Lauren Shurman
Partner | Mayer Brown LLP
What accomplishments are you most proud of?
I’m proud of the work I do every day as a lawyer — helping clients navigate legal challenges in their businesses — but I’m especially proud of the outcomes I’ve helped achieve in pro bono matters for clients who otherwise could not afford legal representation. For example, in a case I worked on with the Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, we were able to vacate a wrongful conviction after nearly 20 years of investigation and litigation. That result reinforced for me both the privilege and responsibility of being a lawyer. Not only was that case incredibly meaningful for our client, but it also served an important function in the justice system overall in helping to identify and correct past injustices so that they will hopefully not be repeated.
What’s your next big goal or project in your professional journey?
Learning to adapt to emerging technology. The tools lawyers use are changing quickly, and I think there is a real opportunity to use technology to improve efficiency, expand access to information, and better serve clients, while still maintaining the judgment and human perspective that good lawyering requires. Like most lawyers, I am interested in how our profession can adapt to navigate the use of these tools responsibly.
What key advice would you offer to other aspiring leaders?
Leadership is not just about proving what you can do yourself; it’s also about recognizing potential in others and giving them the opportunities to develop that potential. Along those same lines, effective delegation not only helps you manage what is on your plate, but it gives others the chance to show what they can do. This helps to strengthen the team in the long run.