The  Whole  Truth…and  Nothing  But  the  Truth    

   

The  old  legal  economy  is  shattered  and  gone  forever.  

 It’s  never  coming  back  as  it  was.  

 Some  proven,  reliable  career  fundamentals  still  remain  important.    In  fact,  they  are  even  more  essential  than  ever.    But,  today,  these  skills  must  be  combined  with  new,  more  focused,  more  strategic  actions  aligned  with  the  harsh  realities  of  the  New  Legal  Economy  and  the  

psychology  of  firms  and  clients.                

       

Welcome  to  the  New  Legal  Economy    We’ve  known  this  was  coming  but  most  lawyers  have  been  caught  unprepared.    Every  day  good  lawyers  miss  out  on  great  opportunities  because  they  fail,  or  refuse,  to  recognize  the  challenges  that  define  the  New  Legal  Economy.    Problem:  The  Lawyer  Surplus      For  too  long,  law  schools  have  been  churning  out  new  lawyers  faster  than  Starbucks  can  brew  coffee.    (And  a  new  law  degree  seems  worth  about  as  much  as  cup  of  joe.)    The  result?    More  lawyers  competing  for  the  same  number  of  jobs,  making  nearly  everyone  feel  squeezed  into  accepting  lower  pay,  longer  hours,  and  the  roughest  road  to  partnership  the  profession  has  ever  seen.        Problem:    The  Client  Shortage      From  the  smallest  business  to  the  largest  corporations,  today’s  decision  makers  think  twice  before  calling  a  lawyer.    When  they  do  place  the  call,  their  own  razor-­‐thin  profit  margins  make  them  demand  the  best  service  for  the  lowest  cost.    Today’s  clients  make  no  secret  of  their  comparison-­‐shopping  and  scrutinize  every  billable  hour.      Problem:  The  Law  Firm  Crisis    With  so  many  lawyers  and  so  much  less  work,  today’s  firms  are  shutting  down  or  cutting  back  like  never  before.    Firms  have  slashed  everything  from  associate  pay  to  firm  retreats.    Partnership  offers  have  dried  up  and  the  cuts  haven’t  stopped.    Every  firm  wants  to  hire  rainmakers  but  they’re  harder  to  find  than  unicorns,  and  almost  no  one  has  a  clue  how  to  develop  them.          The  Harsh  Realities  of  the  New  Legal  Economy  

• More  new  law  students  and  unemployed  lawyers  have  created  a  cutthroat  job  market.  

• More  lawyers  and  less  work  have  put  all  the  power  in  the  hands  of  clients,  and  they  know  it.  

• Today’s  firms  demand  more  work  from  fewer  lawyers  to  stay  afloat.  

• Being  smart,  nice,  and  working  hard  doesn’t  guarantee  a  partnership  offer.  

What  do  these  problems  have  to  do  with  you?    

Choose  Your  Side  

 In  moot  court,  you  were  trained  to  be  able  to  argue  both  side  of  a  case,  whether  prosecution  or  plaintiff,  defendant  or  defense.    No  matter  which  side  you  were  on,  when  the  dust  cleared  you  wanted  to  be  at  the  winning  table.          The  New  Legal  Economy  also  has  two  sides,  and  your  career  hangs  in  the  balance.    On  one  side  are  the  lawyers  who  get  what  they  want  –  proper  compensation,  power,  prestige,  partnership,  promotions,  and  peace  of  mind.    On  the  other  side  sit  those  who  are  stuck  hoping  and  wishing  for  success  that  never  comes  because  they  haven’t  accepted  the  reality  that  the  legal  landscape  has  changed.    The  scary  part  is  that  the  second  camp  is  much  larger  than  the  first,  so  most  lawyers  are  likely  to  end  up  there.          The  time  is  NOW  to  pick  the  winning  side.  

 The  80:20  Rule  of  The  New  Legal  Economy  

 A  classic  economic  theory  called  the  Pareto  Principle  suggests  that  in  any  economy,  20%  of  the  people  enjoy  success  and  80%  do  not.    In  the  New  Legal  Economy,  making  it  into  that  20%  is  harder  than  ever.    You  have  to  decide  which  side  you  are  on,  and  you  have  to  do  it  NOW.    So  it’s  time  to  answer  a  critical  question:    Do  you  want  to  be  part  of  the  unfulfilled  80%  or  part  of  the  happy  and  successful  20%?    As  the  New  Legal  Economy  continues  to  introduce  new  pressures  to  all  lawyers,  it’s  important  to  know  what  the  differences  will  be.    

