One of the most overlooked skills in BigLaw is understanding law firms actually solve problems. Many associates, and even some partners, assume that if they raise an issue with the "right" person and nothing changes, it means no one cares or the firm is unwilling to help. In reality, many workplace frustrations stem from misunderstanding who has the authority to solve a problem, how responsibility is distributed across a large organization, or whether the problem has an owner at all. Learning to distinguish between those situations changes how you approach difficult conversations and helps you navigate your firm far more effectively.

Throughout the episode, I explain the three categories of organizational problems every lawyer should recognize: problems with a clear owner, problems with multiple owners, and problems with no owner at all. I share practical examples involving excessive workloads, staffing shortages, associate development, difficult partners, and HR limitations to demonstrate why many common BigLaw frustrations persist. I also discuss how to present concerns in a way that emphasizes business risk rather than personal frustration, why offering multiple potential solutions produces better conversations with firm leadership, and how recognizing ownerless problems can help you decide whether to adapt, coordinate change, or reconsider whether your firm's culture aligns with your long-term career goals.

At a Glance

01:20 Why getting "Have you talked to your supervising partner?" often doesn't solve the real problem 02:48 The three types of organizational problems every BigLaw lawyer should recognize 03:22 Why an overworked associate may be asking the wrong person for a staffing solution 04:58 Why law firms function more like networks than traditional organizational charts 05:55 What HR can and cannot realistically change inside most large law firms 07:20 How to identify who actually owns a problem instead of assuming who should own it 08:37 Why some of the firm's biggest problems exist because no one owns them 09:21 The staffing example that illustrates how fragmented responsibility creates burnout 10:12 Why associate training often falls through the cracks despite everyone's good intentions 11:04 How firms allow difficult but highly profitable partners to remain unchanged 11:56 Presenting workload concerns as a client service and business risk instead of a personal complaint 12:54 Why giving leaders multiple solutions creates more productive conversations 13:41 What to do when you've exhausted every formal avenue and nothing changes 14:29 How informal leadership and connecting decision-makers can solve problems without formal authority 15:22 Recognizing when an ownerless problem reflects your firm's culture rather than a temporary obstacle 16:08 Why understanding organizations is as important as understanding the law for long-term success

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Interested in doing 1-2-1 coaching with Laura Terrell? Or learning more about her work coaching and consulting? Here are ways to reach out to her:

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laura@lauraterrell.com

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Show notes: https://www.lauraterrell.com/podcast