Ahead of the Curve

Past Issues

"BEFORE YOU PLAN TAKE A HARD LOOK BACK"

This is a short piece intended for Managing Partners, CEOs, COOs, Executive Committee and Board members, but it has application to virtually anyone who leads a group in management.

Learn more.

Resource: Blane Prescott, LinkedIn

"THE SHAPE OF RECOVERY: V, U, W OR L?"

Six top economists make their best cases for the shape of things to come... To get a sense of when, we asked six leading economists to go out on a limb and describe what recovery will look like. We requested they use an alphabet letter to describe this shape, such as a V, W, L or U, although one economist selected a reverse checkmark.

Learn more.

Resource: Russ Banham, Chief Executive

"MICROSOFT NAMES WINNING FIRMS IN LEGAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE"

Microsoft’s legal department has awarded two teams of law firms a slot in its innovation accelerator after a monthslong competition among outside providers that was geared toward investing in technology and solving the tech giant’s business challenges.

Learn more.

Resource: Gina Passarella Cipriani, Law.com (requires free subscription)

"LAW FIRMS MUST BEWARE RISKS IN NONTRADITIONAL FINANCING"

Firms are looking for loans from the U.S. government as well as conventional banks. But law firms tend to have few hard assets for security, and, given the economic circumstances, banks may look skeptically at their balance sheets. Firms may therefore look to less traditional forms of funding.

Learn more.

Resource: Katherine Toomey, Law360

"NEW IRS GUIDANCE ON CARES ACT RETIREMENT PLAN PROVISIONS"

The IRS has provided additional guidance on coronavirus-related distributions and special participant loan terms applicable to retirement plans under the CARES Act.

Learn more.

Resource: Lori L. Shannon, Michael G. Paton, The National Law Review

"TACKLING A BIG QUESTION AT YOUR FIRM NEEDS A HUMBLE INQUIRY APPROACH"

When you are dealing with a thorny, complex issue, you need a different kind of approach to identify what is the core value at play versus noticing behaviors. This takes a special kind of inquiry to discover. And the work is worth the effort because this kind of approach produces real change.

Learn more.

Resource: Denise Gaskin, PhD, MS, RavenWork, Inc.

"TOOLS FOR SURVIVAL FOR LAW FIRM LEADERS"

One of the most important tools for leaders today is to make sure they are taking care of themselves. As a leader, you are trained and practiced in helping others ... all the time. You often sacrifice your own needs in order to help someone else. But now more than ever, it's so important to practice good self-care. Why? Because a "crispy burnt-out" law firm leader is less able to help others. When you are not at your best, you have less to give to others. Here are resources to keep you strong and resilient.

Learn more.

Resource: Denise Gaskin, PhD, MS, RavenWork, Inc.

As offices reopen, facilities managers will need to quell occupant anxiety. Health and wellness will be a crucial part of that strategy. The coronavirus pandemic will create a fundamental shift in how the workspace is conceived, designed and operated. Never before has implementing strategies to benefit occupants’ mental health and physical well-being been more critical than now. Indeed, health and wellness strategies will be inextricably linked to the new normal of office design and operations. Health and wellness will move from a "nice-to-have" to a "must-have," says Paul Scialla, Founder and CEO of Delosand Founder of the International WELL Building Institute. The pandemic is really bringing the importance of health and wellness front and center.

Learn more.

Resource: Greg Zimmerman, Facilities Management

As the legal industry grapples with the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic, law firms that possess certain characteristics will not only survive but thrive in this time of massive uncertainty. Here is a look at three of those qualities.

Learn more.

Resource: Aebra Coe, Law360

Every workplace suffers from office politics. The remedy is to lead a team of your own creation — to others who do not necessarily report to you. In other words, to lead without authority.

Learn more.

Resource: Keith Ferrazzi, Next Big Idea Club

Legal Project Management, or LPM, is an identified functional area in the CLOC Core 12 for Legal Operations — therefore, it is identified as a key skill for the legal operation professional. CLOC resources on LPM can be found here.

Learn more.

Resource: Rachita Maker, CLOC