The  80  Percent    

   80%  of  lawyers  just  can’t  seem  to  catch  a  good  break  in  their  careers.  Because  they  haven’t  embraced  the  realities  of  the  New  Legal  Economy,  they  spend  their  careers  struggling  to  find  clients,  get  interesting  work,  keep  their  jobs,  get  along  with  colleagues,  save  money,  and  control  their  own  work  hours  so  they  can  have  a  life  outside  the  office.      They  cling  to  an  outdated  model  of  career  success  and  refuse  (or  don’t  know  how)  to  

change,  which  makes  them  feel  stressed,  unhappy,  and  even  bitter.    In  most  cases,  the  lawyers  struggling  in  the  80%  are  good,  hard-­‐working  people.      These  lawyers  might  survive  on  a  daily  basis,  but  they  often  don’t  enjoy  what  they  are  doing  and  their  long-­‐term  prospects  for  better  compensation,  partnership  and  promotion  look  grim.    The  future  doesn’t  look  any  better  than  today  and  there’s  no  guarantee  that  things  won’t  get  even  worse.        

The  20  Percent    

 At  the  same  time  that  80%  of  lawyers  are  struggling,  the  other  20%  of  legal  professionals  are  thriving.    These  lawyers  are  bold  and  ambitious  enough  to  adapt  to  the  New  Legal  Economy.    If  you  push  past  your  fear  and  figure  out  the  success  formula  for  today’s  legal  marketplace,  here’s  what  you  can  expect.        As  a  member  of  the  20%,  you  will  receive  the  best  assignments,  the  biggest  bonuses,  and  achieve  the  most  career  satisfaction.    Even  though  the  days  of  automatic  partnership  are  gone  forever,  you’ll  be  considered  a  star  and  stand  firmly  at  the  top  of  the  list  when  partnership  decisions  are  being  made.    Through  a  combination  of  hard  work  and  good  strategy,  you’ll  eventually  dominate  in  your  firm,  your  market  and  in  the  profession.    You  will  enjoy  more  clients,  more  equity  and  greater  

satisfaction  than  the  rest.    You’ll  call  the  shots  in  your  career  for  as  long  as  you  want  to  practice.          The  Most  Shocking  Secret  of  the  80:20  Rule  for  The  New  

Legal  Economy    

For  more  than  20  years,  I  have  been  a  student  of  success.    I  spent  years  at  the  top  of  the  legal  profession.    Then,  I  combined  my  front-­‐line  legal  experience  with  my  executive  coach  training  to  create  systems  that  any  lawyer  can  master.    My  passion  is  showing  lawyers  how  to  break  into  the  20%  and  stay  there.    I’ve  boiled  all  of  the  information  down  to  a  success  system  for  attorneys  that  get  results.      My  experience  has  shown  that  most  attorneys,  though  highly  intelligent  and  skilled  in  the  law,  have  barely  scratched  the  surface  of  what’s  possible  for  their  lives  and  careers.    So,  before  you  choose  which  side  of  the  New  Legal  Economy  you  want  to  spend  your  career  on,  I  want  to  give  you  the  answer  to  the  question  that  I  get  asked  all  the  time,  both  by  my  private  coaching  clients  and  in  the  workshops  that  I  lead:        

   

In  the  New  Legal  Economy,  what  separates  the  80%  of  lawyers  who  struggle  from  the  20%  of  lawyers  who  achieve  the  success  that  they  deserve?      Here’s  the  answer  that  will  shock  you  (because  no  one  has  ever  mentioned  it  to  you  before)  .  .  .  .    It’s  not  just  about  working  harder,  working  “smarter,”  winning  cases,  making  new  law  or  being  president  of  the  bar  association.    The  essential  ingredient  that  successful  lawyers  have  and  the  miserable  ones  don’t  is  Career  Intelligence.        Career  Intelligence.    A  critical  set  of  skills  that  any  lawyer  can  (and  must)  learn  that  will  help  you  release  the  brakes  on  your  career  and  almost  effortlessly  roll  full  steam  ahead.      How  can  you  begin  to  join  the  20%?    One  thing  I  know  for  sure  is  that  lawyers  in  the  20%  think  differently  than  lawyers  in  the  80%.    They  have  learned  how  to  spot  the  little  lies  that  make  up  the  “conventional  wisdom”  about  success  in  the  law.    Here  are  just  a  few  of  the  lies  that  lawyers  in  the  20%  reject:    

