Read about the latest trends and innovation in the legal practice and novel issues facing attorneys in the business of practicing law.
For those in the legal profession, the need to build community has never been stronger. According to research conducted by the Harvard Business Review, lawyering still counts as one of the “loneliest professions,” and a growing body of research has raised alarms about the mental health of overworked attorneys: one 2023 study found that lawyers facing high stress, overwork and loneliness were more than twice as likely to contemplate suicide as other working adults. The crisis is not confined to attorneys putting in long hours at the largest firms, however, but affects lawyers across the profession including in solo practice, suggesting that isolation and lack of community are significant contributing factors in addition to workload.
A groundbreaking research project commissioned in 2023 by the California Lawyers Association and the District of Columbia Bar found that lawyers are “twice as likely as the general population to contemplate suicide.” An earlier study conducted by the Hazelden Betty Ford Foundation and the American Bar Association Commission on Lawyer Assistance Programs showed that nearly 21% of lawyers and others in legal professions were considered problem drinkers, and worse, over 36% of attorneys were struggling with alcohol abuse.
In HBO’s Succession, the family patriarch creates an unfair playing field, puppeteering a game that seemingly no one can win. For many Big Law and boutique attorneys, the experience can feel eerily similar. Some are realizing that the risk of betting on themselves instead of waiting in the wings isn't really all that risky. Modern firms like Scale solve numerous problems inherent in a traditional legal practice. So long, puppeteer.
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“What makes a good entrepreneur? It starts with the willingness to take risks. I found my passion for the practice of law again,” says Scale partner Dori Karjian, after he moved on from traditional firms to leverage his extensive background providing guidance to innovative growth-stage companies at Scale LLP. Emerging firms are building a new practice model to help lawyers who see themselves as entrepreneurs thrive. Watch the video:
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Many attorneys strive to be a force for good in their community but their impact can only go so far at a small, boutique practice. Meanwhile, the demand for billable hours at Top Am Law firms often keeps attorneys from having the time to prioritize broader community impact work. This inability to provide the outsized impact he wanted is what made James Creedon decide to join Scale. See how the support and expertise of a national network of like-minded attorneys allowed James to be an even greater force for good.
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With the beginning of a new year comes the opportunity to consider your career goals with a renewed sense of purpose. Are you satisfied with the direction of your current practice, or do you want to forge a path that allows you to keep the things you love about your practice while shedding the things you want to leave behind? See how Heather Cantua, former in-house counsel and current Deputy Managing Partner at Scale, left her prior firm to create a more gratifying path based on her own definition of success.
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As we celebrate the collective achievements of women on this International Women's Day, we asked several of the many talented women at Scale to share their insights on fostering creativity as legal practitioners and advising clients that are on the cutting-edge of innovation.
