Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC., Author at Lawyer-Coach

15 02, 2008

Set a Theme for the Year

2008-02-15T15:36:29+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Set a Theme for the Year

By now the “new” on the New Year has begun to wear off. Some of your resolutions or goals may have already given way to inertia or outside forces.

Revive Your Determination
Would you like a way to revive your will and hang on to it? Consider setting a theme for the year. You should be able to capture the essence of the theme in three or fewer words. I prefer one word myself.

Julz on Fire
I have to give a nod to my coaching colleague Julie Ford for this concept. She wrote that she set the theme of “Julz on Fire” for this year. It inspired her to get her morning going and do with enthusiasm and vigor those daily chores she tended to drag through. It also inspired her to take on challenges she wasn’t sure she was up to, like running a 10-K.

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25 01, 2008

NY Times Article re Associate Retention Efforts

2008-01-25T10:27:12+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on NY Times Article re Associate Retention Efforts

It will be no news to you that big law firms are struggling to retain associates. Almost all of them suffer from an enlarging associate vacuum after the 3rd year. The national attrition average at the 5 year point is around 80%! It really hurts firms to lose associates during what would be their most profitable years, not to mention the impact on firm morale when so many jump ship.

Some law firms are finally getting the message and starting to develop new associate programs aimed at keeping their talent. Although the programs may feel revolutionary inside the firm, in reality, many firms are just dipping their toes in the water. It’s hard to be forward-thinking and innovative when your whole culture is based on looking backwards and following precedent.

To get a peek at what some firms are doing, read the excellent New York Times article “Who’s Cuddly Now? Law Firms?” published yesterday. Most are trying to create more flexibility. Their plans purportedly allow lawyers to decide for themselves whether they want to be hard chargers racing to the holy grail of partnership, or whether they are willing to accept a later partnership entry in exchange for healthier working hours. It will be interesting to see whether the firmÂ cultures really do reward either path.

11 01, 2008

A New Year by Design or by Default?

2008-01-11T18:49:40+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on A New Year by Design or by Default?

A bright and talented lawyer lamented: “Where did all the money go?” He was a charismatic guy and had attracted a few good cases. Because he was a skilled lawyer, he enjoyed some success. However, when profits began to dwindle, at first he didn’t notice. Then he didn’t know how to adjust his strategy, because he didn’t really have one.

In the business world, companies can’t get financing if they don’t have a business plan. That’s because bankers know that owners who run their businesses by the seat of the pants are more likely to fail. A business plan doesn’t guarantee success, but in the process of creating one, we establish goals. We consider ways to achieve those goals and how to address the obstacles to achieving them. We set a clear intention about how we want to spend our resources of time, money and talent. That clarity of intention helps us make better decisions when opportunities or obstacles arise. Sometimes during planning we have thought through the consequences of various options in advance. Other times we can ask ourselves, “Is this opportunity more likely to move me toward or away from my goal?”

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20 12, 2007

Response to Question about Practice Management Software

2019-02-10T23:12:03+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|2 Comments

I received this question from a reader today:”I am a solo practitioner with a very diverse practice. What software system would you recommend for keeping the basic information and notes on my files, plus allowing me to create mail out lists?”

Here is my response:

The two software programs that I see many smaller firm lawyers using successfully are Time Matters and Amicus Attorney. Both programs can help you to keep all the emails, documents, telephone calls, contact information, to-do’s, notes, etc. together by client. You can also use the programs for conflict checking, group mailouts and other practice management activities. Which program will be best for you will, of course, depend on a lot of factors, such as your comfort with technology and the nature of your practice.

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13 12, 2007

Send Holiday Greetings That Really Connect

2019-02-10T23:15:55+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Send Holiday Greetings That Really Connect

The holidays and year end present many opportunities for enhancing existing client relationships and developing new prospects. Many attorneys don’t take full advantage of the opportunities, however, because they fail to invest a little forethought. Here are some ideas to consider if you engage in the venerable tradition of sending out holiday greetings.

When to Send Out Greetings

Although the number of holiday cards sent out has declined over the last decade, it is still difficult to stand out in the flurry of holiday communication. Some lawyers have migrated to sending Thanksgiving cards. What an excellent opportunity to express gratitude for your clients’ trust and confidence in you, as demonstrated by their business. Alternatively, you might choose to adopt the French tradition of sending New Year’s cards. Either way, at least your card won’t be buried in a stack of other cards. If you want to showcase your firm’s experience in representing clients who do business in China, perhaps you should consider sending out Chinese New Year cards.

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16 11, 2007

Differentiation by Design

2007-11-16T18:25:00+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Differentiation by Design

Recently I ran into a Houston lawyer at the Hermitage Hotel in Nashville, Tennessee. As we chatted, he extolled the virtues of the hotel. He began with his amazement that, although he had only stayed there once before, the doorman called him by name when he arrived. Then he gushed about the impact of walking into the luxurious bathroom in his room.

At the Vintage Inn in Napa, California, as I unlocked the door and stepped into my room, I heard gentle strains of soothing music. Lamplight and a fire flickering in a fireplace created a romantic mood and warmed me from the chill of the night air. A small table held a complimentary bottle of wine, with glasses and a corkscrew. I sprawled on the bed, and felt like I had landed on a fluffy cloud. This was not my usual business trip experience. When I got home I started planning how I could get back to that hotel.

What do these stories have to do with your law practice? They illustrate the marketing power of focusing on a client’s experience when delivering service. These hotels stood out in an industry with competitors literally around the corner. Would your clients say that about your firm?

