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Management

Chair's Column – Managing Your Transition to Partner or In-House Counsel  

By Andrea S. Hartley

The ABA Young Lawyers Division and LPM strengthen their long-standing partnership with the New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference in February 2011.

The Law Practice Management Section (LPM) is pleased to dedicate this issue of Law Practice Today to the topic of new partners and new in-house counsel, in conjunction with the upcoming ABA New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference, February 25-26, 2011, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The conference is one of this year’s centerpiece initiatives by the Young Lawyers Division (YLD), and LPM is proud to be a part of this inaugural event.

Many firms provide extensive professional development training for summer clerks, associates, and lateral hires. However, firms do not always provide the necessary tools for new partners. Becoming a partner and owner in the law business brings a new set of challenges. I know firsthand that LPM is the premiere resource that can help you the transition of becoming a new partner. The articles in this issue provide a taste of the topics and speakers that will be part of the conference in Philadelphia. If you find these articles beneficial, you (and new partners in your firm) won't want to miss the opportunity to learn more about these topics as well as have an opportunity to network with other new partners and in-house counsel.

As a former member of the ABA Young Lawyers Division, it is exciting for me to continue the close relationship forged between LPM and YLD in recent years. Two years ago, then-Chair Walt Karnstein initiated a joint meeting in New Orleans. Last year, Immediate Past Chair Micah Buchdahl built on the relationship by appointing numerous YLD members to leadership positions within LPM. He then chose to use the Chair’s fund to become a lead sponsor of the new partner conference, and to sponsor the first-timer reception at each YLD meeting in this bar year. I am enjoying the opportunity to work with YLD Chair David Wolfe and share the resources and expertise of LPM members with our friends at YLD.

Enjoy this issue of Law Practice Today, and I hope to see you at the ABA New Partner and In-House Counsel Conference in Philadelphia.

About the Author

Andrea S. Hartley, Chair of the ABA Law Practice Management Section, is a bankruptcy shareholder in the Miami office of Akerman Senterfitt, where she specializes in complex business bankruptcy cases.