William Sullivan Jr., counsel in the environmental and land use law practice at Scarinci Hollenbeck in Lyndhurst, has been with the firm for more than a decade. He has demonstrated commitment to the Meadowlands region, and developed expertise in land use and permitting authority of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority. That knowledge “has been of great value in servicing developers in key commercial and industrial projects being constructed in the region,” one colleague said, noting Sullivan's role in some of the region's most significant redevelopment projects. He is active with the Meadowlands Chamber and recently wrapped up his chairmanship of the New Jersey State Bar Association's Environmental Law Section.

Law practice is often a team endeavor. What has been your experience with teamwork in the law?

Based on my experience, attorneys make valuable contributions to their firms in many ways. Sometimes, particularly in smaller firms like my first job, it means attorneys being willing to assist with administrative tasks that some might think are beneath them. Even in larger firms, you need to be ready to help out with almost any task when necessary to complete the project or accomplish the goal, even if it does not translate into billable hours or generating new business. More broadly, a successful law practice depends on valuable contributions from people with a variety of skill sets. Law firms benefit from attorneys who are good rainmakers, attorneys who are good at mentoring younger attorneys to be future firm leaders, and attorneys who eagerly take on and capably handle work brought to the firm by others.

What types of work done at law firms and other organizations are commonly underappreciated?

In terms of underappreciation, let's be honest. Most of our day-to-day practice is not glamorous. While the victory at trial or the approval of the development project is often celebrated, it is important to remember the many hours spent on document production to prepare for that trial, or the hours reviewing engineering plans and reports to prepare for the hearing on that development project. It's pretty simple, actually—success requires hard work and that work gets appreciated in a variety of ways, including repeat business from our clients.

What can professional groups, legal publications and others do to better shed light on lawyers and law practices doing important work that's under the radar?

This Unsung Heroes award is a great way to celebrate the “under the radar” work and the individuals performing that work. Perhaps the Law Journal could include a regular feature in your publications that features a person, firm, or project (maybe a pro bono project) that might be interesting for the readership.

What must firms do to ensure that lawyers remain engaged with pro bono work, their communities and their families?

Pro bono work, community activities and family are essential ingredients for a successful career as an attorney. Firms should recognize pro bono time as valuable work time, celebrate and encourage community involvement, and create a firm quality of life culture that deemphasizes “face-time” and emphasizes quality results.

How are the business and profession of law changing, and are New Jersey lawyers well-positioned for the future?

Technology has radically changed our profession. While technology has made it easier to provide higher quality work for clients in exponentially less time, that “improvement” has actually increased workloads and pressure. Clients now demand almost instantaneous results. We complain that we never really get a day off, because anyone can reach us anytime, anywhere. As in so many other areas of society, the legal profession has not yet figured out how to best manage the technology instead of letting the technology manage us. New Jersey law firms, including mine, have become leaders in making use of technology for marketing purposes, and technology-related issues have become a lucrative area of the practice of law. One of our challenges is to take advantage of these tools to provide a quality of life that gives attorneys a rewarding life both inside and outside the practice of law.