One of our event speakers

Don Brown, of Donohue Brown Mathewson & Smyth, will be one of our speakers at our Wednesday event. He took some time to answer our questions.

What do you hope people learn from your presentation?

I would hope that the attendees appreciate that in order to survive in this legal market, it is necessary to be adaptable.  Too often, people may focus too narrowly in what they are willing to do.  Being open to diverse opportunities is essential.

What advice do you have for unemployed lawyers?

I suggest that each unemployed lawyer network with everyone they know associated in any way in the legal profession, people in government, courts, businesses and firms.  Be flexible enough in planning to pick the brains of all potential sources of information.

How can trial lawyers make themselves more marketable in this economy?

You must have confidence that the skills you have developed can be adapted to a large variety of scenarios.  Be a salesman of your skills and be prepared to retool if necessary.

If some unemployed lawyers want to work together to create their own firm, what advice do you have for building a firm?

Starting a firm is extremely challenging.  There are a number of matters that must be considered and hopefully certain characteristics can be shared among the attorneys you are planning to join.  Some are: compatibility of goals and expectations; sense of cooperation and sacrifice; ability to compromise; and a sense of humor. Like a marriage, the three “Cs” are most important:  commitment, compromise and communication.