Less than two weeks after stunning the nation by upholding marriage rights for same-sex couples, the California Supreme Court in May seemed poised to deliver another victory for gay rights. North Coast Women's Care Medical Group v. Superior Court. Specifically, the court gave every indication during oral arguments in San Francisco that it would rule that doctors cannot invoke their religious beliefs to deny gays and lesbians medical services.
While many family practitioners are familiar with allegations of child sexual abuse and physical abuse, often arising in the context of a custody dispute, fewer are as knowledgeable about Factitious Disorder by Proxy ('FDP'), popularly referred to as Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy ('MSBP') and a variant thereof, Pediatric Condition Falsification ('PCF'). Whether you are representing a parent accused of child sexual abuse, the accusing parent or a parent with a chronically ill child, a basic understanding of these disorders is helpful to properly assess whether they may be an issue in your case.
This article is the first in a series about developing a customized scorecard for your firm's partners, specific information to include in the scorecard, tailoring it to your firm's goals, and getting partners to understand the scorecard and achieve greater success.
Partners must be willing to make an investment in the future by becoming more involved in the associate's early experience at the firm. By monitoring each associate's progress, under the auspices of the coordinating partner and the individual partner-mentors, the firm can build toward its successful future.
Some believe that there are a few naturally gifted rainmakers in each firm who are born with a talent for generating business. That theory is not quite accurate. There is a science to it and that science is to promote oneself without ever engaging in self-promotion. Those who appear to be naturally gifted simply internalized this idea many years ago and have built it into their daily routine.
The authors note: "It is amazing to us how often we meet attorneys who have the self-limiting belief that they will never be successful rainmakers. We constantly hear things like, 'I didn't go to law school to sell something,' or 'the people I know who develop business can do so only because it comes naturally to them.' These are excuses that may make us feel better when we say them, but they will not ever help us move out of our comfort zones to become well-rounded professionals.
Too many of our firms are filled with frustration: frustration with leadership, frustration with followership, and frustration with fellowship. One source of this irritation is the disconnect between the boundless potential of high-achieving lawyers and the suffocating constraints of the firms in which they work. Some of the best and brightest minds in our society, people with exceptionally high values and aspirations, find themselves stuck in firms that fail to meet their lofty standards. Here's what to do about it.
As Chief Officer of Recruitment and Development at K&L Gates, Susan Fried oversees much more than staffing and retention. Working collaboratively with the firm's leadership since her arrival there in 2002, Susan has been instrumental in establishing innovative programs aimed at growing a diverse force of associates into great attorneys.
How to implement a Rapid Assessment to help get your marketing initiative back on the right track.
In this unusual economy, the emphasis this year will be placed on those firms that have created unique business development strategies utilizing marketing and communications tools without 'breaking the bank,' the bank being the marketing/communications budgets. Firms that have done more with less will receive greater attention.
Criteria for Selection
Law firms of 100 attorneys or more are eligible to enter. Each firm will be required to submit an essay of 1,000 words (segmented by topic, e.g., if you are describing 'Marketing Strategy,' please begin your description with the category subheading) describing its marketing and communications program. If you are submitting an essay based on only one of the categories, be sure to indicate that at the beginning of your essay. Firms are encouraged to cover as many of the categories as possible, but if a firm has achieved remarkable success in one particular area, that firm will be given the same consideration as those that cover all of the categories Each firm should indicate on its submission the names of the person(s) submitting the entry, his or her title, and contact information. The following categories will be used to evaluate each firm:
Marketing Strategy
Formal plan (i.e., needs assessment, overall firm plan, target industries, practice area plans, proposal strategy for major engagements and new-business pipeline reports, cross marketing, individual marketing plans); an example of a success, including implementation and cost; whether or not a yearly budget is created, and the criteria used in creating the plan with line item examples; and examples of major new initiatives.
Results
Measurable return-on-investment in specific efforts, how expenditures on specific strategies and tactics resulted in new clients, matters and/or additional profits.
Marketing Department
Staffing ' including 'who does what' and why; size of staff; deployment of staff; CMO/Director reporting requirements; committee (if applicable); process for integrating new professionals into the team; retention efforts; professional development opportunities for the marketing staff; ratio of professionals to lawyers; and cutting-edge positions.
Communications/Public Relations/Media Relations
Objectives, strategies, planning and implementation. Where possible, demonstrate integration with marketing programs. Tie results achieved to planned objectives. Estimate budget and whether internal or public relations agency resources spearheaded the efforts. Emphasize sustained efforts and proactive approaches to communicating with target audiences using internal and external communications to influence the visibility, image and reputation of the practice or firm. Describe specific ways external and internal communications strategies were used to demonstrate the knowledge of individual practitioners and/or firm. Explain ways your firm develops ongoing relationships with the news media to stimulate media inquiries, interviews, bylined articles, case histories, speaker platforms, seminars, trade shows and community involvement. Quantify/measure results achieved contrasting pre- and post-program conditions
Commitment
Marketing requirements for partners and associates, training programs, percentage of gross revenue as applied to marketing; participation of marketing partner on governing body of firm.
Advertising and Visual Communications
Approach, implementation and one example of a return on investment.
Technology
How technology intersects with marketing, communications and business development, including partnering with clients and prospective clients, e.g., audio/video podcasts and blogs. This section also includes the revamping of Web sites to increase traffic to site.
Client Service Programs
Goal setting, client service teams, client surveys, co-branding with clients, co-producing events, etc. Metrics and ROI will also be taken into consideration.
Outreach
Community activities, pro bono and diversity programs that utilize marketing strategy and communications.
DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS IS MONDAY, SEPT. 29, 2008. All submissions must be sent via e-mail only to Elizabeth Anne 'Betiayn' Tursi, Editor-in-Chief, Marketing The Law Firm at [email protected]. Any collateral materials accompanying the essay must also be in a format that can be transmitted via e-mail.
