Yuliya LaRoe

Being a brilliant lawyer is only half the battle when it comes to keeping your doors open. Far too many exceptional attorneys spend their days trapped in an exhausting cycle of reactive firefighting—letting an unruly caseload run them right into unpredictable cash flow and complete administrative burnout. The truth is, learning how to run a law firm efficiently isn’t about grinding out more billable hours or working yourself into the ground.

Rainmaker photo illustration. Many law firms say they want entrepreneurial partners. But few firms build the infrastructure that makes entrepreneurship possible. I hear it constantly from managing partners and executive committees: “We need our partners to be more proactive about business development.” When I ask what systems the firm has in place to support that expectation, the answer is usually vague. There may be a rainmaking training session here or there.