Letter from the editor: Onwards and upwards?

Spring has well and truly sprung in these past few weeks and as the season of rebirth gradually inches into Summer it seems fitting that this has coincided with the birth of a new craze among recession-watchers – that of ‘green shoot’ spotting. Yes, it seems that the phrase ‘green shoots of recovery’ has become the mantra of choice among economists, financial analysts, and journalists the world over, desperate for a sign that the end of the fiscal gloom is nigh.
And yet as UK unemployment rates creep past the two million mark for the first time since 1997, US economists forecast a 2.9 per cent shrink in the country’s economy this year, and a 1.6 per cent shrink predicted in the Australian economy, proclamations that we are now in recovery may be hard to swallow. Only last month the International Monetary Fund (IMF) was predicting that the global recession would be “unusually long and severe, and the recovery sluggish.”
So are these green shoots simply premature optimism? Maybe. But the suggestion remains that the worst is over and a period of recovery may just be creeping into sight.
Surely, then, this is the perfect time for law firms to consider how they will fare when the economy does eventually turn? After a year of redundancy announcements, budget cuts and restructuring, many firms have taken the necessary precautions to emerge intact in a healthier financial climate. But at what cost?
Several firms reacted to the unprecedented economic conditions by putting mentoring, diversity initiatives and inclusion schemes on the back burner. Yet if they were ever serious about retaining staff, now is the time to prove it. Partners with time on their hands should use this period to boost their individual mentoring skills. Nurturing and honing the talent of new associates is the best investment a law firm can make in tough financial times. Those firms that shift their focus from profit-margins to people management and invest in building a varied and happy workforce will emerge from this recession the strongest.
As always, I would love to hear your feedback, or any ideas for features you would like to see in the magazine. In the meantime, I hope you enjoy this issue.

Lucy McNulty,
Editor

Features

Lifestyle: Dealing with downsizing Free
While the procedural and legal aspect of the redundancy process may be familiar to you, coping with the emotional stress of making colleagues redundant is often overlooked. Bridget Osicki reveals how managers can overcome the emotional impact of laying off staff.

Case study: Allens Arthur Robinson This article is for subscribers only
Maintaining the status quo at work when facing a transition in personal circumstances can be a daunting prospect. Dr. Jacqui Abbott, head of flexibility and diversity at Australian firm Allens Arthur Robinson, outlines the support her firm offers its female employees to ensure they best manage change.

Special focus: Strategies for success: Part two This article is for registered users only
Karen B. Kahn and John E. Mitchell open up the debate, on how firms can create an environment where women succeed, to male managing partners.

Masterclass: Body language: Do you know what you are saying? This article is for subscribers only
Helen Burton, head of diversity and international finance partner at Ashurst LLP and Dr. Gwenllian Williams, business owner of professional services consultancy deWinton-Williams, assess the influence of body language in the business context and reveal how non-verbal communication can be used to your advantage.

Cover feature: WHAT WOMEN WANT This article is for subscribers only
Carol Frohlinger offers insight into the core topics discussed by gender diversity thought-leaders at Ark Group’s WOMENLEGAL 2009 forum.

Profile: Fighting for freedom Free
As pro bono counsel to Reed Smith, and head of the firm’s human rights team, Jayne E. Fleming has helped move US law forward in the area of gender-based and domestic violence through her work representing women and children asylum seekers and torture survivors from Sudan to Kazakhstan. She talks to Lucy McNulty about the highs and lows of life as a human rights advocate.

Regulars

The last word: Defending diversity Free
Marianne M. Trost, ‘The Women Lawyers Coach’ reveals how to save your firm’s diversity initiatives from downturn-induced cut-backs.

Opinion: A promise of parity Free
Lauren Stiller Rikleen offers insight into the manifesto that promises to galvanise the legal profession into action.

Opinion: Sink or swim? Free
The legal landscape is changing. Jane Wintringham reveals how to make your mark in the new world.

Thought leader: And the winner is? Free
Having been involved in the management of a law firm during three recessions, it is interesting to see whether women are more adversely affected than men in the current unprecedented economic situation.