What Emily is Saying
Articles by Emily in LawTalk and LawNews
Optimal Attitudes – you are what you think
Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Man often becomes what he believes himself to be. If I keep on saying to myself that I cannot do a certain thing, it is possible that I may end by really becoming incapable of doing it. On the contrary, if I have the belief that
Difficult Personalities and the Practice of Law
When initially meeting with a client, I will frequently say “Tell me about the people with whom you work”. “e client will often say: “I work in a practice group of five people. I get along well with four of them, but have problems with one person who is really
Internecine Conflict and a bridge over troubled waters
Two of my favourite words come to mind in connection with internecine (internal) conflicts between members of the same law firm or other office. These words are pernicious (“having an harmful effect in a gradual or subtle way”) and ubiquitous (“Found everywhere”). The ubiquitous part is likely a given considering
High Performance Culture in Law Practices
When you watch the All Blacks play, you know you are watching a high performance team with a high performance culture. The players move seamlessly, interacting with each other in a fluid and highly competent way and communication occurs accurately and in real time. And, of course, the All Blacks
Gender, Lawyers and Legal Throughput
Gender, Lawyers and Legal Throughput – Some heretical thinking In his book, Undaunted Courage, about the Lewis & Clark Expedition (the first expedition to cross the United States by land in 1804), Stephen Ambrose wrote: “A critical factor in the world of 1801 was that nothing moved faster than the
Are you well?
Some years ago, our dear friend Ernest was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and, after receiving treatment, decided to let the disease take its natural course. He lived for about six months more in a remarkably rich, full way. He remained intellectually engaged, was dignified in dealing with his illness and
Reducing law office stress
Reducing law office stress – What really works? As you know, approximately six months ago New Zealand enacted the Health and Safety at Work Act (HSWA) which focuses on identifying, minimising and eliminating risks associated with inherently high risk aspects of the workplace. Unlike manufacturing and similar industry sectors that
Returning after parental leave
Returning after parental leave – a roadmap for success Over the years, I have spoken with many lawyers who are returning to the practice of law after parental leave. The common theme I heard was that returning to the law after having been home for a while with a child
Resilience, self-management and the practice of law
Sue is a senior solicitor who has been consistently and rapidly promoted during her five years at a mid-sized firm. She is bright, hard-working, mature and highly motivated to progress professionally. The partner to whom she reports, John, is busy and often does not give Sue much time or feedback
Succession planning – is your law firm getting it right?
The topic of succession planning comes up frequently when I work with law firms across New Zealand. Tis, no doubt, is symptomatic of the ageing baby boomers’ era and the multi-generational transfer of wealth. Getting succession planning right is critical for any lawyer or law firm. Unless you plan to
The Retirement Vortex
When I have had conversations with myself or other lawyers about retirement, an image of a swirling vortex comes to mind. It has a hollow centre with lines that move around its midpoint. It is circling rapidly, but sometimes it slows down a bit. I suppose this image comes to
Making Mistakes (Emily Morrow Interview)
Everyone makes mistakes sometimes, even lawyers. A mistake could be caused by lack of knowldge, or bad judgement. “Mistake is not intentional – the lawyers decision to act or not may be intentional, but the poor outcome is unintentional,” says Catherine Gage O’Grady from the University of Arizona’s James E.