• The  smartest  law  students  make  the  most  successful  lawyers.    • Graduating  from  a  top  tier  law  school  is  the  only  way  to  become  a  partner  or  get  a  decent  job.    

• Hard  work  and  dedication  automatically  earn  you  a  corner  office  and  your  name  on  the  letterhead.  

• To  paraphrase  Kevin  Costner’s  character  in  the  movie  Field  of  Dreams,  if  you  build  a  law  practice  and  wait  patiently,  they  (the  clients)  will  come.  

• Being  born  with  a  silver  spoon  in  your  mouth  or  a  little  black  book  in  your  pocket  are  the  only  ways  to  become  a  rainmaker.    

• Lawyers  are  unhappy  and  feel  trapped  in  the  profession.    • Professional  success  equals  personal  misery,  including  a  bad  marriage,  never  seeing  the  kids,  hating  colleagues,  poor  health  and  no  hobbies.    

• The  only  happy  lawyer  is  a  former  lawyer.    What  do  all  these  little  lies  have  in  common?    They  are  based  on  two  big  myths  that  keep  most  lawyers  stuck.    In  the  New  Legal  Economy,  these  two  big  myths  are  more  dangerous  than  ever  because  the  cutthroat  job  

market,  rougher  road  to  partnership,  and  more  demanding  clients  have  left  lawyers  no  room  for  error.    Any  lawyer  who  makes  career  decisions  based  on  these  two  big  myths  will  experience  frustrating  results.        

Big  Myth  Number  One:  Law  School  Taught  You  How  to  Be  Successful  (or,  Book  Smarts  Equals  Professional  Success)  

 The  Truth  About  Law  School      Back  in  law  school,  success  was  a  matter  of  book  smarts.    Success  meant  studying  hard  and  writing  well.    Answering  the  professors’  questions  the  right  way  earned  you  good  grades  and  strong  recommendations  because  your  professors  specialized  in  teaching  you  how  to  use  those  book  smarts  and  think  like  a  lawyer.    If  you  were  a  law  student  with  book  smarts,  you  absorbed  technical  knowledge  of  the  law  like  a  sponge  and  may  have  even  earned  a  spot  on  law  review.    Book  smarts  helped  you  pass  the  bar  and  opened  the  door  to  a  promising  legal  career.      Once  inside  the  law  firm  door,  however,  everything  shifted.    Little  by  little,  you  realized  that  virtually  every  lawyer  in  the  firm  possessed  book  smarts  (even  if  you  thought  they  lacked  common  sense).    You  probably  did  not  have  a  name  for  what  was  happening,  but  you  probably  noticed  a  real  shift  from  law  school.    Suddenly,  there  was  a  whole  list  of  skills  that  no  one  in  law  school  had  ever  bothered  teaching  you,  but  were  critical  to  know.    In  the  hierarchy  of  the  firm,  information  (the  details  that  were  so  important  in  law  school)  became  the  responsibility  of  the  lowest  paid  people  on  the  payroll  —  secretaries,  paralegals,  and  junior  associates.    The  higher  people  rose  in  the  firm,  the  less  direct  relationship  they  had  to  legal  information  and  the  book  smarts  that  mattered  so  much  in  law  school.              

