Blog Posts: Law Blog

You know when it hits. It can be anytime, and many times it is not at a convenient time. But when you have inspiration, don't lose it. For me it may be on an issue in a case. Whether I am at my desk, or in the middle of the night, I write it down. I usually use the Note app on my phone, but paper and pen still work. I have learned that if I do not do that at the t...

I wrote about change being constant earlier, but had an experience last week that reminded me of the importance of remembering this. We all know this, especially parents. Me, "don't do that, you could get hurt." Kid, "but I didn't get hurt." Me, "but you could have." We all had this conversation a thousand times growing up and, if you are a parent, you are on your...

We all run into people who appear to be successful. It can be how they carry themselves, the car they drive, the clothes they wear or the words they say. Some are. Some aren't. Fake it till you make it, the saying goes. Of course, some of the most successful people won't look like how many of us picture success. How about Sam Walton driving a pickup truck his whol...

What do people remember? Think of a favorite song. What about it makes you listen? Probably a distinctive element like a catchy riff or lyric. It sticks in your head. Making your case to a judge or jury, a pitch to a potential client or that short time you have when making your elevator speech is the same.  The distinctive riff is an easy to remember sen...

Have a viewpoint. Stand for something. If you don't, you stand for nothing at all.  We don't have to agree with others all of the time. But when you don't, be respectful. Agree to disagree. You learn more from dialogue with someone you don't agree with than with someone you agree with.   Plus, none of us are right all of the time. If someo...

Last week I spoke to the need for continuous self-improvement. Part of that is continually learning throughout your lifetime.   I have mentioned before that my firm has The JW Way, which encapsulates the firm’s unique culture. JW  Way fundamental 17 is “Be relentless about continuous improvement.” This fundamental speaks to being a “lif...

You can do better. You can be better. Always. If you don't think so you are only fooling yourself. You must invest in yourself.   If you put your money in a can and bury it in your backyard, it will earn nothing. If you invest these funds instead, they will have the chance to grow. The corollary is if you do not take the time to improve yoursel...

Fun at work?  Exactly.  If you can't have fun at work, then why are you there? Fun and good work do go together. A joke can even reduce tension during stressful times at work. We all know the saying "Laughter is the best medicine" and inherently know it is true. This doesn't mean you feel like you have time to joke around with co-workers every ...

Recently, I called a client to set up a block of time to prepare for mediation. The client didn’t understand why we needed to meet and thought you just go in and see if the dispute can be settled or not. This common misconception regarding mediation speaks to an important topic: preparation. I had to explain to the client that the two most important times in ...

One-way to know if you follow up is to ask yourself if things you want to get done do. This includes tasks you or others, whether inside or outside your company, are working on. I know many of you are thinking you shouldn't have to follow up for things to be completed. That is a misplaced thought. How many times have you realized at or just before the end of the b...