Richard Brock

Hiring is the most important people function you have, and most of us aren’t as good at it as we think. Refocusing your resources on hiring better will have a higher return than almost any training program you can develop. Like every industry, law firms operate in a constantly changing landscape, and that includes the… Read More

There’s always an opportunity with a crisis. Just as it forces an individual to look inside himself, it forces a company to reexamine its policies and practices. Pandemic Recovery Many of the changes the pandemic forced on law firms have become a new, and sometimes better, way of operating. Rather than returning to pre-pandemic habits,… Read More

What lies behind us, and what lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. At some point a firm has to stop talking about how the last disruption affected it and start planning the year in front of it. Summarize What You Learned From 2020 Reducing headcount is painful, and it… Read More

I would maintain that thanks are the highest form of thought, and that gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder. Thanksgiving is a state of mind, an act of appreciation, a national holiday. In 1621, the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag gathered to mark survival and a harvest. In 1777, the thirteen states set aside a day… Read More

During turbulent times it is natural for law firms to withdraw and ride out the storm, and that is an understandable approach. Fortune, however, often favors the bold. For firms able and willing to act, turbulent conditions create real opportunities to increase revenue and profit. A merger is one of the strongest ways to capitalize… Read More

To say that lawyers lead busy lives is an understatement. Attorneys work long hours and must give their work absolute focus. If you are an attorney with a family, or with other responsibilities, balancing career and personal goals can feel impossible. Plenty outside of work requires your attention, some of it small and some of… Read More

Landing the right position is only the beginning. Connecting with the culture and building security while doing work you love takes deliberate effort. If you want any future move to be your choice rather than someone else’s, become the person the firm cannot do without. Work like You are the Owner Do not just think… Read More

However favorable the market, securing the position you want still takes deliberate choices. If that is where you are, start here. The Most Important Action The most important thing you can do is perform at your best in your current position. Do not leave it, mentally, before you have left it in fact. Beyond that:… Read More

In a talent-driven market it is tempting to rest on your laurels. The lawyers at the top did not land there without effort, strategy, goal setting, and an open mind about changing technology and culture. Building a career in law is a challenge, and for those who meet it the rewards are considerable. Vision Determine… Read More

Brock Launches OnBoard Legal OnBoard Legal featured in Birmingham Business Journal on January 27 in an article titled “Birmingham legal industry vet launches a new venture.” The article gives an overview of OnBoard and its founder Richard Brock. Explaining why he started OnBoard, Brock said, “We have been in a buyer’s market for several years,… Read More

Investigation Law firms are not all alike. They have different criteria, different specialties, different structures. You are an attorney. Investigate. Find the big picture and the small details. What are the firm’s key practice areas? What is its strategy for growth? How serious is its training for new hires? What is the culture? What is… Read More

From small businesses to large corporations, cybersecurity is a live issue, and every business is affected, including those in seemingly non-technical fields. Even companies with the tightest systems in place need attorneys who know: Cybersecurity laws and ordinances Legal compliance with local, state, and federal privacy legislation Security and data privacy regulations Civil litigation when… Read More

In finding work, the legal profession is like most others. Some graduates find a position out of law school, settle in, and spend decades at the same firm. Others build experience for a few years and then move. Either way, you want as many resources as you can get when a search begins. That is… Read More

Competing for talent is difficult. It takes a grasp of the big picture and deliberate attention to the details. The big picture is the firm’s mission and the firm’s bottom line. Every hire takes on specific responsibilities in a role that contributes to profitability, and every hire is a step toward the firm’s business goals…. Read More

Strong leadership attracts, engages and retains talent, and it is not defined by the corner office. It happens at every level, including among new attorneys in their first position. It is the art of taking responsibility for a task, and then bringing the rest of the team with you. It creates footsteps for others to… Read More