Donald Polden on Lawyer Leadership in the Practice of Law

Dean Emeritus Donald Polden has published Lawyer Leadership in the Practice of Law, 14 Tenn. J. L. & Pol’y 435 (2020). In the article, Dean Polden surveys recent literature on the competencies and skills that are critical to the successful contemporary practice of law and considers how the practice of law and the fundamental lawyering skills and abilities have evolved over the last 30 years. In so doing, he debunks various myths about how leadership development is not relevant to the practice of law. Indeed, Dean Polden argues that leadership is a fundamental attribute of being an exemplary lawyer. Finally, Dean Polden articulates a comprehensive list of fundamental lawyering and leadership skills that law schools and law firms should focus on teaching and developing: technical competence, empathy, clear judgment, self-regulation and self-awareness, an appreciation of the need for change and the ability to envision change, the ability to be entrepreneurial, and the ability to influence, persuade, and establish credibility. Dean Polden concludes that “these skills and attributes will, over the long haul of one’s career as a lawyer, lead to a highly satisfying and rewarding career and one that includes the respect of others with whom the lawyer works in the practice of law.”