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Robert Schumer, Partner, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison

Q: What are some of your proudest recent achievements?

A: I'm very gratified to have played a leading role in building the Paul, Weiss corporate department to what it is today. We are truly now among the leading corporate departments nationally. What makes me most proud, however, is seeing my younger partners doing extraordinary client work, winning new client mandates, and being recognized as leaders in their own right.

Q: What does it mean to be a leader?

A: Being a leader means leading by example, by embodying the qualities—client service, hard work, respect for others and high ethical standards—that you hope to instill in others.

Q: Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you.

A: Richard Goldstein, a young corporate partner when I joined the firm, was a mentor to me and was critical to my development. Richard was the consummate corporate lawyer, tough to work for, but so smart and committed to his clients. He encouraged me to assume larger client roles and develop my own business. When I was an eighth-year associate, Richard departed, leaving the Time Warner corporate relationship in my hands. But because he had prepared me well, I had the client's—and the firm's—trust.

I was also incredibly fortunate to work with the late Arthur Liman on some contentious deals, including Goldman Sachs' 1995 takeover of Rockefeller Center. He served both his paying and pro bono clients with equal zeal. Arthur showed me the significance of being a passionate, dedicated lawyer committed to his clients, his partners, the firm, and the wider community.

Q: How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future?

A: What's different today is the speed and 24/7 nature of the work. Because we can instantly communicate, we have to be ready to respond to clients at any time; there's less time to think and process information.

Second, clients are much more sophisticated. We can't rely on past laurels—we have to continue to provide extraordinary service.

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: It takes three things to be a great lawyer. One, you need to be smart. Two, you need experience, the kind you get by working on many transactions and closely observing not just the team around you, but the other side, the bankers and the other advisers; that's how you learn what works and what doesn't work. Third and most important, you need good judgment. That's ultimately why the client is hiring you.

But to make a greater impact, find a firm where lawyers are encouraged to get involved in the public and political world. Early in my Paul, Weiss career, I had the chance to work closely with Ted Sorenson, the former adviser to President John F. Kennedy, who advised governments and luminaries around the world. That added dimension was extraordinarily helpful in my development as a lawyer.