“This book tells you all you need to know about how to get on.” The Times

“Relatively few books have been written with assistant solicitors in mind, about how to succeed at the business of being a lawyer… fewer still have devised a programme for so doing that runs alongside a book. This book does both.”Law Society (The Law Management Section)

5 star rating HR Magazine

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Totallylegal

December 2009

In an interview for the totallylegal blog, Jennifer gives top tips to associates evaluating their careers in the run up to the New Year.

read article

Law Business Review

Jennifer gives her views on the recent launch of Linklaters’ global diploma programme.

Jennifer says that such a programme “reflects the reality that traditional law firm training leaves a significant gap in the personal development of lawyers… By formalising its soft skills training as a diploma course, Linklaters is a market leader, and I am convinced the firm will receive benefit from the investment—in terms of more savvy lawyers and a superior client experience.”

read article

Reputation Management for Law Firms

Tim Phillips asks Jennifer to provide insights on training soft skills within his recently published book “Reputation Management for Law Firms”.

Jennifer states that a firm’s reputation is only as good as the reputations of the individuals representing the organisation. With this in mind, personal branding is the most powerful marketing tool available to law firms.

Whilst Jennifer advocates that all firms should make soft-skills training programmes focused on networking, relationship-building and business development available to junior associates long before they are even close to consideration for partnership, she strongly recommends that lawyers take the initiative in building up these skills as early on in their career as possible.

City AM

City AM investigates how Legal Disciplinary Partnerships (LDPs) could change the face of the legal profession should the Ministry of Justice approve new Solicitors Regulation Authority rules.

Rules that would allow non-lawyers access to partnership—an important milestone towards full liberalisation of law firm ownership and with it the creation of alternative business structures in the future.

City AM asks Jennifer Overhaus for her insights. She believes that whilst the presence of non-lawyer managers could alleviate some of the business management pressures lawyers currently face, she questions whether legal partnerships would really want to have non-lawyers “running the show”, leaving lawyers to become the “work churners”. Regardless of any future developments within the legal profession, Jennifer maintains that lawyers cannot afford to ignore the necessity of developing soft skills such as people management and business development skills, which play an increasingly vital role in a successful legal career.

Managing Partner Magazine

Jennifer was interviewed for the cover feature in 'Managing Partner' magazine about the pressure for firms to select and then support their partners.  In the article Jennifer says that there is a paradox in the partner appointment process.  At partner level lawyers are expected to bring in business but those candidates for partnership are typically the ones that have been so busy with client work that they haven't had the time (or support) to build their marketing skills and business network.

Law Business Review

Jennifer was asked her view on whether female lawyers get equal recognition.  She said that "while firms are trying to be proactive in addressing the lack of women partners, the underlying issues remain -- working part-time is difficult to manage -- for both the individual lawyer and the firm.  The cutlture of billable hours as the measure of success further perpetuates the problem".