New Rules for Public Apologies

Joe Biden’s apology to Anita Hill last week about his role in the Clarence Thomas confirmation hearing was not very effective—and, according to Hill, it cannot even be called an apology at all.

In a time-honored embrace of the passive voice, Biden expressed regret for “what happened to” Hill, as if her treatment at the hands of the Senate Judiciary Committee—chaired by Biden...

Some of the bewilderment (or frustration or hostility) law firm leaders can feel about PR probably stems from experiences in which the communications efforts were largely disconnected from business development strategy. If you don’t know why your firm is doing what it’s doing—who you’re trying to reach and how that connection might lead to new business—it makes sense to question whether those efforts are worth the work. But effective communication strategy requires understanding...

As ALM reporter Roy Strom recently pointed out in his Law Firm Disrupted newsletter, Big Law firms continue to make the mistake of seeing themselves as part of one universal market when in fact they fall into at least three distinct markets that face three different realities: The true top dogs (Am Law 1-50) have shown impressive growth. The big-but-not-biggest (Am Law 51-100) are stagnant. The second hundred (Am Law 101-200) are losing...

A recent Law 360 Expert Analysis piece, "Diversity's Next Step: Developing Minority Partners," makes an incisive case for what law leaders must do to stem attrition of minority lawyers and ensure that they have opportunities to build their business and become...

If you're seeking more media coverage for your firm, consider a low-hanging fruit most law firm leaders don’t typically think of as marketing: the humble amicus brief.

Law firms assign them to young associates all the time as a method for building young lawyers’ skills and helping them develop an understanding of the stakeholders in cases that matter to the firm’s clients. In fact, amicus brief are so prevalent—mostly at the merits stage, after a case already has been set for...