Achievement by Design

I discovered the magic of coaching when, miserable in my job as a litigation associate, I went to see a career coach who was also a lawyer. He helped me reinvent myself and became a touchstone whenever I faced a crossroads in my career.  Along the way, I decided to follow in his footsteps.  No matter what the endeavor, a coach can help you accelerate your progress with proven methods.

In a nutshell, you describe what you want and, together, we explore options, design strategies for you to implement and achieve your goals. That is the winning formula I used with a best-selling author, attorneys from junior associate to chairman, accountants and executives. Common areas include: 
 - Marketing 
 - Confidence
 - Career transitions 
 - Leadership
 - Improving work relationships 
 - Work/life balance

Public Speaking:  I lead workshops and present to organizations on topics including marketing, improving self-confidence, effective goal-setting,  and communicating effectively.  I have presented at many continuing legal education seminars and can tailor most presentations to qualify for credit.

Founder and Lawyer Coach

The Legal Intelligencer

Lawyer coach Dena Lefkowitz helps attorneys learn what they don’t teach in law school: business development/marketing, leadership and she provides tools and strategies for career transformation within or outside the law.

Columnist

Nemours

Certified in Health Care Compliance by Health Care Compliance Association, conducted workplace investigations of alleged misconduct, analyzed legal requirements, evaluated organizational exposure, reported to Chief Compliance Officer and presented findings and recommendations to hospital leadership and human resources business partners.

Compliance

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania

Responsibilities included:

Advising the Executive Director on all legal affairs;
Appellate arguments before the Commonwealth and Supreme Court;
Supervising and mentoring staff attorneys
Overseeing and directing outside counsel;
Drafting external and internal policies;
Lobbying lawmakers to increase funding;
Recommendations to support initiatives of the Office of Open Records
Supervising litigation in appellate and common pleas courts;
Monitoring appeals from decisions of the Office of Open Records
Conducting training for public officials and attorneys and ppeals officers;
Handling inquiries from government officials and citizens;
Presenting continuing legal education seminars for attorneys;

Significant Accomplishments:
Oral argument before the Pennsylvania Supreme Court;
Created an appeals process pursuant to the new Right to Know Law;
Designed training for public officials on Pennsylvania's Sunshine Law;
Drafted the first Final Determination ever published by the Office of Open Records
Served as Senior Attorney and Appeals Officer from 2008-2010;
Drafted advisory opinions;
Instrumental in all aspects of implementing the Right to Know Law

General Counsel - Office of Open Records

Chester Upland School District

Represented and advised the Education Empowerment Board, Superintendent and executive management team on all legal matters involving the School District. Was responsible for all legal affairs including:
Creating the Office of General Counsel:
Reducing outside legal expenses by over $800,000 in the first year;
Developing strategies for cost-effective selections and use of outside counsel;
Overseeing outside counsel and reduction of litigation expenses
Drafting Policies and protocols ;
Providing counsel to improve governance and oversight of legal costs;
Drafting or approving all procurement contracts;
Monitoring and advising senior staff to ensure compliance with the Public School Code, Administrative Regulations, Public Employee Relations Act, Pennsylvania Human Relations Act, Public Officials Act, the Pennsylvania Charter School Law and law related to education including FERPA, NCLB, Title IX, and ADA;
Mediation of employee grievances;

General Counsel

School District of Philadelphia

Assistant General Counsel

Eckell Sparks Levy Auerbach Monte Sloane Matthews & Auslander, P.C.

Associate

ALAN R. KUTNER & ASSOCIATES

CAIOLA, CAIOLA & GOWEN

ABRAHAM, PRESSMAN & BAUER, P.C.

Business and Career Coach for Lawyers / Author of "Winning in Your Own Court" / Entrepreneur

When I was a kid, I was the only girl I knew whose dream did not involve walking down the aisle in a white dress. I wanted a career. My role models were more Mary Richards than Carol Brady. 

And the coolest career, I thought, would be to become a lawyer. 

Imagine if the girl whose mother called her “impossible” for being argumentative could use that specific trait and be a courtroom lawyer like Katherine Hepburn in “Adams Rib!” My dreams became grander when I was in law school and watched how the lawyers on “L.A. Law” lived. The sexy cases, the gorgeous designer suits, the cars, the prestige. Yes, please!

Well, that dream lasted for three years. Yup, 1000 days is all it took for me to realize that being a lawyer can really suck if all you know is what they taught you in law school.  As soon as I graduated, I began to see all the things I still didn’t know. And they were big, crucial things. How to get clients? I didn’t know. How to make partner? I didn’t know. How to change areas of practice if I didn’t like the first one I picked out of law school? I didn’t know.

