MLK, Obama and the Possibility of Change
Regardless of one’s politics, it is quite extraordinary that President Obama will be inaugurated for his second term on the very same day we celebrate Martin Luther King’s birthday. Back in 1962 when I was born, the possibility of a non-white male becoming President of the United States, let alone for two terms, was as fanciful and ridiculous a notion as having a man... Read More
the heart of business networking
In my last post, I mentioned that I was participating in a Haitian earthquake relief fundraiser organized by my brother, Steven Herz, and his team at New York’s If Management. On only 48 hours notice, over 200 people attended the event last night and raised more than $3,500 for relief work being done through the nonprofit Esperanza International Foundation. NBC News correspondent... Read More
what a third grade holiday celebration can teach us about connecting with clients
The other day, I attended my son’s holiday celebration in his third-grade classroom. To capture the true spirit and meaning of the season, the kids took turns standing up in pairs and reading narratives about one another. These weren’t fill-in-the-blank recitations. They were insightful and moving reflections. With their teacher’s guidance, the kids had taken the time to... Read More
continuing legal education through self-study
When it comes to continuing legal education (CLE), most of us think in the very black and white terms of meeting our state’s mandate. But, my thinking has been colorized a bit by the convergence of three forces: A Ms. JD post on extending legal education Recent coverage of the Association of Corporate Counsel’s new ACC Value Index (allowing/encouraging... Read More
everything old is new again: the re-birth of the client-centric lawyer
For the last few years, I’ve devoted a lot of space here to the idea and practice of client-centricity. You can sample my take on the topic via posts like these: evangelizing legal service delivery client experience management legal service delivery: what controls the client experience are you remarkable? client centered care (re)designing legal service delivery around... Read More
lawyers are not service providers
Last week, I discussed why clients and prospective clients view lawyers as commodities. I suggested that we can avoid this type of identity crisis (yes, I think that being labeled a commodity is not a good thing) by taking some time to figure out what the people we help really want from us beyond fairly priced services. I found some good guidance and inspiration on this front in... Read More
don’t give clients a reason to think that you’re a commodity
Through my daily reads, I tapped into an interesting conversation about the commoditization of design services. One point that stood out for me is how the traditional client-provider relationship gets flipped when the service and its offerer are seen as commodities. As one observer puts it: “Suddenly a client can define all aspects of a job from price to design, causing the designer’s... Read More
the legal sanity mentor: kathleen brady
Due to the summer posting hiatus, it’s been a little while since the last installment in my series of posts on redesigning legal services around the client experience. I’ve always been a proponent of the idea that it’s really hard for unhappy lawyers to provide great client service. To put it another way: The lawyer experience and client experience are two... Read More
why it’s a great time to be a village lawyer
As we were driving from one weekend activity to the next in our small New York suburb, my middle child looked up from her cell phone and, in an iPod-induced-too-loud-voice, said, “I love this town. It’s pretty, friendly and makes me feel safe.” I think she gave voice to what many of us feel and experience in our personal and professional lives. When people engage lawyers... Read More
question for lawyers: what are you selling?
Yes, I know. A lot of lawyers recoil at the thought of being salespeople. We develop business. We network. But, we don’t sell our legal services. With the economy remaining tight and consumers becoming even more discerning, maybe the time has come to reconsider this hardline stance. Or, maybe it’s time to rephrase the question to make it a bit more palatable. How about: What... Read More
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