Biggest Challenges Faced by an Attorney at Gunderson Dettmer
Colin's biggest challenge at Gunderson Dettmer is managing "a lot of people who are pretty smart and pretty motivated and ambitious," requiring a balance of productivity, happiness, and forward momentum. The fast-paced, high-workload environment, coupled with the inherent "salesmanship" needed in the legal profession, adds significant stress to the role.
Management, Leadership, Stress Management, Salesmanship, Fast-paced environment
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Colin Chapman
Attorney
Gunderson Dettmer
University of California Berkeley
Law degree - University of Michigan
History, Art History, Political Science, American Studies
Law
Legal
Scholarship Recipient, Took Out Loans, Worked 20+ Hours in School, Student Athlete
Video Highlights
1. Managing a team of smart and ambitious individuals while maintaining productivity and satisfaction.
2. High workload and fast-paced environment that can be stressful, requiring a high tolerance for pressure.
3. The need for salesmanship and client relationship building skills in the legal profession.
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
Probably managing. It's a law firm, and we have a lot of people. I'm responsible for many people at some level.
They are all smart, motivated, and ambitious. You're trying to move them forward, keep them happy, and productive simultaneously. That's all part of management, and it's quite difficult.
The other challenging aspect is that there's a lot of work. Most lawyers work a lot, though not all.
What's both positive and negative is that it's fast-paced, which can be very stressful. You have to like that. Even if you do, there are days when it just becomes pretty big.
For me, there's also a level of salesmanship required in almost all professions now, and that includes law. That can be challenging.
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