Let It Rain!
This fall marks a period of record droughts in densely populated areas throughout the nation. On the East Coast, several municipalities issued restrictions designed to conserve valuable water resources. In the city of Atlanta, water tables fell to such dangerously low levels that many were prompted to ask how long the water supply would last. And in Southern California, following one of the driest years on record, massive brush fires spread across the region, triggering the nation’s largest evacuation since hurricanes Katrina and Rita rocked the Gulf Coast and left disaster in their wake. If only it were possible to make rain when and where it’s needed.
The original American Indian rainmakers danced, engaged in sacred rituals, and called upon spirits to make rain. People had faith in their ability to summon critical resources. Today’s legal rainmakers are equally revered—but instead of coaxing water from the sky, they are the ones that colleagues depend upon to generate important new professional contacts and influence decision makers to shower business opportunities on their law firms.??
In the cover story for this issue of Diversity & the Bar, we spotlight people who have achieved rainmaker status in their organizations. They are the ones who help keep the rest of us busy and fully employed. We have much to learn from the ways in which they approach client service to build lasting networks. In this issue, we also look at how the legal profession has evolved over the years, examining the evolution from the vantage points of two different generations of legal professionals. The topic of generational diversity will be a recurring theme in 2008 as we seek to share information with our readers in order to fill the gaps and build bridges of understanding. DB
Veta T. Richardson
From the November/December 2007 issue of Diversity & The Bar®