Category Archives: Corner Office

Delusional?

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It’s officially the start of job search season for 1Ls. Applications for BigLaw diversity programs and judicial externships are due on December 1st–and even if you’re not one of the people contemplating either of those options for your summer job, … Continue reading →

Resurrecting Innovation

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The recent passing of former Apple CEO and communication/technology visionary Steve Jobs had the world in a flurry last week. His genius was essentially a necessary component to the functioning of our everyday lives, whether it was in the form of an Apple product (I’m typing this on a MacBook Pro with my iPod sitting on the table next to me) or the whisperings of a new way to connect (cloud computing in general, iCloud in particular). He was a genius who was accessible, the face of a brand that changed the way many of us think about technology and consumer products. One of the Apple stores in my hometown even had a mini memorial outside that patrons had set up for Jobs–if that doesn’t say personal connection and reverent respect, I don’t know what does.

As I was browsing through the posts from Above the Law today (for anyone outside the legal community, this is a blog for law students and lawyers that keeps us up-to-date on what’s happening in our world), I came across one titled “Size Matters: Innovate” that suggested people were mourning more than just Jobs’ passing. The author, Valerie Katz, posits that we were also mourning the death of American innovation as we knew it–Jobs was our last remnant of the concept, and now that he’s gone, we wonder not just where Apple’s creativity will come from but also what the future of American innovation is generally. I have a feeling she’s right.

It’s sad to think that America no longer stands at the forefront of innovation–at least, that’s what the media tells us. So how do we fix this problem? By not just thinking differently, but also by acting and organizing differently. Katz’s post is relevant not just to the legal profession but to every industry, and I’m posting it here for my own benefit and for others’ as well. Because we could all use a little kick in the ass sometimes.

People tend to think that being innovative means being creative. Some folks are more creative than others. But whereas creativity is more how you think, innovation is more how you act and behave, and those behaviors can definitely be learned. ~Andrew Razeghi, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

Size Matters: Innovate

By Valerie Katz

Via Above the Law

Last week was a sad time for America. People mourned the loss of a visionary, Steve Jobs. I cannot even tell you how many times I heard people talk about his celebrated 2005 Stanford graduation speech. It is without question that Jobs was a genius and we will never know what he could have created with more time. The depth of people’s reactions, however, suggests that we were mourning something more than the loss of a great man. We are, perhaps, mourning the loss of American innovation.

As the saying goes, if you can’t beat ‘em, copy ‘em. Or at least that is what I am saying now. And luckily, I came across a blog post by Larry Bodine about what lawyers, particularly small-firm lawyers, can learn from Jobs….

(1) Develop a niche.

I think I have said enough about this.

(2) The way you do something is more important than what you do.

How so? According to Bodine, “[l]awyers should learn from the corporate world: present or package what you do in a new way.”

(3) Personalize the brand.

A lawyer must realize that he or she is a brand. Clients don’t hire law firms – they hire lawyers. Every time Apple introduced something new, it was Steve Jobs presenting it on a big stage. Similarly, lawyers should get in front of audiences, make presentations on webinars and talk to news reporters. Clients want to find a lawyer they know, trust and like, and lawyers must be easily found by being in the public eye.

Want more proof that personal branding is important? Two words: Kris Jenner. Remember when the old girl wanted to go back to being called Kris Kardashian because her girls had established such a strong brand? That shows that personal branding is key. After all, this is the woman who built an empire on false lashes, hair extensions, and some junk in the trunk.

(4) Don’t just compete, strive to make your competition obsolete.

Per Bodine, “[l]awyers should similarly look for new ways to provide service and charge for it that leapfrog ahead of what other law firms are doing.”

(5) Constantly Adapt.

Most important for us small-firm lawyers, Bodine offers this sage advice:

Jobs competed with some of the largest corporations on the planet, just as small-firm lawyers compete with the AmLaw 100. Being small gave Jobs the advantage of being nimble. While Microsoft slavishly kept releasing clunky new versions of Windows, which copied features from the Apple OS, Jobs pioneered cloud computing. This year more people will access the Web with a smart phone than with a computer, thanks to Steve Jobs’ ability to change ahead of the times. Lawyers should similarly look over the horizon and give clients today what they hope to have next year.

As Bodine points out, there is a lot that lawyers can learn from Steve Jobs. There is another important lesson in his passing. Unfortunately, very few, if any of us, will be the next Steve Jobs. That, however, is okay. Luckily, innovation does not need to be synonymous with creative genius. Indeed, while Jobs may be the symbol of American innovation, he need not be the only image.

A recent article in Crain’s Chicago Business explains that innovation and creativity are not necessarily the same thing. “People tend to think that being innovative means being creative,” says Andrew Razeghi, a lecturer at Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management, who has written on the topic. “Some folks are more creative than others. But whereas creativity is more how you think, innovation is more how you act and behave, and those behaviors can definitely be learned.”

According to the article, “learning” innovation requires two things. First, listen to your clients’ needs and use that to anticipate and serve their future needs. Second, create the right work environment that “encourag[es] employees to be passionate, risk-tolerant and open to inspiration from anywhere.”

Let’s do our best to honor Steve Jobs by doing our part to inspire and embody the spirit of innovation — black mock-turtleneck optional.

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No post about Steve Jobs would be complete without his inspirational and beloved commencement speech given in 2005 at Stanford. A little kick in the ass from the man himself…

She Works Hard for the Money

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The theme of today’s catch-my-eye stories seems to be employment (that, and my growing penchant for the Huffington Post–brevity is undervalued in our society). More specifically, what can cause you to lose it and what you can do to find it. In an economy like this one, it never hurts to be too informed.

We all knew it was coming, but the head honchos in Washington are finally saying something about it: what you post on Facebook can get you fired. The National Labor Relations Board is choosing to hear claims from workers who have gotten themselves into this type of trouble. Any guidelines regarding what Facebook activity constitutes legitimate grounds for termination are naturally still in their infancy, so it’s difficult to tell what the NLRB’s findings will mean for most of us. The term “concerted activity” seems to be the buzzword, but from what I read, what distinguishes a successful claim from an unsuccessful one (with regard to the worker, anyway) is murky, to say the least. (Concerted activity is protected. Have fun defining that one.) For now, though, it’s safe to assume that posting anything derogatory about the company you work for is a bad idea, especially if you reference the company by name. The advice may seem draconian, but you at least won’t have to explain to your next employer how social media was your downfall.

In other news, more signs that the economy is still in “recovery.” Young lawyers are seeking job opportunities outside the legal market, partially because the number of high-paying jobs for practicing attorneys has diminished and partially because they grew tired of the 80-hour weeks. One even started a dog-walking business. (She entered law school knowing she was making the wrong choice, though–not so sure how this example is particularly helpful for anyone, considering she chose the wrong career to begin with.) While I’m all for entrepreneurship, I’m still hoping the economy and the legal market will turn around once I graduate three years from now–ask anyone who went to law school, but most of us didn’t spend exorbitant amounts of money to work at jobs we could have gotten without law degrees. This reality is great incentive to start hatching a Plan B, though (journalism has always been mine, by the way…maybe it’s time to look into becoming one of those legal analysts for a news network…). I’ll get back to you when I’ve found one…or become a better hustler.