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Career Journal: Downsizing

By Michael DeCosta
January 30, 2008

Discussing workforce reductions, RIFs, layoffs, downsizings, whatever you may call them, is never fun. It may certainly not seem the best way to start a career column for the New Year. But it is, nonetheless, all too topical. Not since 2002 has the profitability watch been so high in the legal industry. And with it, eyes have already been cast by many firms toward their greatest expense: their people.

Whether or not to adjust the number of employees or partners downward can be a critical decision for 2008. In the event it does happen, marketing executives will, undoubtedly, be asked to help craft appropriate messages to both the market and within their own firms in advance of rumor mills, blogs, and especially, the competitors offering their own take on the changes. However daunting the task, working through such scenarios can go a long way toward preserving your firm's reputation and bolstering your own career opportunities within your current firm or with a prospective employer.

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