LegalManage

3/9/07

2:00 PM

Page 6

UPFRONT
PRACTICAL NEWS & PERSPECTIVES

BOOK CLUB

Featured Human Resources Book

This issue of Legal Management features a Human Resources theme. For
additional reading related to this theme, check out 96 Great Interview
Questions to Ask Before You Hire, available now in the ALA Bookstore at
www.alanet.org/bookstore.

Clothing in on a Promotion

Help Wanted

Climbing the Career Ladder Requires Appropriate Attire

In-Demand Legal Positions

Identified

According to a recent survey by OfficeTeam, 93 percent of managers

polled said a persons style of dress at work influences his or her chances
of earning a promotion. Meanwhile, one-third said on-the-job attire
significantly affects an employees advancement prospects.
The old adage about dressing for the position to which you aspire still
holds true, said Diane Domeyer, Executive Director of OfficeTeam. A
polished appearance lends credibility and may help employers envision the
staff member in a role with greater responsibility. Attire is not the only thing
workers are judged on, but it is part of the equation. While a proper
wardrobe alone wont earn you a promotion, dressing inappropriately could
cost you one.
OfficeTeam advises professionals seeking advancement to ask themselves the following questions when selecting work attire:
Would managers at my company wear this? If the answer is no,
its probably not a wise choice for you, either.
Is it a distraction? Unless youre in the fashion, entertainment, or
another creative industry, flamboyant or overly trendy attire can diminish your credibility.
Does it give me confidence? When youre dressed sharply, youll be
more self-assured. Look for attire that is flattering and makes you feel
good about yourself.
Is it clean and in good condition? Even in casual work environments,
avoid clothes that are torn, wrinkled, or messy. Sloppy attire may
prompt your manager to question your attention to detail.
Is it comfortable? Clothing that fits well and allows you to move
freely is especially important when youre interviewing for a job. Avoid
wearing a new suit when meeting with potential employers. You want
to look good, but you dont want to be distracted by clothes in which
you feel awkward or uncomfortable.
For more information, visit www.officeteam.com.

LEGAL MANAGEMENT

MARCH/APRIL 2007

Increased demand for legal services is

fueling steady hiring activity in the legal
industry, according to the 2007 Salary
Guide from Robert Half Legal.
Opportunities abound in a variety of
practice areas and industries, said Charles
Volkert, Executive Director of Robert Half
Legal. Corporate governance requirements,
new business initiatives, and rising caseloads have increased the demand for
skilled, experienced attorneys, paralegals,
and support staff.
The survey identified five in-demand
positions:
licensed attorneys with five or more
years of experience;
corporate attorneys;
first-year associates;
paralegals with three or more years of
experience; and
legal secretaries.
Legal professionals with backgrounds in
compliance and regulatory issues, litigation,
intellectual property, and real estate are
particularly well positioned to take advantage of the current job market, Volkert said.
For more information, visit www.robert
halflegal.com.

LegalManage

3/9/07

2:00 PM

Page 7

Did you know

Tough Crowd

PsyMax Study: Middle Managers

Most Resilient in Workplace

that corporate contributions to charities

worldwide totaled $9.8 billion in 2005?
Source: The Conference Board

Staffing Scenarios
Law Firm Leverage Figures Fluctuate
According to the NALP, The Association for Legal
Career Professionals, major law firms employ one
associate for every partner, and the overall ratio of
lawyers to partners is only 2.19.
Analyses in the 2006-2007 NALP Directory of Legal Employers reveal that
firms vary widely in their mixes of lawyers whether measured as the ratio
of all lawyers to partners, the ratio of associates to partners, or the ratio of
other lawyers (i.e., of counsel and senior and staff attorneys) to partners.
Regardless of the measure used, on average, larger law firms leverage
their partners with associates and other lawyers to a greater degree than
smaller firms. For example, the ratio of associates to partners in firms of 100
or fewer lawyers is about 0.7, NALP reports. Leverage figures rise for firms
with 251 or more lawyers. In firms of more than 700 lawyers, for example,
the figure is about double, at 1.38. A measure based on all lawyers shows a
similar progression, from 1.86 to 2.60.
For more information, visit www.nalp.org.

