“It is ironic that the occupation most responsible for producing America’s leaders has focused so little attention on that role…." –Professor Deborah Rhode, Stanford Law School; author, Lawyers as Leaders
“Although legal education emphasizes technical skills….it is the soft skills that most frequently distinguish an exceptional attorney from an ordinary attorney….soft skills are to hard skills as software is to hardware.” –Randall Kiser, Soft Skills for the Effective Lawyer
I regularly ask legal employers what they look for when they are hiring our students and graduates. The answer is almost always the same. They tell me that while technical legal skills and substantive legal knowledge are very important, they are looking for differentiating skills.
They are looking for abilities, traits, and habits like strong written and verbal communication, collaboration, project management, self-awareness, empathy, critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, emotional intelligence, initiative, professionalism, mindfulness, conflict management, work ethic, and grit.
That’s why we are in the vanguard of law schools that have developed a leadership and law program that focuses on teaching, training, and practicing those critically important skills.
Thanks to the vision and generosity of Kelly Tompkins ’81, we have established the C|M|LAW P. Kelly Tompkins Leadership and Law Program. Kelly noted, “Lawyers often follow a career trajectory that propels them into positons of leadership, to the point that the profession is disproportionately represented. Ironically, there is a lack of leadership training offered by law schools. Through C|M|LAW’s Leadership and Law Program, we equip students with the strategies and skills necessary to answer the inevitable call to leadership.”
Our Leadership and Law Program components include:
- C|M|LAW Dean's Leadership Fellows Program
- CMLAW Leader-in- Residence Program
- Leadership and Law Course: The Habits of Highly Effective Lawyer-Leaders
- C|M|LAW Hall of Fame
We have formed the C|M|LAW Leadership and Law Advisory Council, which met last week to advise us on further enhancing our program. The Advisory Council consists of some of Ohio’s most distinguished lawyer-leaders and leadership experts.
True to our mission of “Learn Law. Live Justice,” we are preparing our students to make a difference in the world as citizens and leaders in a fast-changing environment. Leaders of the future need to have the skills to lead, counsel, and manage in a world of volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. Our program provides training and practice in leadership that better prepares our students to effectively manage the people and organizations they will lead.
We are a law school that not only makes great lawyers, we make great leaders. You graduate not only with a law degree, you graduate with a leader degree.
This Week’s Monday Moment: Start With Why: Simon Sinek
Have a great day. Have a great week.