Betsy Munnell is a business development consultant and personal career coach who brings to her work the wealth of experience she acquired over twenty-five years as a partner at Edwards Angell Palmer & Dodge (now Locke Lord LLP). A noted transactional lawyer, Betsy was among the group of young partners who built the firm’s nationally recognized media and communications finance and M&A practice.
Betsy coaches and advises young partners committed to building a book of business, more experienced partners interested in growing their practices or addressing mid-career challenges and associates at all levels of experience. She also provides individual and group social media coaching for lawyers motivated to achieve proficiency in social media and other internet tools, as part of a modern networking and branding strategy.
In addition, Betsy is the co-founder of an associate and young partner business education program distinctive for its use of a complex case study (following an acquisition financing from inception to dispute and settlement) through which participants apply the finance, business strategies and valuation concepts to the interpretation, negotiation and amendment of legal documents.
A vocal presence online, Betsy is a frequent contributor to the ongoing debate on the future of legal education and practice. She is an outspoken advocate for intensive training in business and financial skills and business generation, particularly for associates who may otherwise advance to junior partnership underequipped to manage critical relationships or generate revenue.
Betsy was one of the chief architects of her firm’s diversity program, promoting the recruitment, retention and advancement of women, minority and LGBT lawyers. She is an active proponent for changes in legal education and law firm professional development to address the profession’s disappointing record in advancing and retaining women and lawyers of color in law firm practice.
Betsy received her B.A from Harvard College and her J.D. from Harvard Law School. She serves on the Board of the American Bar Association’s Legal Career Central and as a Visiting Advisor in the Office for Career Services at Harvard Law School. At HLS Betsy provides intensive, individual coaching, and an accelerated transition to law firm practice, to select BigLaw-bound 2Ls. She has also consulted to The Fullbridge Program, a coaching intensive XBA business education program for lawyers in large firms.
Betsy lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with her husband, also a lawyer, with whom she has three daughters.