The Place to Be
Austin, Texas, Judged Best City for Single Professionals
According to an article by Garry Kranz in the newsletter Workforce
Management, Austin, Texas, was named the best city for young professionals who are relocating because of their jobs. Other cities that made
the list: San Francisco, California; Portland, Oregon; Jersey City, New
Jersey; and Seattle, Washington.
According to the article, the survey by Primacy Relocation and the
Worldwide Employee Relocation Council measured numerous items that
could affect a persons adjustment to a new region, including commuting
times, rental rates, vehicle and other fees, and cultural activities.
To subscribe to Workforce Management, visit www.workforce.com.

Quick Stat
Source: Offi

75% of U.S. employers plan to maintain or increase

spending on diversity and inclusion training in 2007.
Source: Novations Group

Middle managers are the most resilient

group in the workplace, according to
a study of more than 2,000 employees
by PsyMax Solutions, a human capital
assessment firm.
The firm analyzed the profiles of district and regional managers, department
or unit managers, supervisors, and
foremen for tough-mindedness and
resilience, typified by the ability to
accept criticism. The middle managers
median tough-minded score was the
highest of all groups. In comparison,
company presidents and CEOs ranked
the lowest for resiliency, followed by
executives, and then professional,
technical, and administrative employees.
The study suggests that middle
managers have the greatest ability to
accept criticism, said PsyMax Solutions
CEO Wayne Nemeroff. Perhaps
because of the nature of the middle
management role, they continuously
get feedback from all directions, from
above, below, and sideways. Those
at the center of the organizational
structure demonstrate strength in being
able to manage stress and to keep
resilient in the face of frustration,
disappointment, or criticism.
According to Nemeroff, resiliency is
an essential skill for middle managers.
Their jobs involve providing leadership
to front-line supervisors. They plan,
direct, or coordinate the operations of
companies.
For more information, visit
www.psymaxsolutions.com.

BY THE NUMB3RS
78% of active home Web
users connect via broadband, up
from 65 percent of active Web
users only one year ago.
Source: Nielsen/NetRatings survey

W W W. A L A N E T. O R G

MARCH/APRIL 2007

LegalManage

3/9/07

2:00 PM

Page 8

UPFRONT

RAISING THE BAR

Managers

All Work, No Play

50%

Most Executives Still Work While Away From the Office

40%

According to a recent survey by OfficeTeam, executives arent

relaxing on vacations. Advances in technology make it possible to
connect to the office at any time, and many are doing just that.
The survey, which includes responses from 150 senior staff
members in the United States 1,000 largest companies, asked:
How often do you work while on vacation? Their responses:

54%
43%
33%

30%
20% 18%

20%

16%
10%

10%

4%
0%

Every
day

Most Lawyers See Job Flexibility as Limiting

A new Catalyst Canada study, Beyond A Reasonable Doubt: Lawyers State Their Case
on Job Flexibility, reveals that while approximately one in four lawyers in law firms
reported having used a flexible work arrangement (FWA), the majority of those surveyed saw it as a career limiting move. More than half of the female lawyers surveyed
believed that their use of flexible work arrangements had limited their professional
development and made them appear less committed to their firms, versus 21 percent
of men who used the same arrangements. Among the studys key findings:
More lawyers opted for full-time rather than part-time FWAs.
Telecommuting and flex time were the most popular types of FWAs among
lawyers. However, roughly one in three lawyers said they had chosen to work
fewer hours for reduced compensation.
Most lawyers, both users and non-users, said they didnt believe that a lawyer who
went on a full- or part-time FWAs could ever become partner.
Most lawyers believed their firms did not adequately provide FWAs.
Nearly three-quarters of associates said partners must be encouraged to accept
that lawyers with different working styles can be effective and successful.
For more information, visit www.catalyst.org.

Policy Manual Makeover

Dress Codes Revised to Accommodate Tattoos, Piercings
Some human resources organizations are updating their dress codes to accommodate younger workers who adorn their bodies with tattoos or piercings, according
to an article by Garry Kranz in the newsletter Workforce Management. The
American Academy of Dermatology found that 48 percent of workers in the United
States ages 18 to 29 have a tattoo or a body piercing other than on the earlobe.
According to the article, nearly 75 percent of the pierced and two-thirds of the
tattooed acquired their body art before age 24. Moreover, the trend apparently has
yet to crest, indicating a potential challenge to companies: attracting upwardly
mobile and younger workers who prefer body art while forcing them to conform to
company policies on workplace attire.
To subscribe to Workforce Management, visit www.workforce.com.

