Recently in Law Firm Human Resources Category

Mother’s Day isn’t just about phone calls, cards, and chocolates. It’s about taking the time out to appreciate what our mothers (and if applicable, the mothers of our children) do for us. It’s also a great time to look at what we can do for them.

Working Mother’s “2012 Working Mother & Flex-Time Lawyers Best Law Firms for Women” list details what many of the BigLaw firms are doing for their female attorneys. Though the list appears to be in no particular order or ranking, here are a few standouts that smaller and mid-size firms can learn from:

"An old timer schooled me don't burn bridges my friend
Imagine the G-Dub close and yo [expletive] gotta swim."

-50 Cent, "I'm a Hustler"

Don Prophete, 45, doesn't need any bridges. After all, the former Ogletree partner is now a partner at Littler Mendleson - an even bigger BigLaw firm than his former employer. Still, most lawyers would be well-advised to take a different approach to resolving a dispute with a former firm, even if that dispute did involve a team member's honor.

There is currently a surplus in the legal lawyer labor market. Supply, demand, blah, blah - we're all familiar with basic economics. The reality is, you can get employees for nearly nothing. In fact, many of these students and recent grads are so desperate for resume-filler that they'll work for free!

Yes, this post is coming from the same person who told you to stop hiring unpaid interns because (a) it's illegal and (b) it makes you a terrible human being, but today is Devil's Advocate day.

What is the best law firm perk of all time?

Plenty of firms provide meals and coffee, but Washington D.C.’s Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner thinks much bigger than caffeine and carbs. It offers tuition reimbursement to cover 100 percent of staffers’ law school tuition, The Washington Post reports.

I like people. Working as a solo has little to no appeal to me, as it means I'm locked in an office all day with little to no human contact, other than the occasional client meeting or angry opposing counsel. Plus, there are a lot of things I am not good at - such as staying organized and finding time for real-world networking.

On the other hand, I am pretty damn great at anything tech-related, online marketing, and explaining things to clients in plain English. I also have clients banging down the door, begging for representation, and I could use someone to handle the overflow.

(Okay, that last part was made up.)

Lawyers -- especially plaintiffs' attorneys -- love respondeat superior. Superiors tend to have deeper pockets than employees; an injured person is more likely to recover from the boss than the underling.

Employers, on the other hand, dread the day they will be held accountable for their employees' tortious mistakes.

Not that lawyers aren't sympathetic. Lawyers aren't just responsible for staffers' torts, but for their run-of-the-mill screw-ups, too. As Attorney at Work noted earlier this week, a non-lawyer "staff member's error or omission can lead to a malpractice claim or disciplinary complaint just as readily as a lawyer's."

Last week, President Obama mentioned during a fundraiser that California Attorney General Kamala Harris is "by far, the best-looking attorney general in the country."

Well, duh. Anyone who has eyes can see that Harris is stunning. But Obama caught flack for stating the obvious, and later called Harris to apologize for his comment, Politico reports.

Why is this a topic that people are actually discussing? And what can lawyers learn from this situation?

Why do we leave nap time behind as we grow up?

In preschool, conventional wisdom says that kids need a nap because they become whiny and cranky without one. Does anyone believe that adults are different? Take a look around your office at 1 or 2 or 3 p.m. Hang out by the coffee machine for 5 minutes to watch your fellow office zombies attempt to caffeinate their way through the afternoon. Then try telling yourself that adults who wake up early and stay up late don’t need a nap.

Or — since we all know that you want to justify napping in the office — we could just turn to the science for support.

Solo practice can be a lonely existence. When you first hang a shingle, you’re probably the only person in your office, (if you have an office at all).

When business picks up, you may find yourself overwhelmed. Suddenly, delegating tasks seems like a good idea.

Previously, we discussed factors to consider when weighing the benefits of hiring a full-time or contract paralegal: specifically, the amount and type of work, and your long-term plans. But there’s also the financial factor.

There are certain parts of your job, as a small-firm owner, that you love. Helping desperate clients. Beating annoying opposing counsel. Taking vacations when they are convenient for you.

Conversely, there are parts of the job that aren’t as great, such as paying taxes, fighting clients over the bill, and handing the day-to-day administrative minutiae.

What about firing a useless associate? If you’re the type that would enjoy shooting Bambi (not her full-grown mother, but Bambi, the actual baby deer), firing an uptight, under-productive twenty-something might be the highlight of your week. For the rest of us, however, it is less sport and more dreadful necessity.