In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, host Steve Seckler interviews Naïs Mouret, a global leadership advisor and certified emotional intelligence consultant. Naïs shares insights on the critical role of emotional intelligence (EI) and physical well-being in the legal profession. Drawing on her experience working at the United Nations and her extensive background in leadership consulting, she highlights how empathy, resilience, and mindfulness are essential tools for both professional success and personal satisfaction. Naïs emphasizes the importance of developing EI to better connect with clients and colleagues, particularly in high-pressure environments like law firms.

Naïs also discusses the profound impact of physical well-being on professional performance, advocating for small, practical steps that lawyers can integrate into their daily routines to enhance both mental and physical health. From mindfulness exercises to movement breaks, she shares tips on how busy legal professionals can foster resilience and maintain balance. This episode provides valuable advice for young lawyers on building long-term success by prioritizing both emotional intelligence and personal well-being.

Related Episodes

 * Episode 139-Conquering Perfectionism in the Practice of Law with Jordana Confino [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-139-conquering-perfectionism-in-the-practice-of-law-with-jordana-confino]
 * Episode 135-Tackling Mental Health Issues in the Law with Amy Levine and LCL [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-135-tackling-mental-health-issues-in-the-law-with-amy-levine-and-lcl]
 * Episode 130-Emotional Intelligence and EQ i-2.0 With Susan Schwartz [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-130-emotional-intelligence-and-eq-i-20-with-susan-schwartz]

Episode 140- Naïs Mouret on Emotional Intelligence, Physical Wellbeing, and the Practice of Law

 

In this episode of the Counsel to Counsel podcast, host Stephen Seckler is joined by Jordana Confino [https://www.jordanaconfino.com/], a certified professional coach and founder of JC Coaching & Consulting. Together, they explore the pervasive issue of perfectionism within the legal profession, discussing how it often leads to anxiety, burnout, and career stagnation. Jordana shares her personal journey from practicing law while grappling with perfectionism to discovering the transformative power of positive psychology, which helped her redefine success and well-being in her career and life.

 

Jordana delves into the cultural and psychological roots of perfectionism in law, explaining how it can hinder career growth and creativity despite being viewed as a badge of honor in the profession. She outlines effective strategies for overcoming perfectionist tendencies, including self-compassion, distanced self-talk, and setting healthy boundaries. Through science-backed techniques and her own experiences, Jordana provides valuable insights for lawyers looking to achieve sustainable success and fulfillment without sacrificing their mental health.

 

 Additional Resources 

 

 * Self-Compassion Guide — Jordana Confino [https://www.jordanaconfino.com/self-compassion-guide]
 * Episode 135-Tackling Mental Health Issues in the Law with Amy Levine and LCL [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-135-tackling-mental-health-issues-in-the-law-with-amy-levine-and-lcl]
 * Episode 70-Shailini George on Doing Well and Being Well in the Law [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-70-shailini-george-on-doing-well-and-being-well-in-the-law]

Episode 139-Conquering Perfectionism in the Practice of Law with Jordana Confino

In this episode Stephen Seckler speaks with Lana Manganiello [https://www.linkedin.com/in/lanamanganiello/], author of the new book Careers in Business Law: Forging Your Path to Success (American Bar Association 2024).

Lana shares insights from her extensive experience working with AmLaw 200 firms on business strategy, attorney development, and implementing innovative growth initiatives. They discuss the evolving landscape of business law, the importance of aligning career choices with personal values, and how thought leadership can be a powerful tool for lawyers.

Whether you're a law student, early-career lawyer, or seasoned professional, this episode offers valuable advice on navigating and succeeding in the legal profession. Tune in to learn more about Lana's career journey, her motivations for writing the book, and the key lessons she hopes readers will take away.

Additional Episodes

 * Episode 68-Are there Gender Differences in Legal Marketing?—What Men and Women Can Learn From Each Other About Building a Law Practice [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-68-are-there-gender-differences-in-legal-marketingwhat-men-and-women-can-learn-from-each-other-about-building-a-law-practice]
 * Episode 118-Paths to Partnership in 2023 and Beyond-With Laura Terrell [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-118-paths-to-partnership-in-2023-and-beyond-with-laura-terrell]

Episode 138-Thought Leadership and Careers in Business Law with Lana Manganiello

In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, I'm taking a summer pause from interviewing to catch up on some projects.  I share with you my thoughts on using time blocking as a way to get to the things that are important but not urgent.