And, that’s exactly what happened to me. I didn’t like being a litigator, my first job out of law school, because I had no idea what it was like. After all, we never saw the long hours, sleepless nights, drudgery, or stress on “L.A. Law.”

I realized that although I was helping some of my clients recover millions of dollars, I wasn’t feeling like a winner because I didn’t understand the basic laws of being a successful professional outside of the courtroom and so I quit. I shifted my practice a few times and, after 20 years, I decided to leave the law.

My dad said I was crazy. My colleagues said I was crazy. But I’m not crazy because, now, 14 years later with a successful coaching practice, having helped hundreds of lawyers win more in their careers and lives, I realize that this is my purpose, what I was made to do. I’m grateful I became a lawyer so I could become not-a-lawyer and help the rest because we will always need great lawyers. As a lawyer coach, I’m here to make sure we still have some.

Book a call here: https://achievementbydesign.com/calendar/

Some of us can live without much recognition. 

And for the rest of us, it’s oxygen. A must-have, not a nice-to-have.

I was reminded of this watching “Amadeus” again recently. The film dramatizes Mozart’s effortless genius and Salieri’s torment, not only because Mozart’s talent outshone him, but because Salieri’s hunger for recognition was insatiable. He wanted approval, adoration, applause, and the lack of it consumed him.

When I first saw the movie years ago, I wasn’t a coach, didn’t know anything about assessments, but I knew I related to how Salieri felt. Later, when I took the 
Hogan Assessments, I scored high in Recognition and understood for the first time in my life how important validation is to me. 

Looking back, I saw a pattern: I liked working with people who gave recognition, and struggled with bosses who didn’t. At the time, I didn’t realize a) that I needed it, or b) that there were ways to get it.

That is the power of assessment. It tells us what we truly value, not what we think we should. And if recognition is at the top of the list, ignoring it doesn’t make the need go away.

Some clients feel embarrassed when they score high in Recognition. I get it. We think we’re not supposed to need appreciation or awards. And yet, many of us do. 

Reward systems are everywhere — credit card points, loyalty perks, buy-ten-get-one-free punch cards. They work because recognition motivates. Just look at the doggie in the video who gets animated by the attention of a camera.

So let’s give ourselves some grace, and if the applause isn’t coming from outside, remember to pat ourselves on the back.

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LegalCareerCoach #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LifeCoachForLawyers

Dena Lefkowitz, Esq.

Award-winning author of "Winning in Your Own Court: 10 Laws for a Successful Career without Burning Out or Selling Out" (American Bar Association, 2022). I coach lawyers to win.

“Come up with an elegant solution,” directed our General Counsel.

Elegant? I had never thought of any element of the law as elegant except maybe the beautiful suits we wore.

But she gave me something to mull over.

Our G.C. was elegance personified: a formidable litigator who carried herself with serene authority and dressed with impeccable style. Watching her, I began to see my sphere differently. Legal problems could be approached with an eye toward elegance, in the way remedies were crafted and options presented.

We see a lot of styles of leadership in the law: tough, meticulous, relentless, inspiring. But elegant? That was a new one. And it stuck with me.

Mentors shape us not just through their skills but through the qualities they embody. If we’re lucky, we collect mentors whose traits are forever woven into how we work.

In every in-house role I had after that, I found myself searching for the elegant solution and encouraging newer lawyers to do the same.

✨ Here are some ways to find mentors:

	1.	Look outside your department or area of expertise. Sometimes the finance lead, HR director, or marketing head has a perspective that reshapes our perspective.

	2.	Pay attention to style, not just substance. Who in your orbit solves problems with grace, calm, or creativity? That can be as valuable as subject matter expertise.

	3.	Step beyond work. A community board member, coach, or friend in a completely different field may model qualities worth adopting.

👉 What’s one quality you picked up from a mentor that still influences the way you work today?

🎥 Video credit: @inspirehomespace

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LegalMarketingCoach #LawyerCoach #Lawyers #LegalProfession

We might laugh at these falcons, their faces frozen in panic, when the “threat” turns out to be a harmless butterfly.

But fear can be like that. So convincing. Dramatic. And entirely misplaced.

Our labrador retriever Maggie was terrified of a little Bichon Frise the size of a throw pillow. Maggie retreated, tail between her legs, while that little dog pranced away, victorious.

Sometimes what we call “reasonable cautions” are just butterflies in disguise.

Fear disguises itself as practicality, quietly convincing us to trade possibility for comfort. To play small and stay small.

The next time fear flutters in, let’s pause before bolting.
We might discover it’s smaller, softer, and far less dangerous than it looks.

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LifeCoachForLawyers #LegalCareerCoach

Dena Lefkowitz, Esq., PCC ★

Every one of us is shaped by people we will never meet.

