Compensation in the legal sector has changed considerably. We have moved from an era of guaranteed remuneration to a balanced, contribution-based model. An attorney’s compensation is no longer tied to a place on the roster. It follows the contribution. That mirrors the model professional sales organizations have used for decades, where pay is split between… Read More
The Problem with Traditional Legal Recruiting
In my years in the legal industry, and in legal recruiting in particular, one problem has become steadily more evident: the prevailing approach is spammy and recruiter centric. Here is the typical scenario. A recruiter contacts an attorney, and if there is any engagement, the conversation runs something like this: “I represent an esteemed AmLaw… Read More
OnBoard Featured in Birmingham Business Journal
Technology and our unique approach has enabled us to serve clients nationwide from our offices in Birmingham. The Birmingham Business Journal profiled OnBoard Legal, formerly OnBoard Search, on its national expansion, its hiring in Birmingham, and the work it does for law firms across the country. “Technology and our unique approach has enabled us to… Read More
Attracting Top Legal Talent in a Changing World
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
Pandemic Recovery
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
Set Your Law Firm on the Path to Success in 2021
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
The Giving of Thanks, All Year
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
Ten Advantages of a Law Firm Merger
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
Achieving Work-Life Balance as a Lawyer
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
Holding Your Rung on the Ladder
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
Winning the Job Search Game as a Legal Professional
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
Attorneys and Career Growth
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
OnBoard Legal Featured in Birmingham Business Journal
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
Design Your Resumes for Law Positions
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
Cybersecurity: An Opportunity for Lawyers
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