 

 

Related Episodes

 * Episode 123-Setting Your 2024 Goals and Creating Your “To Don't" List with Jennifer Forester and Wendy Merrill [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-123-setting-your-2024-goals-and-creating-your-not-to-do-list-with-jennifer-forester-and-wendy-merrill]
 * Episode 57- Billable Work v. Investment Hours (Dr. Sarah Reiff-Hekking on Time Management) [https://counseltocounsel.libsyn.com/episode-57-billable-work-v-investment-hours-dr-sarah-reiff-hekking-on-time-management]

 

 

 

Episode 137-Summertime, Time Blocking, and Checking Things Off of Your To Do List

Law is a conservative profession where change happens slowly. Law firms generally lag far behind accounting firms in creating new models. But since the explosion of the internet in the late 1990s, that rate of change has begun to accelerate. And with the rapid proliferation of ChatGPT and other AI tools, law will surely undergo a lot more change in the next five years.

In this episode, we dive into the innovative legal model of Aliant with Managing Partner Jacob Stein [https://aliantlaw.com/attorney-profile/jacob-stein/]. Aliant is a global network of independent mid-sized law firms that combines the credibility of a large firm with the flexibility and profitability of a boutique practice.

Jacob discusses how Aliant LLP operates as a distributed/remote law firm in the US, offering back-office support while allowing lawyers to maintain high profit margins and operate independently. We explore the benefits for lawyers, including increased control over workload, high profit margins, and reduced stress, as well as the advantages for clients, such as personalized service and access to a global network. Tune in to learn more about how Aliant is revolutionizing the legal industry and providing a new model for legal practice.

Episode 136- Aliant, a New Global Model for Practicing Law with Jacob Stein

Attorney well-being continues to be a hot topic in the legal community.  While the most severe effects of the pandemic are now behind us, mental health continues to be a significant issue in our profession. But there is a lot being done to address these challenges.

To provide some context, several years ago, the Report of the Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, issued by the American Bar Association, Conference of Chief Judges, and other legal organizations, called well-being an essential element of a lawyer’s duty of competence. In Massachusetts, Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers plays a vital role in supporting attorneys, and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts has established a Standing Committee on Lawyer Well-Being to enhance the well-being of lawyers, judges, and law students in the Commonwealth.

In this episode, my former colleague, Amy Levine [https://www.linkedin.com/in/amy-levine-44522b3/] discusses the many initiatives going on in Massachusetts and around the country.  Amy is the Director of Programs and Volunteers at Lawyers Concerned for Lawyers [https://www.lclma.org/] (LCL) of Massachusetts. Amy has over 20 years of experience in the legal industry.  She has worked in in marketing, human resources, and legal recruiting and has a background in social work.   In 2018, Amy was one of the first guests on this podcast where she talked about interviewing.

At LCL, Amy creates programs for the Massachusetts legal community and provides customized educational programming for various legal organizations. She also recruits and manages LCL’s volunteers, who assist in running recovery groups, provide peer monitoring services, and act as ambassadors for the organization.

We discuss the critical role of Lawyers Assistance Programs around the country, the extensive range of services offered by LCL, and the impact these programs have on lawyer well-being.

Episode 135-Tackling Mental Health Issues in the Law with Amy Levine and LCL

As the baby boomer generation of lawyers approaches retirement, many firms are facing the looming challenge of ensuring a seamless transition for their clients. This process is not just about maintaining business continuity but also about safeguarding the firm's legacy and client relationships. Unfortunately, many firms are not adequately addressing these issues, which can lead to significant disruptions.

In this episode, I speak with a consultant who is working with law firms to change this.

David Wood [https://davidwoodconsulting.com/] is a former senior partner with an AmLaw 100 firm, who planned and executed the succession of his entire $6 million practice to talented younger partners before he retired.  Recognizing that many law firms struggle to achieve this outcome, he now advises firms and practice groups on retirement succession issues and strategies.

Key Takeaways

 * Many law firms struggle with effective succession planning when senior partners retire
 * Transitioning client relationships and revenue streams to younger partners is crucial
 * Open communication about retirement plans and identifying successors is key
 * Retiring partners need a vision for their post-law life to ease the transition

Episode 134-Law Firm Succession Planning with David Wood

For many lawyers in private practice, going in-house is the ultimate goal. For transactional lawyers and for some specialties like employment law, the path to a corporate role is more obvious. For litigators, less so.  Most companies outsource a lot of their litigation because the need tends to fluctuate.

But litigators can bring valuable skills to a corporate environment. And there are many examples of litigators who have gone on to have successful in-house careers.

In this episode I speak with Matt Campobasso [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrc1921/], a litigator who has built a solid in-house legal career after having a successful career in private practice and public service.

