For more than two decades, I taught law students how to communicate with clients in a live-client legal clinic.

What I have found in my work with attorneys and leaders is that the skills that made students effective communicators with clients are the same skills that make lawyers effective leaders ...

The question is not whether to use AI. It's how to use it with intention.  

Over the past few months, I've had the opportunity to present on this topic through two continuing legal education programs - one for a prosecutor's office and one for a global law firm. The audiences couldn't have been mor...

Law firms are losing associates faster than ever. According to the NALP Foundation's newest data, a record 83% of 2025 departing associates left within five years of hire. Lack of career development and weak mentorship structures are key drivers.

And one of the most immediate, yet underused, tools ...

 Every law firm and corporate legal department has a version of this story. A high-performing, profitable lawyer moves up the ranks. They’re brilliant with clients, meticulous with work, and trusted to deliver. But once they’re managing people, teams disengage. Associates leave. The culture turns te...

I’ve always been drawn to the idea of having options. From a young age, my father (the late John D. Thompson, Jr. - among the first Black state legislators in Ohio) gave me advice that shaped how I think about freedom and decision-making:

“Don’t let anybody box you into a corner,” he told me. “You ...

We often think that growth is about learning more -- more skills, more knowledge, more strategies. But at a recent training, I heard an education specialist talk about unlearning: letting go of the assumptions, habits, and mindsets that no longer serve us.

Maybe you’ve been carrying an old story ab...

When You Build a Relationship With What You're Afraid Of, You Gain Power 

Someone said that to me yesterday, and I haven't stopped thinking about it since.

It landed deep, because if I'm honest, that sentence brought one of my biggest fears to the surface: the fear of being fully seen.

Seen...

When the world feels like it’s spinning out of control—whether from global crises, the fractured political landscape, personal upheaval, or simply the unpredictability of life—it's easy to feel powerless. But even in the midst of chaos, one profound truth remains: we always have the ability to exerc...

Feeling overwhelmed by all the advice on how to improve your life in 2025? You’re not alone. The truth is, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution—what works for one person might not work for another. That said, I’ve discovered three tools that have consistently guided me through every stage of life a...

As we approach 2025, there’s a unique energy in the air—equal parts excitement and apprehension. While some people are brimming with optimism, others seem to be waiting for the proverbial "other shoe to drop." I try to remember to lean into possibility, but I also acknowledge the anxiety many are fe...

Change is all around us—both in the shifting seasons and in the transitions we face in our lives. As autumn fades into winter, it’s a natural time to gather our thoughts, take stock, and reflect.

For some, change and transition bring excitement and opportunity. For others, it can feel like navigati...