A Collaborative Column: Has Practicing Law Really Changed?

Government and regulatory partner Scott Chinn co-authored an Indiana Lawyer article, “A Collaborative Column: Has Practicing Law Really Changed?” that discussed how both new and tenured attorneys can constructively receive or give feedback to promote professional growth.

Chinn noted that that successful organizations foster cultures where feedback is viewed as a benefit and leaders use their edits and suggestions as an opportunity to explain their methods and foster an open line of dialogue. Likewise, he highlighted that young attorneys should use feedback on their work to absorb it and utilize it on their project. Chinn emphasized the importance of accepting feedback and avoiding a defense attitude, which can be a roadblock to success.

“There is much to learn from early career attorneys who just spent years learning the rules of law and how to effectively research questions being asked. Just like there is much to learn from people who have actually been practicing the skills law school cannot teach you. This exchange is what keeps our legal system afloat,” Chinn noted.