Really ? (No.)

  Really ? (Yes.)

How refreshing for Forbes to offer us 26 Lessons from a 26 Year Old CEO, Shama Kabani.  Her wisdom is well-suited for consideration by Managing Partners of the most significant law firms.  Her ideas are extraordinarily mature for her age which may explain her phenomenal business success.  Here are a few examples:

…planning (#1):

• A written vision of what you want your company to look like in 3 years is important. The pen (or keyboard!) has power. It isn’t enough to envision your goals in your mind. You must have a blueprint on paper. Every decision you make, ask yourself: does this help me get closer to my vision?
  

…listening (#2):

• Learn to listen to your clients. When we started, we were only offering social media consulting services. But, clients quickly demanded more. We eventually ended up serving as their web marketing department. The marketplace will tell you what it needs. You have to listen, and then deliver.
  

 …and #15 (who would expect a 26 year old to remind us to dress appropriately):

• Appearances matter. I just interviewed an intern who showed up in an outfit more appropriate for an 8 a.m. class. I had to wonder how he would represent us in front of clients. Whether we like it or not, appearances matter. Dress appropriately.

…and #26 (think "Managing Partner" rather than CEO and "firm" rather than company):

• Being a CEO means being a CVO. CVO stands for Chief Value Officer. Always ask yourself: How can I create value for our clients? Our prospects? Our internal team? The answers will guide you to building a better company.

My opinion: Except for #18 (decide for yourself), I think every single one of the 26 lessons is worthy of consideration by every law firm leader

Read all 26 lessons at Forbes: 26 Lessons from a 26 Year Old CEO

Shama Kabani is the award winning CEO of The Marketing Zen Group, a full service web marketing firm in Dallas. She is also the author of the best-selling, The Zen of Social Media Marketing; and hosts her own web TV show at Shama.Tv.  Her photo is courtesy of the Young Entrepreneurial Council.  Thank you to Annie Colbert of Guy Kawasaki’s ALLTOP for bringing this Forbes Blogpost to my attention.

Originally posted at Amazing Firms Amazing Practices. Please visit http://www.gerryriskin.com/.

(Please pass this forward to 2 and 3rd year law and lateral candidates.)

According to Claude Sheer, CEO of Vault.com., “The Vault/MCCA Legal Diversity Career Fair will offer a hands-on insider’s perspective of the progress that top firms are making to increase diversity and to advise minority, women and GLBT law students and associates on their legal career options.”

“MCCA is delighted to partner with Vault to offer this wonderful opportunity for organizations seeking to attract talented, diverse candidates and underscore their commitment to building more inclusive workplaces,” said Veta Richardson, Executive Director of MCCA.  “We are enthused that in the midst of a recovering economy, there is such enthusiasm around reaching out to highly-qualified, diverse talent.”

The Vault/MCCA Legal Diversity Career Fair will take place from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., with representatives of over 30 legal employers available to meet with candidates.  The event will kick off with a special breakfast where Vault will unveil its 2011 Law Firm Diversity Rankings, the result of its annual Law Firm Associate Survey.

Earlier this year, more than 15,000 law firm associates rated their employers on a variety of issues, including diversity with respect to minority, women and GLBT attorneys.  Vault representatives will be on hand to reveal these diversity rankings and honor the Top 20 law firms who were the most highly rated by their own associates for their commitment to hiring, retaining and promoting diverse attorneys.

“Vault’s diversity rankings are unique in that it is the law firm associates themselves who rate their employer’s commitment to a diverse and inclusive workplace.  Lawyers are a tough crowd; these firms have cleared a high bar,” noted Brian Dalton, Managing Editor at Vault.com.  “According to its own associates, the top firm ‘treats diversity as a priority’ and ‘is not simply following a trend’—and this is reflected in our rankings.”

Following breakfast, candidates will have the opportunity to meet and present their resumes to hiring partners and recruiters from top law firms, government agencies, and corporate law departments during recruiting hall hours, before and after lunch.  The career fair is designed for minority, female, GLBT, and candidates with disabilities.

In the midst of networking, candidates will have the opportunity to recharge during a keynote lunch featuring Carolyn B. Lamm, President of the American Bar Association.  President Lamm was named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in America by The National Law Journal in 2007 and one of Washington's Top 30 Lawyers by Washingtonian magazine in 2009.  She has worked tirelessly to ensure equal opportunities in law and will speak about her efforts, goals and outlook for the future of diversity in the legal profession.

Morgan Lewis is the Platinum Sponsor for the Legal Diversity Career Fair and lunch.  “As we gear up for entry-level hiring, sponsoring the Vault/MCCA Legal Diversity Career Fair is one of the ways we will continue to make diversity a priority at Morgan Lewis,” said Firm Chair Francis M. Milone. “Our goal is to attract entry level lawyers from diverse backgrounds who have the skills our clients most value, including hard work, responsiveness, problem solving ability, and a commitment to teamwork.”

The event will also offer opportunities for job seekers to obtain resume and cover letter review and advice from Vault Career Experts and access computer terminals to view Vault's Career Insider and Vault/MCCA Law Firm Diversity Database, a fully-searchable online tool featuring comprehensive data on diversity performance at nearly 300 law firms nationwide.  Registration is still open at http://www.vault.com/legaldiversity.

Originally posted at Amazing Firms, Amazing Practices. Please visit http://www.gerryriskin.com/.