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Welcome to the Talent Think Tank
Where the Smartest People in Talent Management Share Ideas, Trends, and Best Practices to Improve the Profession
Laterals Must Take a Proactive Role in Their Onboarding
June 15, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – Much is written about the lateral lawyer onboarding process from the employer’s point of view, but the newly hired lateral must play an equal or greater role in the process. Most large law firms have an established protocol yet, once everyone gets busy, it’s not always followed or completed. As a lateral
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Solving the Multimillion-Dollar C Player Problem
May 26, 2016
By Caren Ulrich Stacy & Jeanne Picht — Originally published in the ABA Law Practice Magazine, May 2013 — Law firms have a very expensive talent Problem: C Players. These are the associates who lack judgment, write poorly, miss critical issues, or don’t take ownership. Partners write off their time and eventually stop giving them work altogether. Because
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Reentry Attorneys: Wanting Back In (and Bringing A Lot Too)
April 17, 2016
By Carroll Welch – There’s a huge, still largely untapped source of energy and talent available to legal employers right now, and with the recent increase in structured programs that recruit, vet, re-orient, and/or mentor these candidates, there’s never been a better time to include them in a workplace that prioritizes diversity: reentry attorneys. Opportunities such
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At the Intersection of People and Technology
March 30, 2016
By Susan Letterman White – (Initially published by Massachusetts Lawyers Journal March/April 2016; Reprinted with permission) There have been amazing developments in technology with application to the practice of law. Different technologies collect and measure information, manage processes, remind us of what to do and when to act, and make it much easier and faster to
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What’s Your Hook?
January 21, 2016
By Valerie Fontaine – A narrative hook grabs readers’ attention at the beginning of a story and draws them in so they continue reading. Similarly, in a job search, your hook or Unique Value Proposition (UVP) states the clear benefit you provide to a prospective employer. It communicates who you are, what you do, what differentiates
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Under the Microscope: Three Types of Reviews That Can Benefit Your Firm
December 3, 2015
By Naomi Beard – (Originally published August 2015, PD Quarterly by NALP) The importance of lawyer talent development has taken hold within law firm culture. Once regarded as a discipline found primarily in corporate America, talent development has been increasingly recognized by law firms as critical reinforcement for their strategic and business goals. Today, law firms dedicate themselves to
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Looking into My Crystal Ball . . . Hot Practice Areas for 2016
November 23, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Hot and cold areas of law practice fluctuate with economic cycles. Areas that are hot right now may be completely cold in the future, and vice versa. Right now, and for the foreseeable future, real estate and corporate transactional practices are absolutely hot. Real estate finance, development, construction, purchase and sale, and
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Quite Possibly The Most Effective Thing You Can Do To Differentiate Your Firm in 2016
November 12, 2015
By Steve Gluckman – As competitive pressures accelerate, law firms continue to look for new ways to differentiate themselves from competitors. Offering training resources to clients is a proven and accepted practice among firms of all sizes and has done much to help differentiate them in the marketplace. However, is there more we can be
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What Associates Want
September 3, 2015
By Valerie Fontaine – Associate attorneys are the unhappiest workers in America, according to a 2013 CareerBliss study reported in Forbes magazine. Citing the structured environment, heavy emphasis on billable hours, and the long and uncertain path to partnership, associates ranked their satisfaction with the way they work and the rewards they receive lower than workers
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What is a Successful Legal Career?
August 25, 2015
By Ellen Ostrow – (Originally Published in the Women Lawyers Journal; 2015, VOL. 100, NO. 3) If asked to evaluate your career – as of this moment – as successful or not, how would you react? What would determine your conclusion? Had you prevailed in court last week, perhaps you would respond with an emphatic “successful.” But had
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