You may have heard that Robert Downey, Jr.(RDJ) won the Screen Actors Guild award a few weeks ago for his portrayal of Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer. I didn’t watch the awards ceremony, but I heard later that RDJ mentioned Mel Gibson in his speech – he was thanking several celebrities who had influenced his career, and Gibson was one of them.

Because of RDJ’s decades-long work on his sobriety, he works hard not to be judgemental of other people, and supposedly this is where his willingness to forgive Gibson for his previous harm to others comes in. Gibson isn’t the only one that RDJ has so willingly forgiven – RDJ has also recently helped Armie Hammer, who was credibly accused of several things (I won’t detail them here, but you can easily google them; no actual charges have ever been filed).Continue Reading RDJ, Mel Gibson, and Cancel Culture

In today’s hyper-connected world, our devices keep us tethered to work even during off-hours. While taking breaks is crucial for well-being, being responsive remains a cornerstone of client and business relationships. Yet, it’s surprising how often this simple aspect is overlooked.

It’s a major pet peeve of mine when emails go unanswered, and I know many share this sentiment. Let’s delve into why responsiveness matters and how it’s an easy fix.Continue Reading Responsiveness: The Overlooked Key to Building Successful Client Relationships in the Digital Age

Lawyers understand better than most the significance of words – after all, who comprehends more than a contract lawyer that a subtle clause can either seal or sabotage a deal?

Yet, who better than your marketing team realizes that “marketing” often carries negative connotations?Continue Reading Lawyering 101: Marketing is in the Fine Print – How Every Interaction Shapes Your Brand

This week, we’re excited to bring you a guest blogger to Zen! Ilona Tkachenko is with PETERKA & PARTNERS, the ILN’s member firm in Ukraine. She is the Marketing Manager for Ukraine for the firm and brings us an excellent post on innovation for legal excellence, which is certainly something that she and her colleagues know something about – and she does my favorite thing, which is to offer practical advice for how to achieve what she’s talking about.

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In the ever-evolving landscape of the legal industry, where tradition and convention have long been seen as the foundations of practice, the integration of innovation has emerged as a game-changing force. The strategic implementation and development of innovation within a law firm are not just trends; they signify a paradigm shift that holds the potential to redefine legal excellence in the 21st century. But what exactly does innovation in the legal industry entail? Continue Reading Innovating Legal Excellence: A Paradigm Shift in the Modern Law Firm

One of the things I like to do is go through old posts of mine to see if there may be some utility in updating them for the current market. What’s the saying? Everything old is new again. And that always seems to be the case – even with content!

But today, I felt like talking about something brand new. So I asked my handy assistant, ChatGPT (the only assistant I can afford at the moment), what I should talk about for leadership in the legal industry. Its reply was this: Continue Reading The Role of Technology and Innovation in Shaping Future Legal Leadership

Given the current state of the world, I thought it would be prudent to dust off a post from last year and update it to reflect how I’ve been feeling and what we’ve been doing to navigate the multitude of global issues that we’re all watching unfold in real time.

I saw a quote that said that adulthood is not one crisis after another, it’s multiple crises, simultaneously, forever.Continue Reading Navigating Concurrent Crises: Lessons in Crisis Management

In today’s interconnected world, the concept of relationship marketing has become a cornerstone of success for lawyers seeking to expand their practice. If you’re already familiar with the power of cultivating connections or if you’re looking to formalize a strategy you’ve been using, this post will delve into the essence of relationship marketing and how to leverage it for your legal practice.Continue Reading Strategic Relationship Marketing: Elevating Your Legal Practice in the Modern Era

Leading during a pandemic brought a unique blend of terror, excitement, and resilience. Leaders had to project confidence while grappling with uncertainty, fostering a sense of unity while dealing with personal challenges. As we look back on this period, I’ve distilled nine invaluable leadership lessons that hold true for anyone in a leadership role, regardless of their title or position. We may be through the worst of the pandemic, but in these modern times, it seems that we are regularly hit with crisis after crisis. So as we continue to have “unprecedented times,” let’s delve into some insights that have come to light. Continue Reading Leadership Lessons Amidst Uncertainty

On our podcast, Law Firm ILN-telligence, one of my favorite questions to ask our guests is about the most important lesson that they’ve learned over their career. During the dog days of August, it can feel like a bit of a slog, so I thought I’d share some of my favorites with you to inspire you to push through the long days! Continue Reading Legal Ladder: Essential Career Lessons Every Lawyer Should Climb

If you’re connected to me on LinkedIn, you know that one of my favorite places to find thoughtful content about doing business in the modern world is Harvard Business Review. Not only do they offer articles that make me think critically about the way I’m leading my own organization, but their authors often offer practical, pragmatic advice on what to do better or differently – particularly when it comes to those things that we can be tempted to read about but not create any actionable change, like diversity, equity, and inclusion. Continue Reading Championing Equity and Inclusion: Reflections on DEI Initiatives and Building Inclusive Company Cultures