Glen McGorty, NY Office Managing Partner, Crowell & Moring

What are some of your proudest recent achievements? One is the progress we've made in increasing the diversity of our New York partnership. Crowell has always had an abundance of talented and diverse attorneys at the junior ranks, but not so much at the partner level. This is a common pattern in big law for sure, but it wasn't something I was willing to accept. A team of associates, counsel, recruiting professionals, and firm leaders passionate about this issue worked with me to change the composition of the office at the partner level—and it is starting to pay off. It was gratifying to see our early progress gain momentum as new diverse partners contributed to the campaign with initiatives of their own, and I'm proud to say that through recruitment and internal promotion, nearly half of our New York partners, and half of all our New York lawyers, are diverse by gender or otherwise. I was also proud of the experience we had recruiting an entire health care team from an elite New York law firm last year. What began as a conversation with one lawyer quickly advanced to the entire nine-lawyer team choosing to come to Crowell, and transitioning seamlessly into our office. The commonality in these experiences is that they both affirm our culture, which really distinguishes us from competing firms with equally compelling capabilities.

What does it mean to be a leader? Leadership is service to others. In the law firm context, this means being willing to set aside your personal interests to support the people around you and advance the needs and interests of the whole organization. Law firm leaders are drawn in many competing directions, and the best ones can see how to balance individual, office, and firm needs for the best total outcome.

Name a lawyer or mentor whose leadership inspired you. I've been lucky to be inspired by many, but to pick one … before entering the national stage, Jim Comey was the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. I had the privilege of being his first AUSA hire, and served under him for a year before he left to be the Deputy Attorney General. Jim was always present and knew something about what every AUSA was doing. Brimming with wisdom and integrity, he could step out in front and lead, but he never made you feel that he wasn't a part of the team.

How are the business and profession of law changing, and how should lawyers adapt for the future? In the past, clients had problems and lawyers solved them, but it was transactional: rates were rates and there was little window into the non-legal challenges clients faced. To be competitive and successful today, firms must truly partner with clients in driving results, sharing risk, offering alternative fee arrangements, listening to their call to arms on diversity and inclusion, and creating teams that reflect those same principles. We need to find out what matters most to the client and align with it to cultivate and preserve a relationship, even at the expense of the billable hour.

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? Find something you love. If you're passionate about how you spend your time, the time you spend will be rewarding. In the context of a law firm, don't just complete tasks … ask questions. Curiosity separates the good junior lawyers from the great ones. Seek to understand the strategy—how does the task you've been asked to complete fit into the bigger picture? If you find something that interests you, jump in with both feet and you can transform a job into a calling.