This issue of the magazine is devoted to career moves. As George Bernard Shaw once said, “The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.” If you need help looking for the right move or the right circumstances, the LPM Section has a multitude of career resources. You can get started by checking out our website at www.lawpractice.org/resources/career_resources. Whether you are in the early, middle or late stage of your career, LPM has the information you need.
When I became Section Chair a year ago, I expressed my concern about young lawyers and recent law school graduates who were without jobs or working in jobs that may not be right for them. If you find yourself or know someone in this situation, a great resource is LPM’s joint project with the ABA Young Lawyer’s Division. Together, LPM and the YLD have published the brand-new book Job Quest for Lawyers. (Turn to Sheila Nielsen’s article in this issue to read a special excerpt.) This book is ideal for all lawyers seeking employment and wanting to change direction at any point in their careers. Confucius believed “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” LPM is here to help you find the job you will love.
The effects of the recession, of course, continue to impact the job market for all lawyers. To help us address the changes under way, this year I created the Evolving Business Model Task Force to analyze the marketplace for legal services. The task force will present The Once and Future Firm: Fact v. Fiction at the 2011 ABA Annual Meeting in on August 5. The program will feature a star-studded panel of legal thought leaders exploring the evolving business model for law firms large and small, including how firms will be organized, operate and deliver services to clients. The panelists will also address the economics of law practice and the job market for lawyers. For more on the task force and its work, visit www.lawpractice.org/about_us/evolving_business_model.
Traveling onward. Well, it is time for me to move on. This is my last column as Section Chair. It has been a tremendous honor and a great privilege to lead this Section. I want to thank my fellow officers, the executive committee and the council, and our devoted actives for your commitment to the Section and the advancement of LPM’s core areas. Because of you, LPM has and will continue to be at the forefront of law practice management. I also want to thank the entire LPM staff. We have the right people in the right positions, which is imperative in order to move the Section forward. Pam McDevitt, our Section Director, has unified the staff and created an atmosphere of cooperation and teamwork.
I wish Chair-Elect Tom Mighell a successful year. I am proud to have had the opportunity to lead LPM and hope to continue to contribute for many years to come.