Some mentors we know in real life. Others live in our imagination, shaping how we work, lead, and move through the world without ever knowing us.

Last week, I wrote about finding mentors we can learn from directly, who we can call, meet for coffee, and ask for advice. This week, I’ve been thinking about another kind of mentor: the ones who guide us from afar.

When I was practicing law, I loved watching Diane Lockhart on “The Good Wife.” Her commanding presence showed what it could look like to lead a law firm with confidence. And her clothes!!

At the recent Pennsylvania Conference for Women, Hoda Kotb shared that she thought it was too late to have a child until she read that Sandra Bullock had adopted. Sometimes courage finds us through someone else’s actions.

Then I saw this video of Jessica Tawil walking for the first time in ten years with the help of an exoskeleton suit. When she takes those first steps, we can see joy and disbelief meet in the same breath, the kind of moment that makes us rethink what’s possible.

At one of Oprah’s charity sales, a fan bought a pair of her shoes, even though they were way too big. She said she wanted to stand in Oprah’s shoes when she needed courage. Like having a good mentor.

If you could borrow anyone’s shoes for a day, whose shoes would you choose?

Diane’s authority. Oprah’s generosity of spirit. Jessica’s persistence. Hoda’s faith that it’s never too late. Someone else?

We can build our own hall of fame of mentors, one quality at a time, and let their example whisper, “You’ve got this,” on the days we need it most.

🎥 credit: jestawil

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LifeCoachForLawyers #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #Lawyers

Shamim Walusimbi

Ever seen an industrial shredder at work?
It eats everything in sight.
Same thing can happen when our resumes meet applicant tracking software - they disappear.

At the Association of Corporate Counsel Annual Meeting, the coaching corner was buzzing with lawyers exploring new opportunities.

One thing surprised me. Many lawyers hadn’t heard of applicant tracking software - the system that screens resumes before any human ever sees them.

And it’s not just big institutions using ATS for hiring. When we apply for roles through LinkedIn, Indeed, etc., our applications often run through the same software for organizations of every sizes.

Here’s how crazy it can be. I had a client with a unique skill set, who was invited to apply for a position at a local college. She submitted her resume online and heard nothing. Not even an interview, even though she was perfect for the role. Luckily, she had someone to follow up with. Not everyone does.

When qualified lawyers don’t get interviews, this is often why.

To outsmart the bots:
	•	Mirror the keywords in the job posting.
	•	Avoid tables, columns, and graphics.
	•	Save as a Word document or simple PDF.
	•	Work with a certified resume writer who knows how to make resumes both readable and searchable.

We work too hard to let software make us invisible. Let’s make sure the bots don’t overlook us.

🎥 Video credit, LUSLUM1305

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LegalCareerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers #AM25

Some of us were appalled by the surprise demolition of the East Wing of the White House.

And some of us shrugged and moved on.

That split reaction reflects the wide range of our values around tradition.

For folks who prize tradition, this kind of thing lands really hard. We feel connected to history and ritual, to doing things the “right” way because they’ve always mattered. It’s the impulse that drives careers in historic preservation and protecting our collective story.

For those who don’t hold tradition as highly, it’s easier to accept change or even view it as progress. Their impulse is to question, experiment, and imagine what could be better. They’re the ones who remind us that customs can evolve and that perhaps our reverence for the past shouldn’t stop us from reimagining the future.

“Tradition” is measured by Hogan Assessments and is one of the values that quietly shapes how we see the world, and why some of us flinch when old institutions crumble while others are already planning what comes next. 

Most lawyers I’ve coached score high in the tradition category and it makes sense that those drawn to preserving history, protocols and precedent would enter a profession steeped in it.

We carry our values wherever we go and whatever we do, such as baking.
 
Some of us reach for Grandma’s recipe card and follow it word for word.
Others see a recipe as an invitation to improvise. Which one are you?

We don’t really choose what we care deeply about and there’s balance in having different ways of seeing things. One preserves what we love; the other creates what’s next whether we’re ready for it, want or like it.

🎥 Video credit: [@cook_as_you_feel_it_]
🎵 credit: Edith Piaf, “Non, je ne regrette rien”

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LegalCareerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers

Security feels like something we should be able to count on.

Especially when we’ve chosen professions built on stability like law, public service and government.

Yet here we are. The government shutdown started over a month ago, and thousands of people who thought their jobs were the safest around are out of work, furloughed, or uncertain about what’s next.

The federal government shutdown and decreases in workforce affect the legal profession drastically. When I was in house counsel to the School District of Philadelphia, much of our work flowed from the mandates of federal law as enforced by its agencies. Many of the lawyers I coach work for the federal government or represent clients involved with it. When the system stalls, so does their work. And with that, their sense of security.

