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Career Choices Build a Bridge To Success
When the Case Is About
Money, Can You Think Like an Accountant?
Why Lawyers Need To Think Like MBAs
Diversity Conferences: Expectations and Possibilities
Scotts Miracle-Gro Shrinks Its Legal Costs

LEGAL INDUSTRY BY THE NUMBERS

According to a Computerworld.com survey, "About 42 percent of the 170 IT managers and staffers surveyed said they did not know the status of their company's preparation for the new [e-discovery] rules, while 32 percent said their company was not at all prepared."
Learn more about this issue by reading the entire article.

ASK THE EXPERTS

Mark Grobbel
Mark Grobbel

Do you have a question or challenge you'd like the Lumen Legal experts to address? Please email us, and we'd be happy to help you plan your strategy.

LUMEN LEGAL NEWS

Lumen Legal Shines Bright

For the third time, Lumen Legal was selected as one of the 101 Best and Brightest Companies To Work For in Southeastern Michigan. To qualify as a member of that list, companies must show excellence in: diversity and multi-culturalism, work/life balance, communication, compensation and benefits, employee education and development, recruitment and selection, recognition and retention, employee engagement and commitment and community initiatives. Learn more. >

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Innovation is key to thriving in the legal industry. How do you position yourself as innovative? (Check all that apply.)

I expand my knowledge base with each career move to reach my ultimate goal.
I understand the importance of recognizing the legal industry as a business industry.
I continuously seek to expand my education, such as with accounting courses, to increase my value to clients.

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The legal industry is changing around us.

Being a lawyer is now about more than practicing law: You're both an attorney and a counselor.

In today's environment, abilities beyond pure legal skills are valued and needed. For instance, if you know accounting and business principles, that allows you to anticipate clients' needs. You're able to provide a business perspective, as well as a legal analysis.

In this issue of Legal Career Insight, we concentrate on thinking progressively to achieve goals. We interview Angelique Marks in Career Choices Build a Bridge To Success. Angelique knew what she wanted from her career, she thought about what her end employer would want to see in a practitioner, and she took the necessary steps to make it happen.

When you perform contract work, you're uniquely situated to broaden your horizons by building your skill set. Since law firms now integrate contract staffing at a greater level, you have more opportunities than ever to extend your reach.

Your questions and comments are always appreciated. If you know of any colleagues who would benefit from this newsletter, please forward it.

Regards,

david sig

David Galbenski, Esq.
President and CEO, Lumen Legal

Career Choices Build a Bridge To Success

Angelique Strong Marks knew from the beginning she wanted to be a corporate counsel. To do so, she laid the groundwork to build her experience and sought advice along the way. She understood that, typically, your first job out of law school isn't going to take you all the way to your goal. The first job is a stepping stone. Each new role adds a different skill set and takes you a step closer to your goal.

Learn from Angelique's experience. >

When the Case Is About Money, Can You Think Like an Accountant?

Jay Ballantine, who first trained as a CPA, then a lawyer, and is now a full-time faculty member at the Leeds School of Business at the University of Colorado, says: Ninety-five percent of what people argue about is money. That means attorneys need accounting skills to understand their clients' problems and to give meaningful advice. Lawyers with basic accounting under their belts will better know how to read financial statements and understand contract terms.

Make the transition smooth. >

Why Lawyers Need To Think Like MBAs

Steven Stralser, Ph.D., a Clinical Professor in a number-one ranked MBA program and a specialist in training well-educated professionals how to think like MBAs, says that business thinking ultimately results in better service to clients. For lawyers to be successful, they should push for continuous improvement, and learn to think about client issues from a business standpoint. Lawyers with business acumen can be a real asset to a law firm.

Seek out business knowledge. >

Diversity Conferences: Expectations and Possibilities

Lumen Legal contributed to the organization of two Diversity Legal Networking Conferences this fall, and Mark Grobbel and Mary Beth Schmidt attended both events. They share what was accomplished, and their own impressions of the conferences. Each was successful in its own way, by sparking valuable dialogue at panel discussions and laying the groundwork for meaningful connections at networking events.

Learn about the progress. >

Scotts Miracle-Gro Shrinks Its Legal Costs

Nothing frustrates a company's general counsel more than being dragged into a lawsuit. At first, Scotts Miracle-Gro executive vice president, general counsel and corporate secretary David M. Aronowitz tried the traditional approach to handle just such a situation. Then, he began to work with a team of Lumen Legal's contract lawyers, which saved the company millions of dollars and brought consistency to the document review process.

Discover the alternatives. >

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