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The Key to Lawyer Happiness: The '2/3 Rule'

HappyFace On the Slaw.ca blog, Dan Pinnington writes about a "simple and profound" rule that, if followed, can help lead to the ever-elusive concept of a "happy lawyer." Pinnington says this rule -- known as the "2/3 Rule" -- was passed on from a Belgian lawyer to an Ottawa family law lawyer he knows, and ultimately on to Pinnington as part of a presentation he did with the Ottawa lawyer many years ago.

Pinnington says that under the 2/3 Rule, "the goal of being a happy lawyer with a successful practice can be achieved provided all your clients/matters meet at least 2/3 of the following requirements:"

1. You are working on interesting and challenging legal problems.
2. You are working with people you enjoy.
3. You are getting paid for your work.

Thinking back on my own time as a practicing lawyer, I think the 2/3 Rule sounds about right. For example, even the worst six-month document review (or insert your own idea of a sorry project that does not satisfy requirement No. 1) can be a pleasant experience if you are working with fun people and getting paid.

Pinnington suggests thinking about your current and future clients and matters in terms of whether they comply with the 2/3 Rule. He says that if they do not, "don’t take on the file. Slowly over time you can work towards the goal of having all your clients comply with The 2/3 Rule."

Posted by Bruce Carton on March 9, 2011 at 11:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)

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