   Maybe  a  harsh  performance  review  has  left  you  paralyzed  with  fear  and  has  given  you  the  first  hint  that  book  smarts  will  not  be  enough.    Maybe  the  recent  loss  of  a  promotion  or  a  bonus  has  clued  you  in  to  the  fact  that  something  else  besides  book  smarts  is  required  to  advance.    One  way  or  another,  you’re  probably  waking  up  to  confront  the  sobering  reality  that  the  intellectual  prowess  that  got  you  good  grades  and  a  lucrative  offer  may  not  keep  you  employed.    In  fact,  staking  your  career  exclusively  on  the  book  smarts  that  you  spent  hundreds  of  thousands  of  dollars  and  almost  20  years  acquiring  may  mean  career  suicide.        At  this  point  you  may  feel  like  slamming  your  fist  against  the  desk  and  screaming,  “Why  didn’t  anyone  tell  me?”    Or  maybe  you’re  feeling  like  calling  your  law  school  alma  mater  to  demand  a  refund  because  you  feel  duped.    Whatever  you’re  feeling,  take  my  advice  .  .  .  .      Get  over  it  and  don’t  waste  another  moment  feeling  ignorant,  embarrassed,  or  cheated.    Most  lawyers  believe  the  big  myth  of  book  smarts  and  nearly  every  law  school  ignores  Career  Intelligence,  so  you’re  not  alone.    Besides,  every  lawyer  who  has  pulled  away  from  the  pack  to  join  the  20%  has  been  in  the  same  position  you’re  in  right  now.  

Just  like  you,  they  had  to  confront  the  big  myths  that  are  holding  you  back  and  keeping  the  success  you  deserve  beyond  your  reach.        So  if  professional  success  in  the  law  is  not  a  matter  of  book  smarts,  then  what  does  it  take  to  join  the  20%?      

The  Truth  About  the  20%:  Career  Intelligence  Creates  Professional  Success  

 In  the  real  world  of  the  legal  profession,  lawyers  in  the  20%  understand  that  Career  Intelligence  is  the  key  to  career  success.        

 Remember  that  attorneys  with  Career  Intelligence  win  big:    choice  assignments,  promotions,  partnership,  money,  corner  offices,  and  the  freedom  to  dictate  the  terms  of  their  practice.    Lawyers  who  possess  Career  Intelligence  receive  all  of  the  validation,  opportunities,  respect,  and  accolades  they  can  handle.        The  fact  is  that  if  you  plan  to  continue  practicing  law,  you’ve  got  to  acquire  Career  Intelligence  in  a  hurry  because  the  New  Legal  Economy  demands  it.    Firms  are  getting  leaner,  partnership  offers  are  getting  more  rare,  and  good  clients  are  harder  to  find.    

A  common  mistake  some  lawyers  make  is  to  assume  that  they  can  apply  the  book  smarts  formula  to  Career  Intelligence.    You  can’t  acquire  Career  Intelligence  in  the  same  way  you  acquired  book  smarts.    Even  if  you  had  another  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  to  invest,  you  don’t  have  20  more  years  to  wait.    Besides,  as  you  now  know,  law  schools  don’t  teach  Career  Intelligence.    It’s  not  part  of  the  curriculum  and  probably  never  will  be.    That’s  not  your  fault,  but  doing  something  about  it  is  your  responsibility.          Right  now  you’re  champing  at  the  bit  to  develop  Career  Intelligence  and  join  the  20%  of  lawyers  on  the  winning  side,  but  before  you  get  your  hands  on  Career  Intelligence,  there’s  just  one  more  big  myth  I  have  to  expose.        

Big  Myth  Number  Two:  Law  Firms  Teach  Career  Intelligence  

 Now  that  you  know  the  truth  about  book  smarts,  it’s  time  to  destroy  another  illusion  that  could  cost  you  the  career  you’ve  paid  so  dearly  to  create.    Your  law  firm  will  not  teach  you  what  you  need  to  know.    Traditionally,  lawyers  have  always  learned  about  the  real-­‐life  practice  of  law  through  the  apprenticeship  model.    You  learned  at  the  knee  of  a  senior  lawyer  who  acted  as  a  mentor  and  showed  you  the  ropes.    In  the  New  Legal  Economy,  senior  lawyers  don’t  have  the  time  or  inclination  to  teach  you  what  you  need  to  know.    Law  firms  are  not  in  the  teaching  business.    They  are  not  designed  to  teach  you  Career  Intelligence.    Law  firms  are  in  business  to  serve  their  clients,  make  a  profit  and  divide  those  profits  among  the  partners.    Period.    Go  ahead  and  test  the  argument  for  yourself.        Take  a  moment  and  go  online  to  your  firms’  website  and  find  the  line  in  the  firm’s  mission  statement  that  describes  teaching  lawyers  Career  Intelligence  as  a  key  part  of  their  mission.    Find  the  workshop  entitled,  “Career  Intelligence.”      Can’t  find  it?    How  about  “How  to  Make  Partner”  or  “Lawyer  Skills  for  Career  Success?”    I  didn’t  think  so.    You  won’t  find  them  because  they’re  not  there.    Even  if  your  law  firm  does  provide  in-­‐house  continuing  legal  education,  it  is  likely  to  fall  into  the  category  of  

