I have a terrific work commute. Most people can't say that, especially in the New York metro area, where a lot of my colleagues battle with suburban train delays and subway reroutings. But I get to take a ferry, which gives me nice views of the harbor, as well as companions who've all got interesting jobs and like to share.

One of them works for a big ad agency. He's been at it for years, and this has given him a nicely corrosive attitude about what he does. “Scare them, and offer a solution,” is the basic formula for every ad you see on TV, according to him.

I can scare you a little. Take a look at the “Innovation” column by Connie Brenton and Casey Flaherty. They're saying that you—and you know who you are—aren't innovating enough. And it's not as though you lacked for motivation. It's been seven years since the Lehman Brothers meltdown. As the economy sunk, in-house lawyers spoke brave words. We've got the bargaining power now.

Well, sorry. According to the authors, law departments haven't done much new stuff at all. Sure, when everyone gathers at a conference, brave words are uttered. Everyone talks about new ways of delivering legal services, of how they're driving costs down and driving hard bargains with outside firms. Where does all this brave talk end up? Alternative fees amount to 9 percent of total legal spending, studies show. Firms raise fees, clients ask for discounts. They play around with hours billed and nothing really changes.

What's that line from the novel “The Leopard,” by the brilliantly cynical writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa? “Everything must change so that everything could stay the same.” Exactly.

Here's the good bit: Two years ago, we debuted our R3-100 list, honoring 100 women who had the potential to become a Fortune 500 general counsel. So far, so good: Four of them have indeed risen to that role. The latest is Stacey Friedman, who's taking over a huge job at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

As the feature by editor and writer Rich Steeves shows, our honorees are all smart, capable lawyers. They all have broad experience, performing many tasks in many roles before they rose to the top. And they have some advice for others who want to be general counsel. It comes down to forcing yourself to be scared. Don't stay in your comfort zone. Do work you've never done before; expand your professional and personal skill set. Be curious and take risks, which sometimes runs counter to your training as an attorney.

Perhaps our honorees will finally accomplish what Brenton and Flaherty say their predecessors have failed to do so far. Hey, you never know.

I have a terrific work commute. Most people can't say that, especially in the New York metro area, where a lot of my colleagues battle with suburban train delays and subway reroutings. But I get to take a ferry, which gives me nice views of the harbor, as well as companions who've all got interesting jobs and like to share.

One of them works for a big ad agency. He's been at it for years, and this has given him a nicely corrosive attitude about what he does. “Scare them, and offer a solution,” is the basic formula for every ad you see on TV, according to him.

I can scare you a little. Take a look at the “Innovation” column by Connie Brenton and Casey Flaherty. They're saying that you—and you know who you are—aren't innovating enough. And it's not as though you lacked for motivation. It's been seven years since the Lehman Brothers meltdown. As the economy sunk, in-house lawyers spoke brave words. We've got the bargaining power now.

Well, sorry. According to the authors, law departments haven't done much new stuff at all. Sure, when everyone gathers at a conference, brave words are uttered. Everyone talks about new ways of delivering legal services, of how they're driving costs down and driving hard bargains with outside firms. Where does all this brave talk end up? Alternative fees amount to 9 percent of total legal spending, studies show. Firms raise fees, clients ask for discounts. They play around with hours billed and nothing really changes.

What's that line from the novel “The Leopard,” by the brilliantly cynical writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa? “Everything must change so that everything could stay the same.” Exactly.

Here's the good bit: Two years ago, we debuted our R3-100 list, honoring 100 women who had the potential to become a Fortune 500 general counsel. So far, so good: Four of them have indeed risen to that role. The latest is Stacey Friedman, who's taking over a huge job at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

As the feature by editor and writer Rich Steeves shows, our honorees are all smart, capable lawyers. They all have broad experience, performing many tasks in many roles before they rose to the top. And they have some advice for others who want to be general counsel. It comes down to forcing yourself to be scared. Don't stay in your comfort zone. Do work you've never done before; expand your professional and personal skill set. Be curious and take risks, which sometimes runs counter to your training as an attorney.

Perhaps our honorees will finally accomplish what Brenton and Flaherty say their predecessors have failed to do so far. Hey, you never know.