Podcasts · Business

Counsel to Counsel - Career Advice for Lawyers

Stephen Seckler: attorney career, marketing and leadership coach

100 episodes

Counsel to Counsel is a periodic podcast produced by Stephen Seckler of Seckler Attorney Coaching (www.seckler.com). It addresses important career, marketing, and leadership issues facing attorneys. The target audience is associates, counsel and partners at law firms of all sizes; but the podcast also addresses issues that are relevant to in-house counsel, law students or any lawyer who is looking for career insights inside or outside of the law.

More about the show

Counsel to Counsel is aimed at individual lawyers who are looking to increase their own career satisfaction and build their marketing and leadership skills. The podcast features interviews with leading consultants, career professionals and marketing experts who advise attorneys on careers, marketing, law firm management and related issues. The guests are also a roster of successful attorneys who have found career satisfaction inside and outside the law.

Counsel to Counsel is a direct outgrowth of the blog Counsel to Counsel which Stephen Seckler has been publishing since 2005.

Since graduating from law school in the late 1980s, Stephen Seckler has been advising lawyers on career and marketing issues and working with a broad mix of law firms and corporate law departments. He began blogging when legal blogging was in its infancy and his blog Counsel to Counsel was named to the ABA Journal's Blawg 100 in 2007 and 2008 (the first two years that list was in existence).

Steve has written extensively on career and marketing issues and he has spoken at many law school, law firm and bar association events. He served on the Boston Bar Association's Standing Committee on Work Life Balance and was Vice Chair of the Law Practice Management Section of the Massachusetts Bar Association. He is active in the, the ProVisors business network, sits on the Career Center Board of the American Bar Association, and on the editorial boards of the ABA publications GPSolo and GPSolo eReport. He has been quoted frequently in the legal and business press.

Since 2021, he has been named a top coach in the Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Reader Rankings Awards (#1 or #2 for Business Development Coach, Lawyer Outplacement Service, and Executive Coaching).

He is the author of Think Like a Lawyer, Act Like an Entrepreneur (American Bar Association, 2025).

Episodes page 2 of 2

  1. Episode 137-Summertime, Time Blocking, and Checking Things Off of Your To Do List

    · 7:13 · Episode 137

    In this episode of Counsel to Counsel, I'm taking a summer pause from interviewing to catch up on some projects. I share with you my thoughts on using time blocking as a way to get to the things that are important but…

  2. Episode 136- Aliant, a New Global Model for Practicing Law with Jacob Stein

    · 32 min · Episode 136

    Law is a conservative profession where change happens slowly. Law firms generally lag far behind accounting firms in creating new models. But since the explosion of the internet in the late 1990s, that rate of change…

  3. Episode 135-Tackling Mental Health Issues in the Law with Amy Levine and LCL

    · 25 min · Episode 135

    Attorney well-being continues to be a hot topic in the legal community. While the most severe effects of the pandemic are now behind us, mental health continues to be a significant issue in our profession. But there is…

  4. Episode 134-Law Firm Succession Planning with David Wood

    · 44 min · Episode 134

    As the baby boomer generation of lawyers approaches retirement, many firms are facing the looming challenge of ensuring a seamless transition for their clients. This process is not just about maintaining business…

  5. Episode 133-Transitioning to In-house From Litigation and Building a Legal Team—With Matt Campobasso

    · 37 min · Episode 133

    For many lawyers in private practice, going in-house is the ultimate goal. For transactional lawyers and for some specialties like employment law, the path to a corporate role is more obvious. For litigators, less so.…

  6. Episode 132-My Return to Live Conferences

    · 6:41 · Episode 132

    I was beginning to think that live conferences were in my rear view mirror...until I attended the Annual Education Conference of the National Association for Law Placement. It was my first live conference in over four…

  7. Episode 131-Becoming Memorable with Merry Neitlich

    · 37 min · Episode 131

    We've talked a lot on this show about sales and marketing and how selling legal services is different than selling a product. That's good news for those of us in the legal industry because many of us don't like the…

  8. Episode 130-Emotional Intelligence and EQ i-2.0 With Susan Schwartz

    · 36 min · Episode 130

    I've had a number of guests on this show speaking about leadership. A large part of this is that I'm very interested in the subject. But I also feel that this is a skill set that is often neglected in the legal…