technical  skills,  such  as  “Recent  Developments  in  Environmental  Law”  or  “Health  Care  Privacy  and  Security.”    Like  law  school,  it’s  designed  to  get  you  more  information,  not  more  Career  Intelligence.    Even  asking  a  more  senior  attorney  for  Career  Intelligence  advice  is  not  likely  to  get  you  what  you  need.    Lawyers  who  have  made  it  to  the  top  are  often  unable  to  articulate  how  and  why  they  made  it  in  sufficient  detail  to  be  helpful.    They  may  have  done  many  things  right,  but  can’t  be  objective  enough  to  help  you  with  your  unique  situation.    Some  of  them,  unfortunately,  will  not  be  willing  to  give  away  their  finely  tuned  Career  Intelligence  secrets  on  the  theory  that  “Well,  I  had  to  figure  it  out  without  any  help,  so  the  younger  lawyers  will  just  have  to  do  the  same.”    Even  the  kind-­‐hearted  ones  are  usually  too  busy  practicing  law,  bringing  in  more  business  or  enjoying  the  spoils  of  their  success  to  help  you  create  your  own.          So,  if  developing  Career  Intelligence  is  the  key  to  professional  success,  and  firms  don’t  teach  it,  how  can  you  get  it  and  who  can  help  you?        

The  Truth:  You  Are  Solely  Responsible  for  Your  Own  Career  Intelligence  

 Before  you  break  out  into  a  cold  sweat,  take  a  deep  breath  and  keep  reading  because  I  have  some  really  great  news  for  you.    Sure,  your  responsibility  for  your  own  Career  Intelligence  may  feel  like  a  heavy  burden  and  a  reason  to  panic  at  first  glance,  but  look  a  little  bit  deeper.        Especially  in  the  New  Legal  Economy,  having  the  responsibility  for  developing  your  own  Career  Intelligence  actually  presents  you  with  a  huge  opportunity.    You  don’t  have  to  sit  around  hoping  and  praying  someone  else  will  “let”  you  be  successful.    You  can  create  your  own  success,  which  means  you  can  have  exactly  what  you  want.        By  reaching  this  point  in  my  free  special  report,  you’ve  already  taken  the  first  steps  toward  joining  the  20%  of  lawyers  who  are  happy  and  successful.    Now  you  know  the  two  biggest  myths  that  keep  lawyers  stuck.    You  don’t  have  to  waste  any  more  time  or  energy  running  into  the  same  brick  walls  over  and  over  again.    With  the  two  big  myths  out  of  the  way,  you  have  cleared  the  path  to  acquiring  Career  Intelligence.    

 In  the  remainder  of  this  report,  I  want  to  share  the  first  and  perhaps  most  critical  step  to  developing  Career  Intelligence  and  joining  the  20%  of  privileged,  happy  lawyers.        

3  Essential  Questions  You  Must  Ask  Yourself  About  Partnership  

   The  first  step  to  developing  Career  Intelligence  is  to  ask  your  self  three  essential  questions  about  making  partner.    Because  whether  you  realize  it  or  not,  the  partnership  question  is  THE  question  for  lawyers,  even  if  you  are  not  currently  working  for  a  private  law  firm.    Think  about  it:    The  question  of  partnership  is  the  most  critical  question  any  lawyer  can  answer  in  his  or  her  career  and  it’s  the  question  everyone  has  to  confront.      The  sooner  you  define  your  relationship  to  the  Partnership  Question  and  the  more  tools  you  have  to  help  you  develop  clarity  about  the  issue,  the  better  off  you  will  be.    If,  like  many  lawyers,  you  think  the  question  will  answer  itself  (in  other  words,  you’re  waiting  around  for  someone  else  to  decide  whether  you  are  worthy  of  making  partner),  you’re  making  a  critical  mistake.    Even  worse,  if  you  wait  until  somewhere  between  your  7th  and  10th  year  of  practice  to  think  about  it,  you’re  fooling  yourself.    You  have  to  be  in  the  driver’s  seat  when  it  comes  to  your  professional  future.    Once  you  define  your  relationship  to  

