Reflections on the Re-Imagining the Practice of Law Think Tank

  • What does it mean to be a lawyer?
  • Why does it matter?
  • What would it look like if law firms were a place where:
    • Loyal clients want to buy;
    • Talented lawyers want to work; and
    • Visionary leaders want to serve?

Imagine the conversation attempting to tackle these big questions in three hours. Imagine the energy and emotion–provocative, creative, stuck and unstuck, hopeless and hopeful–all in the span of three hours.

Imagine a roomful of legal experts. Big firms, mid-size firms, small firms, practicing attorneys, managing partners, in-house counsel, legal media, legal academia, professional legal associations, professional advisors to law firms, legal marketers, legal professional development experts, legal human resources specialists.

There was much said and so much more to be said than three hours permits.

In the coming weeks and months, Generation Generosity will tackle emergent themes from the think tank that include:

Being a lawyer vs. being human – Why does it seem that working as a practicing lawyer is separate and apart from personal growth, personal fulfillment and making a meaningful difference?

Breaking down vs. building up – How do law school and the associate track break a young lawyer down (in the name of teaching what really matters)? How and when does the building back up occur and who is responsible for it?

Being respected vs. being revered – Is it important for the profession of law to be revered or is being a respected profession good enough?

A greater calling – Is there a greater calling for the profession? Is there a social contract to be upheld by the profession? Can lawyers contribute more to society than preventing and resolving disputes?

Current model vs. utopian model – Does a practicing lawyer need to leave the profession of law to achieve utopia? Is it possible to create utopia within the current law firm construct?

PR for the profession – What would happen if we spent more energy catching lawyers doing the right thing and telling the stories of everyday acts of heroism by lawyers? Why can’t lawyer jokes be less funny?

Nothing important in the world happens without the legal profession. It is time to join the conversation.