Career Management, Mentors

5 McKinsey partner lessons that apply to lawyers

  • On April 11, 2026
Lawyers and management consultants share similarities: both advise on high-stakes matters in a client-service model. What can lawyers learn from go-getters who just made partner at McKinsey? This article talks to four new partners. I saw five recurring themes that apply to lawyers who are part of large teams and want to rise: Develop your […]
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Career Management, Inhouse, Move

How risky is it to join a startup?

  • On March 7, 2026
Lawyers are risk-averse by nature; our job is to minimize risk. But the good news is if you join a startup that fails, “your career should be fine” per WSJ. A recent Yale and Cornell study of 2.2 million workers shows that while executives may be “tainted” by working at a company that failed, rank-and-file […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Departure, Move

When to Walk Away

  • On October 18, 2025
As in-house counsel, you constantly assess risk, opportunity, and timelines for your company. But how often do you do it for yourself? Here are the highlights from NPR Life Kit’s podcast on “how to know when it’s time to walk away” so you can guide your own career. 1. Don’t stick with something “just because […]
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Career Management, Career Tips

What to Do if You Didn’t Get the Promotion

  • On April 6, 2025
Getting passed over at work stings. A few years ago in-house lawyers could have their picks of other jobs because the market was so hot. Unfortunately that’s not the case now. WSJ reports job openings are down by 8.6% and the number of people quitting jobs is down 2.6% compared to last year, but gives […]
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Career Management, Career Tips, Market

2025 Recruiting Take-Aways

  • On January 19, 2025
I spoke on AABA’s recent career panel addressing the Bay Area in-house market with talent acquisition experts Angela Cheung (ex Uber) and Herman Gee (Exelixis). Here are 5 takeaways: Pay for top in-house lawyers has generally been trending up, despite recent layoffs. This is in line with Levels.fyi’s report on tech/engineering comp. Compensation is made […]
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Career Management, Career Tips

Will You Get Ahead by Working More?

  • On January 5, 2025
It’s a new year! If you are a junior lawyer, should you show your commitment by working the longest hours? I read this CNBC article on “showing up to work early and staying late won’t get you ahead” and what instead will. Does the advice apply to lawyers? The article argues working long hours to […]
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Career Management, Career Tips

5 Lessons from Fortune GC

  • On November 13, 2024
I just attended an inspiring NAPABA conference in Seattle. Mentees of four-time GC Don Liu (who just retired from Target) listed the all-time best advice he gave them: 1. Learn the business and have a strategic mindset! Prioritize clients’ business needs when you counsel them. 2. It’s easy to get sucked into office politics, but […]
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Career Management, Career Tips

Life & Career Lessons, a Case Study of a GC

  • On March 3, 2024
I love learning the origin stories of super stars so I appreciated Chad Aboud’s interview of Jessica Nguyen, the GC of Lexion. You can find his podcast here, and he summarizes key takeaways (with time stamps!) but I wanted to call out five that resonated especially well with me and that can work for you! Hustle […]
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