Matt Campobasso is the General Counsel and Corporate Secretary of Enfusion, Inc., a publicly traded fintech company headquartered in Chicago.  He joined the company in 2020 as Deputy General Counsel and helped take the company public.  Prior to that, he served as in-house counsel to two other companies.

He began his career as a prosecutor and then spent ten years litigating with a major firm in Chicago.

In addition to discussing his path to in-house and why he thinks litigators make good in-house counsel, Matt shares his philosophy about leadership and how he has grown the legal function and the legal team at Enfusion.

Episode 133-Transitioning to In-house From Litigation and Building a Legal Team—With Matt Campobasso

I was beginning to think that live conferences were in my rear view mirror...until I attended the Annual Education Conference of the National Association for Law Placement.  It was my first live conference in over four years.  And I was like a kid in a candy shop.

While I've made a point of going to an occasional live event, especially in the last two years (including speaking at live events), I had pretty much give up on conferences.

Attending the NALP conference changed that for me.  The quality of the networking and the quality of the workshops convinced me that going to live conferences is still an important part of marketing and professional development.  Listen in to hear my story.

Additional Resources

 * Checklist for Networking Functions [https://www.seckler.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Checklist-for-Networking-Functions2.pdf] (before, during, and after)
 * Active Listening-Do I Really Need to Say This? [https://www.seckler.com/2023/04/25/active-listening-do-i-really-need-to-say-this/]

Episode 132-My Return to Live Conferences

We’ve talked a lot on this show about sales and marketing and how selling legal services is different than selling a product.  That’s good news for those of us in the legal industry because many of us don’t like the thought of being a salesperson.

Selling legal services is about relationships building.

The challenge, however, is that clients generally don’t need your services all the time. You don’t know when a client, potential client, or referral source will have a need or hear of a need.

That’s why it is important to stay top of mind over a long period of time.  But how do you do that?  How can you make yourself memorable whether you are delivering a pitch, giving a presentation, or simply building relationships in the community.

In this episode, Merry Neitlich [https://emconsults.org/] talks about that.

I’ve know about Merry for years, but we only met more recently through the ProVisors business network.  Back in the early 1990s when legal marketing was starting to take off, Merry was one of the pioneers in the legal marketing community.

Merry Neitlich  has over 25 years of experience in law firm marketing, business development, and strategic planning. She provides attorneys and law firms with tools to grow their business and to successfully identify, court, and convert targets into clients.

She has conducted hundreds of client feedback interviews and has a lot of experience helping firms with branding,

Merry has been an active member of the Legal Marketing Association. She is a frequent national speaker and author.   In 2017, she was inducted into the Legal Marketing Association Hall of Fame.

She is also an accomplished nationally ranked adult competitive figure skater.

Additional Resources

If You Are Not Memorable, Don’t Expect to Be Remembered [https://www.seckler.com/2023/10/30/if-you-are-not-memorable-dont-expect-to-be-remembered/]

Episode 131-Becoming Memorable with Merry Neitlich

Counsel to Counsel is a periodic podcast produced by Stephen Seckler of Seckler Attorney Coaching (www.counseltocounsel.com). It addresses important career, marketing, and leadership issues facing attorneys. The target audience is associates, counsel and partners at law firms of all sizes; but the podcast also addresses issues that are relevant to in-house counsel, law students or any lawyer who is looking for career insights inside or outside of the law. Counsel to Counsel is aimed at individual lawyers who are looking to increase their own career satisfaction and build their marketing and leadership skills. The podcast features interviews with leading consultants, career professionals and marketing experts who advise attorneys on careers, marketing, law firm management and related issues. The guests are also a roster of successful attorneys who have found career satisfaction inside and outside the law. Counsel to Counsel is a direct outgrowth of the blog Counsel to Counsel which Stephen Seckler has been publishing since 2005. Since graduating from law school in the late 1980s, Stephen Seckler has been advising lawyers on career and marketing issues and working with a broad mix of law firms and corporate law departments. He began blogging when legal blogging was in its infancy and his blog Counsel to Counsel was named to the ABA Journal’s Blawg 100 in 2007 and 2008 (the first two years that list was in existence). Steve has written extensively on career and marketing issues and he has spoken at many law school, law firm and bar association events. He served on the Boston Bar Association’s Standing Committee on Work Life Balance and was Vice Chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He is active in the Senior Lawyers Division of the American Bar Association, the ProVisors business network, and has been quoted frequently in the legal and business press.

Stephen Seckler

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