  9. Episode 129-Law Firm Leadership with Kristi Royse

    · 40 min · Episode 129

    The practice of law has evolved a lot in the three decades since I graduated from law school. Technology has replace many monotonous functions and computers have replaced paper. The internet has revolutionized how…

  10. Episode 128-Here Comes the Judge- the Honorable Paul Wilson (ret.)

    · 48 min · Episode 128

    For a long time, I've been meaning to invite a judge onto Counsel to Counsel to talk about judicial careers. Going on the bench is a logical next step for many litigators and I wanted to speak to a judge who could…

  11. Episode 127-Law Firm Operations and Launching Your Own Firm-With Diane Camacho

    · 38 min · Episode 127

    In the legal press and even in popular media, larger law firms tend to get a most of the attention. In truth, a high percentage of lawyers in the United States practice in firms that are under 20 attorneys. And many of…

  12. Episode 126-Embracing Legal Technology with Colin Levy

    · 34 min · Episode 126

    When I graduated from law school in the late 1980s, there was no internet, no email, and fax machines were widely in use. I used a Dictaphone to generate correspondence and had an assistant to transcribe the tapes.…

  13. Episode 125-James Grace on Financial Planning After the Bar

    · 48 min · Episode 125

    We talk a lot on this program about finding ways to build a more satisfying legal career. While many attorneys are drawn to the profession because they care about justice, they like the idea of becoming a trusted…

  14. Episode 124-Lauren Rikleen on Social Justice and Defending American Democracy

    · 40 min · Episode 124

    In this episode, I speak with my first "threepeat" guest, Lauren Rikleen. This is Lauren's third appearance on Counsel to Counsel. She was actually one of my first guests when I launched the show in 2018. In that…

  15. Episode 123-Setting Your 2024 Goals and Creating Your "To Don't" List with Jennifer Forester and Wendy Merrill

    · 46 min · Episode 123

    December is a great time to take stock, hit the reset button, and do some planning. With 2024 around the corner, I've been speaking with my clients about setting goals for the new year. I'm not talking about making…

  16. Episode 122-For the Sake of Your Mental Health, Stop Thinking (and Acting) Like a Lawyer

    · 6:29 · Episode 122

    As attorneys, we share many qualities that make us effective in representing our clients. Our skepticism, aversion to risk, sense of urgency, competitiveness, and pessimism, can all be good for out clients. But when…

  17. Episode 121-John Buckley on Building Your Executive Presence

    · 52 min · Episode 121

    It is axiomatic that if you want to have a successful legal career, you need to learn your craft. Most areas of legal practice require highly refined analytical abilities coupled with good judgment. For the most part,…

  18. Episode 120-Scaling Your Law Firm with AI

    · 39 min · Episode 120

    Artificial Intelligence continues to be a big unknown in the legal space. It holds tremendous promise for streamlining the delivery of legal services and is already being deployed to expedite discovery, to help draft…

  19. Episode 119-From Law Firm Associate to In-House Operations-With Shawn Hoyt

    · 38 min · Episode 119

    In the past year, I've done a number of interviews with lawyers who have transitioned from the traditional practice of law into other corporate or consulting roles. In this episode, I speak with Shawn Hoyt about how to…

  20. Episode 118-Paths to Partnership in 2023 and Beyond-With Laura Terrell

    · 41 min · Episode 118

    Achieving partnership was once the goal of most law firm associates. The rules were relatively simple. Work hard, do a good job, and after several years, get rewarded by being elevated. Today the law firms are more…

  21. Episode 117-Nailing the Job Interview-A View From Both Sides of the Table with Amy Katz and Nancy Reiner

    · 38 min · Episode 117

    Job interviews can cause a lot of stress. Over the years, I've come to appreciate that this is true whether you are the candidate or the interviewer. The stakes can feel high. Both sides are trying to assess whether…

  22. Episode 116-Why Do Rankings and Awards Matter? It's Not What You Think!

    · 6:16 · Episode 116

    The Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly Reader Rankings Awards are out, and I'm pleased to report that once again, I did very well. This year I came in first for Lawyer Outplacement and for Business Development Coach. I also…

