In this week’s special New Year Kickoff Post (282), Legal Evolution is pleased to welcome guest contributor Jeff Carr, a recently retired Fortune 500 general counsel who has, over the years, served as informal mentor and coach to countless legal innovators.

Jeff’s influence is evidenced by the large number of LE posts that reference his ideas, experience, encouragement, and leadership skills.  See, e.g., Post 226 (discussing his business and finance module for IFLP); Post 210 (Jason Barnwell acknowledging Carr’s pioneering work in legal department management); Post 190 (discussing Carr’s diagnosis of law’s leadership gap and fundamental incentives problem); Post 112 (discussing Carr’s Leader-Manager-Operator framework); Post 078 (Carr discussing positive experience with IFLP intern); Post 056 (discussing Carr’s “hot-wash” practice and its influence in leadership course at IU Law); Post 052 (Jae Um’s discussing Carr’s “massive passive resistance,” or MPR, change management challenge);  Post 008 (citing Carr ACES model in context of diffusion theory).

Jason Barnwell, AGC, Modern Legal at Microsoft

After drafting off of so many of his ideas and experiences, it was high time to give Jeff his own byline.  Yet, perhaps the most impressive endorsement is a note I received in the fall of 2021 from contributor Jason Barnwell, who wrote:

Was chatting with Jeff Carr today. Please get him committed to writing and publishing. If possible a recurring schedule that forces him to start committing what he learned to written form.

As architect for Microsoft’s Modern Legal initiative, Jason wants (needs) the documented experience of Jeff Carr to demonstrate that what feels new and radical is, in fact, something successfully implemented by another innovative legal department.  After all, “diffusion of innovation is a process that occurs through a social system.” See Post 004.  We are fortunate that Jeff Carr’s pioneering efforts and mindset have gotten us onto the path.