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Vol. 70, No. 7, July
1997
President's Perspective
The Successful Lawyer
By Steven R. Sorenson
Success is an interesting word. Its definition is unique to every person.
To some, success is measured by the possessions they own. To others, success
is measured by the friends they keep or by the inner peace they feel.
During this year I encourage you to develop your personal definition
of success: A definition that is unique to you but collectively a standard
that can define the public perception of a Wisconsin lawyer.
The State Bar of Wisconsin is beginning the process of evaluating and
defining its role through "Project Vision." This long and arduous
task of defining the State Bar's mission uses unique strategic planning
sessions to involve various Bar committees, sections and divisions. Participants
in the sessions are complimenting the process and heralding the results.
Project Vision is one of the Bar's most successful participatory activities. This process is well-suited for creating individual strategic plans.
As solo practitioners, members of law firms, participants in governmental
agencies or as in-house counsel, we can use the Project Vision concepts
to establish personal benchmarks of success.
We should ask ourselves, "Why do I practice law?" We need to
formulate and write our own mission statements. Dr. Dale Feinhauer, the
consultant for Project Vision, developed an outline we can use for this
self-evaluation. The process includes these steps:
- 1) Develop your personal "mission statement." Define your
purpose, the reason why you go to work each day, the reason why you are
a lawyer.
- 2) Develop your "values statement." What are your core values?
This is a statement of what you stand for.
- 3) Develop your "vision." Where do you want to be in five
or 10 years?
- 4) Perform a SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats)
analysis. Define what internal and external factors influence your ability
to achieve your mission and vision.
- 5) Develop an "action plan" using goals and objectives. Define
your benchmarks and the strategies you will use to achieve them.
Trained facilitators within the Bar can help us answer these key questions.
This self-evaluation makes an excellent topic for a local bar meeting. Or,
we could bring a facilitator into our law firm, governmental agency or corporation
to assist with a session wherein each lawyer asks: "Who am I? Where
do I want to go?" The process will work whether we do it ourselves
or with a facilitator.
This will be a year of self-evaluation for
the State Bar through Project Vision and for individual lawyers through
our own commitment. This will be a year of helping lawyers throughout Wisconsin
find themselves and write their own Project Vision. Hopefully it will be
a reawakening for us all. |
By answering these questions and taking these steps, we may conclude
that successful lawyers may not be measured by how much money they have
or how many trials they have won. Concepts such as community acceptance,
peer acknowledgment, scholastic recognition or client gratification may
surface as equal or superior objectives. This evaluation process also may
identify family participation, social interaction, fraternal leadership
or business ownership as personal measures. There are no preconceived right
answers, just a compelling paradigm of being honest with oneself.
As you complete your self-evaluation, ask: Who are the successful lawyers
in Wisconsin? Who are the individuals you most admire? The lawyers we deem
to be the most successful and most admired may be those who simply have
accomplished the goals and objectives of the Attorney's Oath. They may be
those who despite personal sacrifice defended the U.S. or Wisconsin constitutions.
They may be those who zealously protected their clients' rights while preserving
the integrity of the judicial system. They may be those who refused to pursue
frivolous claims despite a certain financial reward. Or they may be those
who used their skills to help others succeed in their businesses and nobody
ever knew.
I challenge every lawyer to help the State Bar complete its commitment
to strategic planning and at the same time step back, look in the mirror
and ask: "Do I really enjoy what I am doing?" Our devotion to
the practice of law must continue to be rewarding and satisfying. If we
are to solve the delivery of legal services problems and preserve the integrity
of the judicial system, we first must enjoy and respect our profession.
If we are to ask others to see us as true professionals, if we are to improve
our image, we first must feel good about ourselves and our profession.
The State Bar has accepted its challenge and is underway with Project
Vision. Now it is our turn as individuals to start the process. | 