LEGAL MANAGEMENT

MARCH/APRIL 2007

Employees

60%

A few
times a
week

Rarely

Never

0% 2%
Dont
Know

Purchase, Use of
E-Discovery Solutions
to Increase
According to a survey by Attenex
Corp., a provider of e-discovery
software, and Michael A. Clark,
industry analyst and principal
of EDDix LLC, a majority of
corporations are purchasing or
using a hosted e-discovery
solution through a legal service
provider.
For example, 54 percent of
respondents said they already use
document discovery and review
technology for litigation purposes,
and 72 percent of respondents
said they use e-discovery already
for internal investigations.
Additionally, 60 percent are
planning to purchase and deploy
an e-discovery solution within
the next 18 months.
Recent developments such
as amendments to the Federal
Rules of Civil Procedure and an
increased demand for electronic
information from regulatory
agencies have motivated
corporations to take more direct
control of the discovery process.
For more information, visit
www.attenex.com.

LegalManage

3/9/07

2:00 PM

Page 10

UPFRONT

Out with the Old

Executives List Most Overused Lingo
Professionals who tout outside-the-box or synergistic thinking and promise to deliver the big idea to increase ROI
may want to rethink their personal messaging in 2007. While these terms might have resonated with audiences in
the past, they are now among the most annoying business buzzwords, according to a recent survey of advertising and
marketing executives.
Executives were asked, In your opinion, what is the most annoying or overused buzzword in the creative/marketing
industry today? Top responses included:

Outside-the-box
Synergy
The big idea
ROI
Paradigm shift
Strategy
Integrated solution

CRM (customer relationship

management)
Customer-centric
Voice of the customer
Critical mass
Buzz
Make it pop

Break through the clutter

Take it to the next level
Innovation
Free value
Organic growth
Low-hanging fruit
It is what it is

Direct, concrete statements typically are the most powerful and persuasive, said Dave Willmer, Executive Director of
The Creative Group. When professionals find their communications laden with buzzwords, they should consider how they
might convey their thoughts more clearly,
For more information, visit www.creativegroup.com.

Read All About It

Legal Needs

Cash Management Solutions Launches Newsletter

Use of Outside Counsel Increasing

Cash Management Solutions

recently debuted an online
newsletter, Partner Profit
Report, dedicated to
exploring the latest trends in
law firm profit management.
The articles and discussions
in the Partner Profit Report
involve methods and practices
that increase your firms
realization of accounts
receivable (A/R), without risking
client relations.
Articles from the February 2007 issue include:
Managing Risk in the A/R Cycle: A Modified Client Intake
Approach, The Paradox of Lost Profitability: Where
Should a Law Firm Spend Money to Get Money? and The
Realization Game.
To submit an article or suggest a topic, please
contact Michael Ferdman at mike@cms-group.com. To
download the newsletter, visit www.cms-group.com/cms_
web/index.html.

More than 25 percent of in-house law department leaders

said they would increase their use of outside counsel in the
coming year, according to the 2006 Chief Legal Officer Survey
from the Association of Corporate Counsel (ACC). This marks
a significant increase from 2005, when only 16 percent of
respondents anticipated an increase in the use of outside
counsel, and it is the highest response since the 2001 survey.
Meanwhile, in-house counsel are not averse to firing
underperforming firms, with 32 percent of respondents indicating they had fired at least one law firm during the previous
year. Of those who had fired a firm, approximately half said
that the fired firm represented a significant relationship. The
top three reasons for firing firms were similar to previous
years, including cost management, mishandling of one or
more critical matters, and lack of responsiveness.
The current business environment underscores the
need for in-house counsel to have effective outside counsel
partners, said Fred Krebs, President of ACC. While in-house
counsel are prepared to spend the money to get the legal
advice they need, they are equally prepared to hold their law
firms accountable for their performance.
For more information, visit www.acc.com.

10

LEGAL MANAGEMENT

MARCH/APRIL 2007