Monday Mentors with Dallas Family Law Legend Ike Vanden Eykel
Koons Fuller Managing Shareholder and CEO Ike Vanden Eykel shares about the importance of developing a life/career plan, staying up with technology, and how to maximize your time. There are TWO bonus features of this episode, both at the end, so don't miss them!
Ike's firm and practice:
- devoted solely to family law; 2nd largest in the country; offices in Dallas/Southlake/Plano/Southlake/Houston
- Been with the firm since 1990; CEO since 1992
- (Daniel - lots of accolades/recognition)
- Family law practice area
- Technology is on the forefront of their practice, and it's important to stay ahead of the game
- the challenges change because we don't even know what might be coming even three or five years later
- Artificial intelligence is the coming tsunami
- unsure how big it will be
- become knowledgeable about what it does and how it currently could impact your work
- Anticipate its arrival and be proactive; don't be surprised
- Lots of legislative changes
- Texas is unique because of trying both property and custody to juries (which are always changing)
- The pitch to young lawyers for going into family law
- It is a subspecialty of civil litigation; so you have to want to be a litigator/courtroom lawyer
- Extremely enhanced client contact
- Diversity of property issues
- Technology is on the forefront of their practice, and it's important to stay ahead of the game
- Advice to young lawyers
- ready to work hard AND work smart
- Everyone has the same 24/7 in a week, and you have to figure out how to get your job done in that time
- Not enough, so you need people and systems
- Delegate to a quality team around you
- Figure out where you want your career to go and develop a plan
- Who are your mentors?
- Ike found a lawyer in another firm who was smart and had great courtroom skills
- Puts you through the project of making and executing the career plan
- Also makes sense to have different/multiple mentors for different areas and seasons in your life
- Your career doesn't come in an Amazon package
- Who are your mentors?
- Develop a presence in the office that is uniquely yours
- Be dependable; when a partner/senior associate delegates work to you, get the job done!
- Detail oriented is key; too much at stake for letting things fall through the cracks
- Be ready to take constructive criticism
- When hiring lawyers
- The document/resume/cover letter review is not as important as the interview stage
- People who have financial skills, experience, or knowledge (business majors, ability to understand accounting, finance, etc.) are valuable to his firm
- a great way to distinguish yourself and highlighting strengths
- At interview, looking for presence and people skills
- The answer to "how are you doing" is not "fine"
- Look professional and put together
- No canned questions you pulled off the internet
- Have several that are original and that you can pull from based on how the interview has gone
- Thoughts on work/life balance
- Definitely different than 20 years ago
- Employers have to evolve if they will be successful
- Either stay aggressive and grow, or you become stagnant and die
- But you cannot be everything to everyone all the time
- Just be sure to filter all these attitudes and actions through your plan
- Pick your target and go for it
- If someone picks a different target than you you'll likely wind up in different places
- Get your career/life plan in place!
- Rapid fire
- one trait in associate - dependability
- key habit - hard work
- favorite app/productivity tool - embracing all technology related to calendaring/email/text and live by it
- favorite legal movie - The Verdict
- Postscript / Ike unplugged on work/life balance and what it really takes to be successful