Lawyers often score high in “Security” on the Hogan Assessments I use in my coaching practice. High security people are driven by a strong need for stability, predictability and safety in our work environment and personal life. Does that sound like you?

People like the firefighter in this video make me feel safer. He shows us the readiness that comes working hard and training long before the alarms ring. And we can do that too.

For those of us who like our footing solid, this moment might feel shaky. But it’s also a chance to strengthen our own ladders by investing in our networks, skills, and resourcefulness so we’re ready for whatever comes next. If taking the reigns interests you, let’s talk.

What’s helping you feel secure these days? 

🎥 credit: Pubity

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LegalCareerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers

We’ve all been there, absolutely certain we understood what someone said, only to realize later we were miles apart.

A funny miscommunication in this short clip nearly turns into a serious misunderstanding. It’s a nice nudge that listening to respond isn’t the same as listening to understand.

We all think we’re good listeners, right? Until we hear, “That’s not what I meant,” and realize we were busy crafting our reply instead of paying attention.

Good listening is an active practice: checking in, summarizing, and asking if we got it right. Sometimes just repeating back what we heard can turn confusion into connection, as the interviewer in the video does. 

It can also be validating, empowering and such a relief to be understood. I love when a client says “exactly” when I paraphrase.

When we feel truly heard, we open up. We clarify. We collaborate. Conversations move forward instead of sideways.

The next time we think we’ve nailed it, maybe it’s worth asking, “Did I get you?”

It’s a small question with big impact.

🎥 credit: reverso_app

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LegalCareerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers

Procrastinate much?

There’s a fine line between preparation and paralysis, and most of us have crossed it more than once.

We’ve all been both archers.
The one aiming forever.
And the one just taking shots.

Thinking has its place, but it can turn into a safe way to stay stuck.

We can call it preparation, when it’s really just procrastination in a better outfit.

The doer learns with every arrow. The overthinker learns nothing except how heavy indecision feels.

I had a lawyer client who proofread every legal draft 3 times. She sometimes found mistakes on the second round. When I asked what she gets out of the third one, she said “nothing, I guess I do it out of habit.” She reclaimed that time on every project after that.

None of us gets it perfect. But we do get better, one imperfect shot at a time.

Credit: @valueanimate and @visualhustles 

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LegalProfession #LifeCoachForLawyers #Law

Remember when we worried the world might end at midnight on December 31, 1999?

We stocked up on bottled water, withdrew money fearing ATM failures, and waited for the lights to flicker. 

When the clock struck twelve, nothing happened. Airplanes didn’t fall. Computers didn’t crash. We woke up to a regular Saturday.

That world feels familiar again.
Because here we are, twenty-five years later, holding our breath again.

We have a government shutdown. The economy’s uncertain. The news scrolls faster than we can process it. And when so much feels unpredictable, it’s easy to live on high alert.

Lawyers are trained to anticipate risk, but these days, none of us are immune to what-ifs. Worrying can feel like control, when it’s just fear looking for something to do.

So how do we interrupt a rumination habit? A few things that help:
	•	Notice the thought loop. Awareness is our off-ramp. Catch the moment when your mind starts replaying the same scenario.
	•	Do something grounding. Write the worry down, take a walk, or text someone who gets it. Worry thrives in silence; it shrinks when shared.
	•	Set a “worry window.” Give yourself 10 minutes to think it through and then close the file for the day.
	•	Shift to what’s within reach. We can’t fix the shutdown or the markets, but we can send the email, meet the deadline, or take a breath.

When midnight came in 1999, the world kept turning.
It still does. Even when we’re sure it won’t.

🎥 credit: Historydecoded_

#CareerCoachForLawyerLawyers #LawyerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers #LegalProfession #Lawyers

We outgrow jeans, apartments, and hairstyles and yet somehow, we expect our careers to continue to fit.

After all, we’re supposed to be career-ready when we graduate from college, grad school, or law school, because after that, there’s no more curriculum, no guidance counselor, and definitely no roadmap. 

Some of us fumble through our careers with a pastiche of friends, colleagues, and the occasional mentor if we’re lucky.

At the Delaware Society for Human Resource Professionals (SHRM)  Conference & Expo (October 20–21), we’ll talk about how to curate a career on purpose, not by default. This isn’t theory. It’s a hands-on look at how to add the next piece to your professional collection with clarity and confidence.

Because “good on paper” isn’t the same as good in real life, right?

👉 Details in the comments.

#CareerCoachForAttorneys #LawyerCoach #LifeCoachForLawyers #WinningInYourOwnCourt #Law

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