So long, farewell ...

• Author: Scalzi, Jeff
• Position: Message from the Editors

He Said (One Last Time)

As I sit on yet another plane, iced coffee between my feet and the latest celebrity gossip blaring through my earphones (thanks, JetBlue!), I author my final "He Said" contribution. Surely this last column should be my piece de resistance! It's the perfect coda to two years' worth of substance-filled, action-oriented essays, each oozing nuggets of wisdom. Sure, my recent descent into the world of schnitzel trucks and Facebook mishaps was likely the result of the pace of my professional life. But I still have it, right? I can dazzle the legal marketing masses one more time.

Who am I kidding? Above me in the overhead is a duffle bag the size my seven-year old would take to an overnight sleepover. When I went to pack this morning for this latest multi-day trip, not a suitcase could be found in my tiny New York apartment. Apparently, my fleet of travel gear has finally landed all in one place: Massachusetts, where I was not. Excellent. All dressed up with nowhere to put my clothes, I safely zipped and tucked into a properly folded and organized package that resembled a picnic basket.

As another year in the legal industry comes to an end, it occurs to me that there isn't much these days that is wrapped in a nice, neat package. While the pall of the economic downturn has lifted and cautious optimism has returned, our industry still faces a multitude of challenges. Marketing and business development planning in the age of Wikileaks and Dodd-Frank is akin to a proverbial picnic basket: The compartment where you used to keep the potato salad might be empty, or filled with something else altogether. Translated: Yesterday's betthe-company litigation matters that made the firm millions might be replaced today with hundreds of wage-hour disputes.

The proceeding assertions are not news to you. I know this as I have, for the last two years, been on the receiving end of the best creative thinking and innovation our industry has to offer. This has come to me in the form of your contributions to Strategies. With each passing month, I grew increasingly amazed at the accomplishments of my peers. My pride swelled with the enthusiasm shown by each Issue Editor, knowing I was but a small part of a tremendous effort. And it was my high honor to work hand in hand with my friends and colleagues, Jennifer Smuts and Melissa Hoff----two of the brightest stars in our industry. Theresa Wojtalewicz, what a dedicated talent you are, and an...