Lawyer Work-Life Balance
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| Analysis
When one door closes…
By Suzi Ring | September 29, 2010
In the wake of job cuts and rising competition, many who have completed law degrees and even the legal practice course (LPC), Bar vocational course (BVC) or graduate diploma in law (GDL) are finding themselves at a crossroads, with no training contract or pupillage, a lack of inspiration to work for a law firm and a decision to make about their legal future. But is this future as simple as becoming a solicitor, barrister or nothing at all? For those who aren't ready to throw in the towel but who are finding that their career trajectory isn't shaping up the way they had planned, there are some other options to consider.
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| Analysis
Bending over backwards - how City law firms are handling the flexible working question
By Sofia Lind | September 22, 2010
At first glance flexible working can seem like a simple issue of giving your staff a shot at achieving that elusive work/life balance. But closer inspection shows that the City's top law firms take different, and at times opposing, views on the pros and cons of flexible working arrangements. Not least of these is whether boosting flexibility is a means to improving female retention, with some firms seeing this as a core reason for such initiatives, while others are wary of making the connection. However, there is at least consensus that flexible working is not just about working less hours. With four-day week or nine-day fortnight arrangements on the march, the most common mode of flexible working seems by far to be remote working - boosted by new technology - but other new ideas such as lawyer job-sharing are also being tried out.
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| Analysis
Autumn of opportunity - outlook for UK equities investors brightens
By Legal Week | September 17, 2010
May's general election resulted in a new coalition Government committed to tackling the UK fiscal deficit. Unlike the Labour Government's Keynesian appproach of stimulating growth through borrowing and spending, the new Liberal/Conservative coalition has a clear agenda of cutting the burden of huge Government debt by reducing the role of Government and encouraging the private sector to grow the economy out of recession. The UK fiscal consolidation, set to take place through to the 2015-16 tax year, will involve the largest budget cuts in British history. The aim is for an annualised total consolidation of £128bn over this period, with 83% coming from spending cuts and 17% in tax rises.
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Maybe a girl's got to be manipulative
By Legal Week | September 17, 2010
Let me just confess that I'm one of those hopeless Mad Men addicts. I find the repression of that pre-late sixties era deliciously seductive. So many rules - and so many slimy ways to break them. The latest episode featured a watershed moment about women in the workforce. It's a scene where a sexist underling persists in making crude sexual remarks to Joan, the voluptuous office manager. (He goes as far as to tell her that she looks like she's always asking to be raped.) This time, though, Peggy, the lone female creative director at the advertising agency, takes matters into her own hands and fires the offender. She confronts him and asks him to apologise to Joan - and when he refuses, she axes him. Just like a modern boss-lady - taking care of business directly and neatly.
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Bearers of the fashion cross
By Legal Week | September 10, 2010
Around Rosh Hashanah, the New York papers are chock-full of ads from swanky retailers wishing people a happy Jewish New Year. By coincidence, this year's Jewish High Holy Days also overlap with New York Fashion Week, which is causing all sorts of havoc for people in the industry. What to do - go to the Dolce and Gabbana soiree or services? Fashion and religion might not seem like natural companions, but I think there's always been a connection between the two. After all, didn't those marvellous Renaissance paintings of Madonna always feature the finest Italian fashion of the day? Weren't religious paintings the Vogue magazine of the time?
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| Analysis
Not your typical vacation - City law firms on how to get a vac scheme placement
By Friederike Heine | September 8, 2010
With training contracts in scarce supply, the vacation scheme is gaining increasing importance. Friederike Heine talks to City law firms about how to get one - and make the most of it
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| Analysis
Bridging the divide - the first non-lawyer partners
By Legal Week | September 1, 2010
When Legal Disciplinary Partnerships (LDPs) came into force in March 2009 the market did not quite know whether to expect a raft of UK law firms to convert and defy their usually conservative wait-and-see approach in order to bring valued senior non-lawyers into the partnership. As it stands, just over a year down the line and the first stage of change under the Legal Services Act (LSA) 2007 has resulted in a somewhat disappointing but predictable slow drip of largely regional law firms including Mills & Reeve, Irwin Mitchell and Halliwells making the move. Other firms including Bird & Bird have considered converting and actively decided against it.
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10 happy tips for lawyers
By Legal Week | August 25, 2010
Being a 'happiness guru' is hard work. My years as a labour lawyer battling unions was easy in comparison. So was fighting my way up the corporate ladder at Coca-Cola Enterprises. But since I started working with Martin Seligman of the University of Pennsylvania, a world-renowned expert on the science of well-being, things have got really tough. All people want from me now is the secret to happiness.
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Hire, fire and hire again
By Legal Week | August 20, 2010
Some people find silver linings in life's misfortunes. Me - I tend to find dark linings even when the news seems bright and cheery. Recently, there's been a flow of upbeat stories about increased retention rates at many firms, including a number of US firms giving out offers to 100% of their summer associates, including Latham & Watkins, Ropes & Gray and Shearman & Sterling.
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How to win new business from friends
By Legal Week | August 17, 2010
Do you ever feel awkward about approaching friends for business? It turns out that a lot of people do. I find this especially true of women, who often freeze up when it comes to asking for business. They tell me that they are afraid that their friends will think they are 'using' them, and they don't want to contaminate the relationship. To all of you who are not talking to friends about business, let me tell you that bringing friends into your business world can be enriching and valuable for everyone.
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