  23. Episode 115-Legal Hiring in 2023-A View From the Recruiters Desk with Emily Witt

    · 41 min · Episode 115

    It has been over a year since I finally left the legal recruiting business to focus exclusively on coaching. Since the market has changed a lot since early 2022, I thought this would be a good time to invite someone…

  24. Episode 114-From Biglaw to In-house to Business Role and Back Again with Carl Berglind

    · 35 min · Episode 114

    In the last two episodes of Counsel to Counsel, I spoke with a lawyer who left corporate practice for management consulting and a trial lawyer who has built a trial consulting business but continues to try cases. In…

  25. Episode 113-From Litigation to Trial Consulting with Marc Diller

    · 38 min · Episode 113

    In Episode 112 of Counsel to Counsel, I spoke with David Lesser, a corporate lawyer who transitioned into management consulting and quit his day job as a corporate lawyer. In this episode, I speak with a litigator who…

  26. Episode 112-From Corporate Counsel to Management Consultant-Leveraging Your Legal Career with David Lesser

    · 38 min · Episode 112

    When lawyers approach me to speak about their careers, one question they often ask is "what else can I do with my law degree". The answer to that question is of course complex. As lawyers, we are trained to spot legal…

  27. Episode 111-Finding C.H.I.L.L. Referral Partners to Grow your Network and Your Business

    · 9:28 · Episode 111

    Relationship building is the key to growing your practice. But who should you be focusing on when it comes to relationship building? In this episode, Steve Seckler explains how the acronym C.H.I.L.L. can help you to…

  28. Episode 110-Dominic Grew on "Getting to No"-Turning Leads into Business and Other Ways to Succeed in Private Practice

    · 37 min · Episode 110

    Like most lawyers, I went to law school because I wanted to enter an honorable profession. I wanted to have a career where the emphasis is on intellect and not on business. Not long after graduation, I realized that…

  29. Episode 109-Sarah Tetlow on Delegating and Dealing with Distraction

    · 39 min · Episode 109

    This episode was recorded during Well-Being Week in Law 2023. In Massachusetts and around the country, there are a lot of programs being offered to get lawyers thinking about the many mental health challenges that are…

  30. Episode 108-Steve Seckler: Coaching Superstar Lawyers (from the Be That Lawyer Podcast)

    · 42 min · Episode 108

    In this Episode of Counsel to Counsel, I'm bringing you the feed from Steve Fretzin's great podcast, Be That Lawyer. Steve is an outstanding business development coach for attorneys. He is an author and friend who has…

  31. Episode 107-ChatGPT and Trends in Legal Marketing Technology-with Jared Correia

    · 47 min · Episode 107

    I don't spend a lot of time talking about technology on this podcast. But I use technology all the time to manage my business and to increase my marketing efficiency. In fact technology is a critical reason why I am…

  32. Episode 106-Coaching for Lawyers with Seven Levels of Energy Management

    · 30 min · Episode 106

    Coaching is a field that has exploded since I graduated from law school in the late 1980s. There are now life coaches, business coaches, executive coaches, marketing coaches, career coaches, and coaches like me who…

  33. Episode 105-Career Services at Latham & Watkins-How One Law Firm is Creating New Models for Success (Part 2)

    · 47 min · Episode 105

    In this episode, I'm very pleased to welcome back Kevin Agnew. I spoke with Kevin just about a year ago about his career path. We talked about the career services program he runs at one of the largest firms in the…

  34. Episode 104-Freelance Lawyering and Returning to Work with Montage Legal

    · 43 min · Episode 104

    I really enjoy stories about lawyers who have taken their careers on a less traditional path. I especially enjoy speaking with lawyers who have done some very unlawyerly and more entrepreneurial things. At the same…

  35. Episode 103-Ben Sachs on Building High-Performance Legal Teams

    · 52 min · Episode 103

    In this episode, I speak with Ben Sachs of the Landing Group. Ben is the author of a terrific new book entitled: All Rise-Practical Tools for Building High-performance Legal Teams. In the conclusion of the book Ben…

