how to be smarter than vp and lawyer

by Jamie Feest MD 9 min read

How smart are lawyers?

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Who is better a lawyer or a doctor?

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Why do lawyers and doctors need to be intelligent?

Mar 19, 2022 · If you are a lawyer, it means you are superbly smart and brave. Nothing special about it. I guess the privilege to know law and principles. Should You Be A Lawyer? Should You Be A Lawyer? You have to choose a job and were thinking about becoming a lawyer? Take this quiz and see if you would be suitable!

Why hire an entrepreneurial attorney?

May 10, 2016 · That is where the legal system has gotten sideways. For many attorneys, winning is more important than justice. However, there is more respect for the legal system when we are honest. I can remember many a conversation in the back rooms how a lawyer won because they tricked the opposition.

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Be the Best You Can Be

I believe that lawyers need to focus on one thing and one thing only, and that is being the best lawyer and counselor we can be and not focus on results. What other people think is irrelevant (pun intended).

No Short Cuts

Lawyers have to communicate what their clients want and not be afraid of being disrespected by being open and honest. The legal system has a specter over its shoulder that if your lawyer doesn’t outfox the opposition they are somehow bad lawyers.

I heard over and over that to be successful a trial lawyer had to be the meanest junkyard dog in the valley

I am a former family lawyer with 27 years of trial experience. I also spent a great deal of time volunteering with lawyers with addiction and substance abuse problems, as well as representing several lawyers in disbarment proceedings.

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What is the role of an attorney in a business?

The more attorneys know or learn about an industry, the better they perform as legal and business advisors ; they then can advise a company in the context of the business issue and are not merely dispensing pure legal advice.

What is the best in class general counsel?

The best-in-class general counsel is a fully functioning member of the senior leadership team who “just happens to be an attorney.”. Given the benefit of greater business and industry knowledge and financial acumen for legal executives, when recruiting general counsel CEOs and boards should look for candidates who possess these traits.

What does it mean to be effective?

“To be effective means being someone who is not only a good attorney, but also someone who has an appropriate influence on the overall activities of the business—someone whose advice is sought out and heeded,” said Brian Woram, ...

What does general counsel think about?

In fact, there are times when general counsel think more about the impact on the business over time than a short-term legal strategy. For example, when the senior leadership team makes a decision, general counsel can help project and analyze the likely outcomes, including the long-term impact on business strategy and shareholder value. “If you are thinking about things from that perspective all day long, you aren’t going to make decisions based on the short-term, quarterly impact. It’s much longer-term, broad-based thinking,” said Martha Wyrsch, executive vice president and general

Why is learning agile important?

People who are learning agile are more willing to seek out challenges and take risks. Learning agility amplifies the ability to be successful in difficult, ambiguous, and first-time situations—a highly desirable trait for all leaders, including legal executives.

What is the importance of emotional intelligence?

emotional intelligence and judgment, which are crucial to becoming a better leader. “You need the skills and intelligence that people expect from an attorney, as well as the personality and emotional maturity to engage everyone from the field to the board of directors, as well as the ability to tolerate politics and difficult personalities,” Woram ...

What is learning agility?

This requires learning agility, which Korn Ferry defines as the willingness and ability to learn from experience and subsequently apply that learning to perform successfully under new or first-time conditions. People who are learning agile are more willing to seek out challenges and take risks.

How to make your brain work better?

1. Visit New Places. Whether this means studying in a new coffee shop, taking a different route to work, or traveling to a different country, displacement is good for the brain. This might be difficult to recognize in the moment since it usually feels rather awkward – at least initially.

How to keep your brain active?

This is one activity that maintains the appearance of habit while nurturing healthy brain waves. Setting aside half an hour every morning or evening to read a newspaper or watch the news will help your brain stay active.

Why is it important to create new neural pathways?

To create new neural pathways and strengthen the brain, it’s critical for people to continually incorporate new experiences and information into their lives. At first, these moments might feel useless, but eventually, you will find yourself looking forward to quiet moments alone.

What is a card drop?

CardDrop is an awesome job hunting app that let’s you digitally drop and pick up virtual business cards. This app is great for helping you make new connections at seminars, interviews, meetings and conferences. You can also attach social media profiles to the cards you pick up or send to enable easier connecting on social networks.

Why is reading important?

Whether you choose fiction, non-fiction, historical literature, or poetry, reading offers an opportunity for the reader to make big-picture connections between the literature and real life. In this way, reading is an alternative way to make your brain travel to a new place.

Is painting a form of drawing?

Painting is an extension of drawing. It feeds the same areas of the brain; but unlike drawing, painting often introduces new and unfamiliar textures and colors to stimulate the brain.

Why is finger painting important in preschool?

Finger-painting in preschool was not only a fun activity; it helped open up the mind to new possibilities and ways of solving problems. An artistic mindset creates new opportunities to find new solutions, fresh inspiration, and peaceful confidence.

Why do lawyers need virtual law firms?

Many lawyers are looking for a more fulfilling law practice because they are frustrated with a traditional law firm model. Or, they are looking for innovative ways to grow their law firm. If this is your situation, then consider becoming a virtual lawyer. Actually, even if you are satisfied with your current firm, you should look into expanding into virtual legal services because of societal and market changes. Being a virtual law firm provides a new way to interact with clients and new services to meet the growing demands of a widely untapped segment of the legal market. Plus, it can be much more fulfilling for both the client and attorney.

What is virtual lawyer?

Most importantly, a virtual lawyer is a real lawyer – just the same as any lawyer that practices in a traditional setting. The differences between a virtual law firm and a traditional one can be quite varied, depending on the firm.

How does virtual law firm save money?

A virtual firm can save money by getting rid of rent or a mortgage for office space, bundling technology services, and outsourcing staff.

What is a secure client portal?

Access to a secure client portal is the cornerstone of a virtual law firm. Without this, you are unable to guarantee that you can protect lawyer-client confidentiality. A client portal is secure space, where data passes from the web browser to the server in an encrypted format. Most of your interactions with clients will happen here. Essentially, it’s the same sort of space as an online banking service or other similar websites; the client and the business agree that sensitive information is protected there, and that communication is easier because of the direct pathway between them.

What is transactional law?

Transactional work, also known as unbundled services or limited scope representation, is currently the best fit for virtual law firm models. Of course, your firm could offer limited scope services and full service arrangements, that’s entirely up to you. Our firm is entirely transactional, even for litigation-based practice areas. Our limited scope representation services delegate administrative tasks to the client while we handle the transactional legal components of their case, so in-person interactions are not necessary.

What is the biggest mistake lawyers make?

A big mistake some attorneys make is taking a traditional law firm model mindset and applying it to a virtual law firm model. This tends to limit the growth and potential that comes along with fully embracing a virtual law firm model. Along with that often comes unnecessary overhead.

Why is it important to work when you want?

Being able to work when and where you want can increase productivity and reduce stress. You will learn new skills and can free yourself from office politics and dress codes. It’s also likely you will actually work less hours, which will definitely improve your general mood!

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