Two novices given the keys to the Porsche.

• Author: Smuts, Jennifer
• Position: Message from the Editors - Editorial - Reprint

Welcome to 2008 and a new year of Strategies. The LMA International Board, when looking for a replacement for the esteemed Jay Dinwoodie, talked to both of us, quickly spotted the fact of our limited abilities and joined us as co-executive editors. Hope fully, we will be more efficient than Dr. Doolittle's push-me-pull-you, more intelligent than Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and less annoying than Tom-Kat, Brangelina or Billary. Thankfully, neither "Jennifark" or "Mennifer" has much of a ring to it.

First, we all owe huge thanks to Jay Dinwoodie for the terrific job he did as executive editor. Jay worked closely with Managing Editor Amy Stickel to ensure there was great content in every issue. With the 2005-07 editorial board and the staff at LMA headquarters, he moved the magazine to a more news-centered approach, expanded distribution by getting Strategies into syndication with data providers, enhanced our relationships with organizations such as PSMG and APSMA and oversaw the introduction of color throughout the magazine. It is a measure of Jay's contribution that it takes two of us to fill his shoes.

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The great work Jay, Amy and the editorial board have done was built on an extremely strong foundation that had been laid by a series of outstanding executive editors. Some of their stories are told in this issue. We are standing on the shoulders of giants and simply hope to be good stewards so we can pass on to our successors something that continues the tradition that has been established.

Because we are two bears of very little brain, we would like to invite all of you to help us by sending, when the spirit moves you, proposals for content. Here are some areas that will likely be of particular interest to us:

* Dealing with the tectonic shifts confronting the legal industry. For example, ideas for articles about new client techniques to gain greater leverage over their law firms, ways to manage free agency among attorneys, creative ideas for compensation...