partnership  (to  be  or  not  to  be),  it  will  be  time  to  develop  the  Career  Intelligence  you  need  to  get  you  where  you  want  to  go.        Do  I  really  want  to  make  partner?      Because  law  firm  partnership  has  always  been  the  holy  grail  of  attorney  success,  many  lawyers  plod  along  blindly,  hoping  to  make  partner  but  either  not  really  thinking  about  what  their  lives  will  look  like  if  they  do  make  partner  or  making  common  (and  sometimes  incorrect)  assumptions  about  how  perfect  their  lives  will  be  if  it  happens.  Acquiring  Career  Intelligence  requires  that  you  know  (as  precisely  as  reasonably  possible)  what  law  firm  partnership  will  look  like  at  your  firm  or  any  other  you  are  considering.    Knowing  the  reality,  rather  than  the  conventional  wisdom,  about  law  firm  partnership  will  help  you  make  an  informed  decision  about  what  you  really  want.    What  does  compensation  look  like?    How  much  business  (and  what  kind)  will  you  be  expected  to  generate?    What  administrative  responsibilities  will  you  have,  and  how  will  that  impact  your  ability  to  accumulate  billable  hours  and  find  time  for  business  development?    What  are  the  potential  liabilities  you  are  taking  on  as  a  partner?    What  is  the  culture  at  the  firm  and  what  will  your  lifestyle  (i.e.,  hours)  look  like?        It  is  also  incumbent  on  you  to  ask  yourself  whether  you  are  prepared  to  assume  ultimate  responsibility  for  your  cases  or  transactions.    When  you  are  a  partner,  you  are  expected  to  make  decisions  and  recommendations.    You  are  expected  to  have  the  answers.    You  are  expected  to  lead.    Are  you  ready  to  sit  first  chair  at  trial  or  a  complex  negotiation?    In  other  words,  does  the  job  description  sound  like  something  you  really  want  to  be  doing  every  day?    If  you’re  not  ready  just  yet  because  you  don’t  have  the  requisite  experience,  ask  yourself  whether  you  will  ever  have  the  stomach  for  law  firm  leadership.    It’s  okay  if  it’s  not  for  you,  but  you  must  face  the  question,  and  the  sooner  the  better.    Finally,  consider  your  motivations  for  wanting  to  make  partner  and  hold  that  up  against  the  reality  of  what  your  life  will  look  like  if  you  do  make  it.    If  your  primary  motivation  is  making  someone  else  happy  or  making  someone  else  proud  of  you,  consider  this:    it  may  feel  great  to  be  able  to  say  you  made  partner,  but  do  you  really  want  to  be  a  partner?    Do  you  

