Our approach
We conduct interactive, practical programs that help lawyers at all levels master the skills they need to serve their clients, contribute to their firms, and take the next steps in their careers. In addition to conducting shorter programs on discrete topics, we design retreats and series of linked workshops integrating several topics relevant to a specific audience.
Click here to view options of sample modules designed for practice group, office and client team leaders.
We know law firms from the inside
Before we became consultants, we worked for decades in leading firms in the U.S. and Canada. Our teaching is informed by first-hand knowledge of the pressures facing lawyers and what it takes to succeed.
We help lawyers with practical, time-tested advice
Today’s business climate puts increasing pressure on already busy lawyers to become adept at skills that go far beyond a technical mastery of their practice.
Our programs focus on the leadership, management and business development skills that matter most to success, especially at key thresholds in their careers: beginning to manage other lawyers, generating business, entering the partnership, expanding their practices to involve others, or leading practice groups or client teams.
Successful careers are built on successful transitions. It’s not easy to cross a new threshold, but we know how to help. Here are some of the challenges our programs address:
- How can I focus on developing business when my practice seems to consume all my time?
- How can I push those I manage to do more without wrecking their desire to work with me?
- How can I plan the next steps in my career when the world around me is in flux?
- How can I lead my practice group when none of my partners want to be led?
- How can I overcome resistance to collaborating to develop business?
We conduct research-based programs that are engaging and practical
Our programs are highly interactive, using exercises, scenarios, and structured discussions to help participants apply the program content to their own circumstances.
Our goal is to provide practical advice participants can begin to use immediately and, to meet that goal, we work with firms to customize programs for each audience and unique firm culture.
Group dynamics
Our group workshops help partners work together more effectively by understanding the patterns that underlie their interactions, building on each other’s strengths, and developing better skills for managing their conflicts. These workshops can take place in conjunction with a substantive project involving a group’s members, such as updating a strategic plan. They are led by Dr. Forrest, drawing on her experience as a lawyer in high-pressure practices and her expertise as a psychologist in organizational and team dynamics.
Dr. Forrest also conducts custom-designed workshops on specific topics that benefit a group’s cohesiveness (e.g., managing difficult conversations, addressing gender issues, or understanding the neural basis of unconscious bias and how to counter its effects).