  36. Episode 102-Multichannel Marketing- À Chacun Son Goût

    · 8:38 · Episode 102

    In this episode, I'm coming off of a string of marketing successes. Therefore, instead of interviewing someone else, I've decided to share my experiences. The Reader's Digest version is that most lawyers who achieve…

  37. Episode 101-Career Wisdom from a Former Federal Prosecutor

    · 42 min · Episode 101

    When I work with lawyers who are doing career exploration, I always encourage them to have informational interviews with attorneys who can give them some perspective. The lawyers who have the best career perspective…

  38. Episode 100-Word of Mouth Marketing with Michael Katz

    · 42 min · Episode 100

    In this episode, Michael Katz, returns to Counsel to Counsel after a 3 year hiatus. In 2019, Michael and I spoke about how to use newsletters as an effective marketing tool. Check out Episode 29 of this podcast.…

  39. Episode 99-A Conversation With Rudy Rivera

    · 42 min · Episode 99

    The pandemic was a mixed bag for me. As some of my listeners know, both of my parents died of COVID in April 2020. While that was very sad, it wasn't tragic. My dad was 95, my mom was 94, neither suffered, and neither…

  40. Episode 98-Saying Thank You and Overcoming Inertia in 2023

    · 6:54 · Episode 98

    IMHO, the two most important words in the English language are "Thank You". As lawyers, we can be stingy in offering thanks to our colleagues and the people who support our work. In addition, as we enter the holiday…

  41. Episode 97-What Law Firms Can Learn From Corporate America About Well-Being

    · 43 min · Episode 97

    The subject of attorney well-being is a topic of conversation at most major law firms today. Several years ago, the Report of the Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being was issued by the American Bar Association, Conference…

  42. Episode 96-David Abromowitz-Practicing Law in the Public Interest at an AmLaw200 Firm

    · 52 min · Episode 96

    Is it possible to practice in the public interest at a major law firm? How can you build a legal career working on complex commercial real estate deals while serving a higher purpose? David Abromowitz has been doing…

  43. Episode 95-Misty Leon on Going In-house With a Specialty

    · 44 min · Episode 95

    In the 25 years that I've been coaching attorneys, one of the common themes I hear is the desire to go in-house. We have spoken a number of times on this podcast about that. Conventional wisdom says that going…

  44. Episode 94-Susan Ibitz-The Human Behavior Hacker

    · 54 min · Episode 94

    One of the things I love most about doing this podcast is that I get to meet really interesting people and interview them. My guest in this episode takes the meaning of "interesting" to a whole new level. Susan Ibitz…

  45. Episode 93-Planning for Retirement with Julie Jason, The Discerning Investment Advisor

    · 42 min · Episode 93

    Retirement today is very different than it was 50 years ago. People are living longer, and lawyers, like many other knowledge workers, have the ability to work well into their 60s, 70s and beyond. Supreme Court Justice…

  46. Episode 92-An Expat Lawyer and Podcast Host Reflects on Her Career in Japan

    · 59 min · Episode 92

    The pandemic put a damper on international travel. It also reduced the opportunities for American lawyers to practice law overseas. But as travel has returned, the demand for legal talent trained in the United States…

  47. Episode 91-Transitioning Your Legal Career to In-house and Beyond With Amy Katz

    · 48 min · Episode 91

    Over the last 25 years, I've spoken to many lawyers who have expressed interest in going in-house. When I graduated from law school in the late 1980s, opportunities to work in a corporate environment were more limited.…

  48. Episode 90-Scaling Your Law Practice with Coach Rockwell

    · 53 min · Episode 90

    In the legal profession, AmLaw100 law firms get most of the attention. With eye popping salaries now being given to first year associates, it is easy to conclude that getting one of these jobs means you are at the…

  49. Episode 89-Carol Marzouk-The Executive Lion Tamer

    · 45 min · Episode 89

    In law school, we learn how to think like a lawyer. We develop the analytical skills we need to analyze a case, draft documents, research legal issues and provide sound legal advice to our clients. But like many…

  50. Episode 88-Frank Rudewicz-The Investigator

    · 42 min · Episode 88

    If you listen to this podcast or spend any time around me, you know that I am an enthusiastic member of ProVisors, a nationwide business networking group that is home to some great lawyers, accountants, financial…

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