The young lawyers I coached over the years were in big firms and smaller firms, different parts of the United States and Canada, different practice areas, different personality types and a variety of other unique characteristics. The lawyers I am helping find new law firms also differ in many ways. Yet, to the person, the most successful young lawyers I coached shared these attributes, and I look for these attributes in lawyers seeking my help…

I was admitted to the hospital on Monday, December 31, New Year’s Eve. It was an emergency, and all began when my doctor’s professional assistant agreed to see me without an appointment and after everyone else had gone home. She took one look, took a culture and sent me directly to the hospital. Now, a week later we are still working on taking care of the emergency that sent me to the hospital. It will…

It was late fall 2001. The internet bubble had burst. A stock I owned that had traded at a record $130 per share was on it way to single digits where it remains today. I foolishly bought shares all the way down. I remember a conversation with our law firm’s financial officer. He told me and a member of our board that based on hours the lawyers were producing, we had 38 lawyers more than…

I loved practicing law in law firms. Then I loved coaching lawyers. Now I love recruiting lawyers, in large part because I am still coaching in the recruiting process. As you may remember, I graduated from law school, passed the bar exam and was admitted to practice law in 1971. Plenty has changed since I started practicing law in 1971, but I know one thing that has not. The key to success in private practice…

I loved practicing law in a law firm. Why? I wanted to be part of a team striving to get better. Now that I am recruiting lawyers, I want to place highly motivated lawyers in law firms that are striving to be the best the firm can be. Several years ago, I wrote a The Practical Lawyer column Leadership For the Recession and Beyond focusing on leadership and how the recession changed law firms and…

Several years ago, I presented a program Success: Determining and Achieving Your Purpose, Values and Goals for the ABA YLD fall meeting.  Before I finished I asked for questions. One lawyer asked: Cordell, in your experience, what separates the superstar young lawyers from the rest of the pack? I did not hesitate: The very best young lawyers I know have a “burning desire” to be the best at something they have chosen, and they work hard…

I want to share two stories with you about how changing what you think it takes to succeed can make a difference in your client development success. Years ago I coached a lawyer as part of a dozen lawyers in the coaching program at a well known regional firm. She was struggling with her client development, in part because she was not comfortable doing what the senior lawyers in her firm suggested that she do.…