Cordell Parvin Blog

Developing the Next Generation of Rainmakers

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Cordell Parvin

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When a lawyer comes to me seeking to change law firms, sometime during our discussions I ask: When it comes to legal work, what do you believe is most important for your potential clients? I believe most law firm leaders know what business clients expect and want from outside lawyers and firms. But, I wonder if law firms effectively use what they know. The vast majority of business clients report: They hire lawyers rather than…
Over the 13 years I coached lawyers, I was frequently asked what are the most important things lawyers I coach are getting out of the coaching program. I want to share my thoughts with you because even if you are not in any coaching program you can use these ideas. If you are interesting in having me find the right firm for you now, this is also a pretty good list for you. They think…
Not all lawyers admit it, but every lawyer is afraid at some point in his or her career. For some, the fear is crippling. For others the fear is overcome. For me, my fear  motivated me. Now that I am recruiting lawyers, I prefer to recruit those who are afraid far more than those who are complacent. As a coach and recruiter I can help a lawyer effectively deal with his or her fear, but…
Have you bought a Groupon or Living Social certificate to get a discount at a restaurant? On the one hand, I’ve gone to restaurants I didn’t even know about before buying the discount certificate. On the other hand, I rarely have gone back and paid the full price. What happens when law firms give discounts? Giving discounts reminds me of Jos A. Bank. There is always a sale going on. A few years ago,…
Take a moment from your work and determine if you think you are on the right track. Want some help? Think of five questions to ask yourself. A few years ago I read a short Entrepreneur Magazine article by Richard Branson: Five Secrets to Business Success and it made me think of five questions to ask to determine if you are on the road to a successful career. What five questions would you ask?…
teamwork high five
In my new role as a legal recruiter, the first question law firms ask when considering partner candidates is: Does he/she have clients? (Code for what is the amount of his/her portable business?) In my role as a recruiter, more often than not I am not placing the lawyers who have $1 million or more in portable business. More often I am placing lawyers who have the potential to have $1 million in business. So…
If you enjoy what you are doing, and you’re good at it, but you want to change law firms, you are in the minority and you are the type of lawyer I would like to recruit. Much has been written about unhappy lawyers. I’ve even written about it myself. Earlier this year I posted: How to go from burnout to balance? I also posted: Activities and Relationships: Key to your happiness. I’ve been working…
Over the years when I coached lawyers, several Professional Development and Client Development/marketing professionals contacted me asking for subjects to cover in client development teaching and training. If I wanted to take just 30 minutes or less at lunch each month, here are the topics I might cover: What makes client development in 2018 and soon 2019 different and more challenging than 10 years ago – the economy (it’s roaring now), clients and the tools…
When I retired from my law practice to coach lawyers, people (including some close to me) asked why I would give up my law practice at the very peak of my career. There were many reasons. One was I simply wanted to do something different and new. When I retired from coaching at the end of last year, people asked why I was giving that up. I told one friend that either I was considered…
Did you watch the women’s final of the US Open on Saturday? I watched it all and became a huge fan of Naomi Osaka. She played against Serena with grit, focus and power. She outplayed and defeated her hero, the hero she had dreamed of playing from the time she was a child, the hero who had provided her the motivation to work hard to become the very best she could be. While her…