Lawyer Editorial Board at law.com provides a few key tips to improve a lawyer’s legal writing skills.

General Techniques

• -Understand your target audience. Ensure your writing style is appropriately tailored to the intended audience. Remember that you are writing for your audience, rather than yourself. 
• -Start as early as possible. The drafting process often requires multiple drafts and revisions, including time for proofing and editing. 
• -Prepare an outline identifying the main points of discussion for the writing task. 
• -Lead with a succinct introduction or executive summary to state the purpose of your writing.
• -Use section headings liberally to guide the focus and flow of your writing. 
• -Be concise. 
• -Avoid inflammatory statements about opposing counsel.
• -Avoid burying the court with unnecessary and duplicative information such as irrelevant exhibits and duplicitous material that can distract from the main conclusion.
• -Do not overlook the importance of formatting and typography. 

Are you interested in learning more tips on legal writing? Read more in this law.com article.

Being an associate in 2023 is something entirely different than it used to be, according to Tracy LaLonde, a professional development consultant in the legal industry. Associates starting out in their careers seek employers who give them work-life balance, allow remote work and a manageable workload. Starting salaries can sometimes be upwards of $200,000 for a first-year associate these days, but young attorneys seek meaningful work and flexibility.

Partners with a traditional mindset might find this frustrating, but law firms need to start focusing on ways to foster engagement with the new associates to succeed in having engaged, connected employees.

LaLonde shares some crucial takeaways from the disconnect partners have with the current generation of associates:

Money Isn’t the Answer

Compensation is a crucial factor in attracting and retaining associates, but these rewards are often short term or have effects that wane over time. Partners need to engage associates on their strengths to make them feel appreciated. 

‘I Suffered, So Should They’

LaLonde notes, law firm partner may have had did have it a lot harder than today’s associates in many ways, missing out on time with family and having a lot of stress in the workplace. 

The current generation of attorneys are no longer willing to accept burnout and subpar management. Instead of resisting this change and slipping into the “I suffered, so should they” mindset, partners can seize the opportunity to prioritize engagement at their firms.

Are you interested in learning on how to motivate associates in 2023? Read more in this law.com article.