Michael Cohen: The Lawyer’s Guide to Leadership, Equity, and Career Satisfaction

By Steve Fretzin on January 30, 2025

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Michael Cohen discuss:

Strategies for building and maintaining a successful law practice
The role of leadership and personal branding in legal careers
Overcoming challenges and finding fulfillment in the legal profession
The importance of authenticity, advocacy, and adaptability in professional growth

Key Takeaways:

When hiring, be financially prepared, follow a “slow to hire, quick to fire” approach, and seek candidates whose goals align with long-term retention.
Building a career aligned with passion may require sacrifices, such as taking non-traditional opportunities and traveling extensively to develop expertise and a brand.
Law firms can foster equity by diversifying associates’ work assignments through structured work tracking systems to prevent pigeonholing.
Writing about niche cases or personal interests in law not only builds expertise but also enhances your visibility and credibility as a thought leader.

“Each and every one of us is dealing with stuff that nobody else knows about… if we can just understand that fundamental truth and be kind along the way, this whole thing gets an awful lot easier to deal with.” — Michael Cohen

Got a challenge growing your law practice? Email me at steve@fretzin.com with your toughest question, and I’ll answer it live on the show—anonymously, just using your first name!

Thank you to our Sponsors!

Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/

Rainmakers Roundtable: https://www.fretzin.com/lawyer-coaching-and-training/peer-advisory-groups/

Episode References:

Let Them Lead: Unexpected Lessons in Leadership from America’s Worst High School Hockey Team by John Bacon: https://www.amazon.com/Let-Them-Lead-Unexpected-Leadership/dp/0358533260

About Michael Cohen: Michael Cohen is a Partner in Duane Morris’ Employment, Labor, Immigration, and Benefits Practice Group, focusing on employment law training and counseling in Philadelphia, where he conducts over 200 trainings annually. Inspired by his mother, who fought and won a landmark Supreme Court case for working women after being fired for her pregnancy with Michael, he has a passion for education and challenges. Michael is also a devoted husband, father, travel softball coach, and avid supporter of Philadelphia and University of Michigan sports.

Connect with Michael Cohen:

Website: http://www.duanemorris.com/attorneys/michaelscohen

Email: mcohen@duanemorris.com

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michaelscohen12

Connect with Steve Fretzin:

LinkedIn: Steve Fretzin

Twitter: @stevefretzin

Instagram: @fretzinsteve

Facebook: Fretzin, Inc.

Website: Fretzin.com

Email: Steve@Fretzin.com

Book: Legal Business Development Isn’t Rocket Science and more!