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10 11, 2007

Joys of Lingering in France

2007-11-10T20:51:59+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Joys of Lingering in France

When daydreaming of France, people may think of the stars and glitter of the Cannes Film Festival, the haute couture of Parisian designers, famous architectural innovations and landmarks like the Eiffel Tower, the perfectly executed haute cuisine of expensive French restaurants, the centuries of cultural history on display at the Louvre, the opulence of Versailles, or the blasÃ nudity on the beaches of the French Riviera. Many such attractions draw millions to visit France every year.

I like those things, but what makes France a joy for me are the smaller things that I encounter in daily living here. I like turning on to my street, cresting a hill, and suddenly confronting a stunning view of the valley dotted with pink, coral and white houses with tile roofs, followed by more mountains and the Mediterranean Sea in the distance.

I like the delight of savoring truly fresh bread that I pick up every day at one of the five bakeries within a mile of our house. If my teenage son is with me, I order extra. He devours most of a baguette, breaking it off in warm chunks, in the five minutes before we get home. Baguettes are the 18-inch long tube-shaped rolls that Americans call AFrench bread, despite the fact that there are so many different types of fresh bread in France. We have all wondered out loud how we will survive without fresh bread every day when we get back to Houston. How can we go back to the tasteless, uniform, pre-sliced stuff in a plastic bag?

I like the numerous sidewalk cafes and the way people linger about in coffee shops and cafes. I bask in the sunshine and sip something while watching the world drift by, whether in July or November. I have never felt rushed by a waiter, even if I finished eating half an hour […]

10 11, 2007

Who Do I Need to Know and How Do I Meet Them?

2007-11-10T20:27:52+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|1 Comment

I. Rule 1.01 of the Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct

A lawyer should not accept employment in a matter beyond his/her competence.
Unless: 1.01(a)(1) a competent lawyer is associated with client’s prior informed consent
“Competence” defined as having the ability to timely acquire the necessary knowledge, skill & training.

Need to know: lawyers

That you can call on to give you advice and guidance to expeditiously acquire such additional knowledge, skills and training as you may need.
That you can associate in your client matter with the client’s consent if the matter is too complex to handle on your own.

How do you meet them?

Houston Young Lawyers Association meetings
State and local bar association section meetings.
Solos Supporting Solos.
Call your old professors, especially if you are practicing in the same town. They can answer questions and refer you to other lawyers. They may even be able to help you find employment down the road if you stay in touch. Established lawyers often contact their old professors when they are looking to hire a young lawyer.
Lawyers in firms where your friends are working. Even someone just 2 or 3 years ahead of you can be helpful.
Take on bar association duties or section duties.

Start attending meetings before you have questions, so that you will already have the relationships established before you have the questions. Most of the organizations have student memberships, but very few students take advantage of them. You will stand out as dedicated, plucky, and savvy.

Find ways that you can benefit the lawyers you would like to benefit from. When you do them a favor first, they will want to find a way to benefit you.

Perhaps offer to 2d chair a trial with them for free, or at a very cheap rate.
Handle some of their “dog” cases for them.
Find out what needs or interests they have and try to help get them met.
Baby-sit their kids in […]

15 10, 2007

Is Your Life Fulfilling?

2007-10-15T11:22:05+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on Is Your Life Fulfilling?

Want a happier and more fulfilling life? Then perhaps you should look at what really peeves you. Are you driven nuts by drivers who weave in and out of the freeway lanes? Do you find yourself screeching at family members who leave dirty dishes on the sink instead of putting them in the dishwasher? Does your blood pressure rise in the doctor’s waiting room as the clock strikes half an hour past your 11 a.m. appointment?

When you identify what annoys or angers you, you find a clue to one of your values. By “values” I don’t mean virtues or morals, but rather, what is important to you. Your annoyance is a signal that one of your values is being stepped on. The weaving driver may violate your value for safety or predictability. The family member leaving a trail of dirty dishes may violate your value of orderliness or personal responsibility. The doctor with the overloaded appointment book may violate your value for punctuality or reliability or respect.

If the situation doesn’t just annoy you, but rather, it makes you want to explode, then that same value is probably being stepped on elsewhere in your life. What changes can you make in your circumstances, your attitude or your actions that will bring your life more in alignment with your values? Wherever we are not honoring our own values, we create stress and imbalance in our life. Often, that is just when we tend to blame someone else for our unhappiness.

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10 10, 2007

ABA Says Collaborative Law Is Ethical

2019-01-16T22:19:53+00:00By Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.|Comments Off on ABA Says Collaborative Law Is Ethical

Some lawyers question whether a lawyer can fulfill her ethical duty to zealously represent her client in a collaborative process where the parties agree to open communication and information sharing. The challenge mainly arises out of the requirement that the lawyer must withdraw from the representation if the collaborative process breaks down, and the parties pursue litigation. In August 2007 the ABA published its Formal Opinion 07-447 about Ethical Considerations in Collaborative Law Practice, and opined that the Collaborative Law process is ethical.

This is an important stride for the Collaborative Law process, and for clients. Today many clients want lawyers to help them resolve disputes without gettingÂ so caught up in “winning” that they lose sight of the real interests of the client. Clients know that all-out warfare is often deadly to their health and well-being, as well as to their bank accounts.

The Christian Science Monitor recently published a succinct and informative piece on Collaborative Law and the recent ABA Opinion. If you want more information about Collaborative Law, check out the website of the International Academy of Collaborative Professionals. You can also read an article I wrote a few years ago about the spread of Collaborative Law from family law disputes to business disputes.

About Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.

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Setting goals for
your life and career?

About Debra L. Bruce, JD, PCC.

Make an Appointment

Setting goals for your life and career?

Setting goals for
your life and career?