This is easier said than done. Don’t let anyone make you do what you know is wrong – whether out of trust, love, or pressure from a bully. If a client tells you to hide evidence or lie, don’t do it. If a supervising lawyer tells you to take a shortcut that only partially fulfills your duties, don’t do it. If opposing counsel treats you maliciously and you want to retaliate in kind, don’t do it. As a lawyer, you are often the last and only person who can say no when someone tells you to do something you know …

According to Moneysense, earning the big bucks alone, doesn’t make you rich. Real Wealth is determined by” Net worth” what you own – minus what you owe.   (Moneysense, January 2015) .

A financial plan is designed to help you build your net worth and get more from the money you earn.  A financial plan address key areas of your financial life such as:

1. How to make the most of your cashflow
2. Identifying risks to you and your family’s cashflow
3. Creating cashflow with passive investments when you are ready to stop working
4. How to clawback your cashflow from taxes
5. How to

New lawyers, I hope this tip will follow you well for your whole career. Begin doing this now and do it every time, to the point where it becomes a habit. It will both help your practice and protect you in the event of a malpractice claim. Document all client interactions, whether over the phone, or in a meeting – even the quick or “0.1” conversation. If you are a young lawyer or articling student who may never encounter a client in your first year, this advice applies to your encounters with senior lawyers who give you assignments. Treat them …

As this fall marks another season of incoming new lawyers and articling students, this tip is for you. When you receive your first assignment from your articling principal or senior lawyer, you may be left wondering where you should start. Sometimes the answer is with the assigning lawyer’s assistant or law clerk. The assistant can provide you with similar precedents the assigning lawyer has already perfected. These precedents can provide you with valuable insights into the legal writing and work product you are expected to achieve.

Yes, you can tackle the work on your own without any guidance – but …

This tip was inspired by a young mother I know, a senior associate at a big firm, who shared with me her recipe for handling the challenging tension between mom-time and lawyer time: the early escape.

Here’s how it works: One night a week she stays late at the office, until between eight and ten at night, depending on the week. Then, two days later, she leaves the office in the early afternoon to pick her kids up early from daycare for some special time with them.

This wonderful “life hack” checks two important boxes for her. She checks her …

No one likes to talk about digital security. Heck, say “F T P” to some people and watch their eyes immediately glaze over.  I get it. It’s techy and geeky and those who are not, just smile and nod.  However, whether you are geeky or not, digital security is immensely important to the health of your business and even your personal life.

I’ve been trying to get the core concepts of digital security out there for over a decade.  My first presentation for the OIVAC (way back in 2006) only touched upon what one needs to consider when it comes …

“Measure Cash flow by how much you keep not how much you earn,”  Lifehacker 09/08/2014

Lawyers have a notorious reputation for appreciating the finer things in life. High end cars, vacations, a beautiful home in a desirable location, designer clothing and other luxury items are often some of the perks lawyers associate with being successful in their profession.

Unfortunately many lawyers often do not realize what their lifestyle is costing them.  Very few track their spending to see if the money being spent is actually in line with their priorities. I encourage you to take a closer look at your …

A client insisted on meeting me in the midst of a busy day. Fully booked, I reluctantly agreed to meet the client at the end of the day. We began happily enough with the usual pleasantries. But once we sat down, a monster arose from the deep. One problem after another fell on my lap, and I began to parry. Despite all my best efforts, we began to talk in circles. Exhausted, my better judgment, along with my defences, fell, and tempers flared. After hours passed by, we bid adieu, accomplished nothing, each left stewing at the other. Despite all …

While interest in the role and importance of leadership in law firms continues to grow and solidify, it may not yet be obvious to many when investing in such improvements should become priority. If you’re starting to wonder if your law firm needs more leadership, you may find that before you can answer your own question, you first need a better understanding of the various dimensions and implications of leadership.

So, what is leadership within the context of a law firm?

Well, there are two ways of looking at it – internally and externally. Internally refers to leading others within …

How is marketing a law firm different from marketing a packaged goods business? Instead of creating desire for a product, you are creating connection with people.

So, it stands to reason that the basic structure of a marketing plan that say sells detergent doesn’t quite cut it for lawyers. Aside from the obvious difference in the implementation of the plan, there’s a critical step missing. The piece that outlines how to market the individual professionals participating in the plan (whether they are speaking, writing, networking or other) is called the personal marketing plan.

• The firm level marketing plan includes all