Distinguished Leader: Joseph Drayton
"First and foremost, a leader is a servant who bears responsibility for executing a vision. A leader shares in the success of the vision and takes responsibility for any roadblocks to turning vision into reality."
October 04, 2018 at 03:30 PM
3 minute read
Courtesy photo
Joseph Drayton, Partner, Cooley
Q: What are some of your proudest recent achievements?
A: I am proud of my work representing leading technology companies using a diverse team of lawyers. We routinely resolve intellectual property disputes via motion practice, trial and amicable resolution. I am also proud be a leader within the National Bar Association and the American Bar Association. I have led, along with other dedicated leaders, programs aimed at systematic enhancement of the diverse lawyer in the legal profession. For example, in the NBA, we launched the General Counsel Invitational to maximize the career trajectory of in-house corporate counsel, and, in the ABA, we launched the Professional Success Summit to enhance the capabilities of law firm lawyers to increase retention and promotion rates among leading law firms.
Q: What does it mean to be a leader?
A: First and foremost, a leader is a servant who bears responsibility for executing a vision. A leader shares in the success of the vision and takes responsibility for any roadblocks to turning vision into reality.
Q: Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you.
A: I could name several judges, firm leaders and bar leaders as they possess comparable qualities as the individual who stands out at this moment. Werten Bellamy is a legal professional who transitioned into a corporate professional development expert. Werten is committed to equipping lawyers to maximize their success and helping them find their best role as a lawyer. Like other great leaders within the law and our community at large, Werten gives his personal time to others to help lawyers achieve new heights. His unselfishness and dedication to the advancement of all lawyers, including the underrepresented, is remarkable.
Q: How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future?
A: Lawyers are now partners more so than service providers. Our job is to recognize the path to success as defined by our clients, and to refine that definition of success based on our developed understanding of our clients' industries and priorities.
Q: What is the best advice for someone considering a career in law, or someone already in the profession who is seeking to make a greater impact?
A: The law is a complex and challenging profession that demands excellence as the benchmark. Thus, a person transitioning into law should be passionate about any career choice. Their passion can turn into tremendous success.
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