Sometimes it’s not always easy for me to remember, but at the end of the day, what I do (what MOST professionals do) is form and nurture relationships.
And as someone who is a sucker for the breakfast meeting or a coffee date, this past year has been one big learning curve. And a lot of the times, the curve pointed in directions I hadn’t planned on going…
But the thing that made it easier in the long run was the simple fact that ALL of us we’re learning together.
If a judge or opposing counsel can accidentally mute themselves, then not only do I not feel like a doofus when I do it, but I’m reminded of how human we all are behind the veneer of professionalism.
My guest today knows a lot about adapting on the fly.
Jim Reeder is a partner at Jones Day, one of the largest law firms in the world. And for anyone that knows him, it wasn’t a surprise when he became was the 2020 Chair of the Litigation Section of the American Bar Association.
What was a surprise – and a bitter-sweet one – was how Jim took maybe the WORST year for in-person relationship building and pivoted it into a period of reflection for those of us lucky enough to practice law.
Jim and I discuss the misguided focus on profits over impact, the way the pandemic actually gave us all the room to think, and why giving a voice to the voiceless is the highest calling a person can find.
I’ve never even met Jim in real life, but I can tell you as soon as I’m clear on my vaccine window, he’ll be one of the first beers I’ll be buying someone.
Enjoy the show.