really  want  to  do  the  job  that  partners  do?    Make  sure  you  know  why  you  want  to  make  partner  (and  that  they  are  the  right  reasons)  before  you  put  in  the  hard  work.    And  if  it  turns  out  you  don’t  want  to  be  a  partner,  knowing  that  will  enable  you  to  move  forward  in  acquiring  the  Career  Intelligence  you  need  for  the  job  you  really  do  want.    Whether  or  not  law  firm  partnership  is  for  you,  it’s  critical  to  develop  Career  Intelligence  so  that  the  next  steps  you  take  are  the  right  steps.    Do  I  know  what  it  takes  to  make  partner?    How  clear  are  you  on  what  you  need  to  do  in  order  to  make  partner  at  your  firm  (or  what  you’ll  need  to  bring  to  the  table  to  be  a  partner  at  another  firm)?    If  you’re  like  most  lawyers,  you  have  a  vague  sense  that  you  need  to  be  smart,  work  hard,  and  perhaps  generate  some  original  business.    A  shell-­‐shocked  and  disappointed  lawyer  with  10  years’  practice  under  her  belt  recently  told  me  “I  really  thought  that  if  I  put  in  the  hours  and  did  good  work,  they  would  make  me  a  partner.”    Unfortunately,  many  lawyers  still  think  that  partners  are  being  made  based  on  the  old  apprenticeship  model:    if  you  work  hard  and  show  loyalty  to  the  firm,  you  will  be  rewarded  with  partnership.    It  just  doesn’t  work  that  way  anymore  (and  hasn’t  for  a  long  time).    In  the  New  Legal  Economy,  you  need  a  clear  picture  of  what  it  takes  to  make  partner  both  generally  and  at  your  particular  firm.    You  need  Career  Intelligence.    What  will  my  career  look  like  if  I  don’t  make  partner?      Whether  or  not  you  want  to  make  partner,  this  question  can  seem  like  the  800-­‐pound  gorilla  in  the  room.    Many  lawyers  subscribe  to  a  foreboding  feeling  that  if  you  are  at  a  law  firm  and  don’t  make  partner,  your  career  is  essentially  dead.    As  a  result,  many  attorneys  don’t  want  to  think  about  it,  and  don’t  consider  their  options  until  they  are  backed  into  a  corner  and  take  the  first  in-­‐house  job  that  comes  along.    The  truth  is,  if  you  plan  right,  “life-­‐after-­‐you-­‐don’t-­‐make-­‐partner”  doesn’t  have  to  be  a  scary  question  and  is  not  a  catastrophe  at  all.    People  assume  this  is  a  life  or  death  question  because  no  one  has  taught  them  the  right  way  to  think  about  this  issue.        

There  are  numerous  options  out  there,  so  don’t  get  caught  in  the  trap  of  thinking  that  if  you  don’t  make  partner,  you  are  destined  to  wind  up  in  a  dead-­‐end  job  as  someone  else’s  gopher.    Stop  swallowing  the  doom  and  gloom  predictions  that  are  popular  in  tabloid  legal  blogs  and  set  yourself  apart  by  developing  the  Career  Intelligence  that  will  enable  you  to  have  myriad  opportunities  that  other  lawyers,  without  Career  Intelligence,  will  miss  entirely.    

Your  Next  Step    In  this  brief  report,  you’ve  acquired  information  that  few  lawyers  possess:        

• You’ve  learned  the  facts  of  The  New  Legal  Economy  and  why  it’s  critical  that  you  choose  your  side  now.    

• You’ve  learned  why  80%  of  lawyers  struggle  and  20%  do  not.    • You’ve  learned  the  two  big  lies  that  keep  the  80%  of  lawyers  stuck.    

• You  now  understand  why  book  smarts  is  not  a  career  strategy  and  can’t  deliver  professional  success.      

• You’ve  learned  the  key  to  professional  success  and  understand  why  so  many  lawyers  struggle  unnecessarily.      

• You’ve  learned  that  your  firm  is  not  in  the  teaching  business  and  what  that  means  for  you.    

• You’ve  also  learned  the  3  essential  questions  you  must  ask  yourself  about  partnership  before  you  take  the  steps  required  to  get  you  the  professional  future  you  want  and  deserve.      

 

Now  that  your  eyes  have  been  opened  to  the  truth  of  the  New  Legal  Economy  and  the  real  key  to  joining  the  20%  of  lawyers  who  are  destined  for  success,  it’s  time  to  jumpstart  (or  revive)  your  law  career.        You  can  join  the  20%  of  lawyers  who  will  win  big  in  the  New  Legal  Economy,  and  I  have  designed  a  powerful  tool  to  help  lawyers  who  are  dead  serious  about  taking  the  next  step.          In  the  next  couple  of  days,  I’ll  tell  you  about  my  high-­‐level  coaching  programs.    If  you’re  interested  in  learning  how  to  take  your  career  to  the  next  level  in  the  shortest  amount  of  time  possible,  this  might  be  what  you’re  looking  for.    In  case  you  can’t  wait,  the  details  are  available  here  at  TheLawyersEdge.com/coaching.    Here’s  To  Your  Success!    

   Elise  Holtzman,  Esq.,  ACC  The  Lawyer’s  Success  Coach  elise@TheLawyersEdge.com    www.TheLawyersEdge.com