Why Your 2026 Career Security Depends on Your December Energy Audit
As the legal market approaches the end of 2025, a pervasive, quiet anxiety has taken hold. Between the “spreadsheet economics” of law firm layoffs and the looming shadow of 2026, many senior professionals are responding with a predictable, yet dangerous, reflex.They are working harder.They
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0). Part of my #blogfirst Project.Adapted from a keynote address given to the National Association of Women Judges in October 2025
At a Glance
For ambitious professionals, saying “no” is a celebrated strategic act. We use the “Strategic No” to reclaim our time, prune our commitments, and simplify our lives. It’s a powerful feeling of control and liberation.
But what about the day after?
What happens when the relief of a clear calendar fades and you’re left with a
Reclaim Your Focus with the Strategic No
Are you a high-achieving professional feeling the quiet hum of overwhelm? Do you suspect you’re ahead of your organization, sensing a career pivot on the horizon, but find yourself trapped by commitments that no longer ignite your passion? If so, you’re not alone. And I have a powerful,
This paper has been published and and a PDF of it is available at https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5397903
The Operational Protocol Method: Systematic LLM Specialization Through Collaborative Persona Engineering and Agent Coordination
By Dennis KennedyAugust 19, 2025Kennedy Idea Propulsion Laboratory Working Paper No. 2025-01
License: This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License (CC
After a truly rewarding run, I am concluding my service as the Director of the Center for Law, Technology & Innovation at Michigan State University College of Law.It has been an immense privilege to work with so many brilliant students, dedicated faculty, and professional colleagues. I am incredibly proud of what we built together, especially
We often talk about starting new projects, brainstorming innovative ideas, and maximizing our billable hours. But what about the silent drain on our productivity? I’m talking about the multitude of unfinished tasks, lingering commitments, and half-completed initiatives that clutter our minds and sap our energy.
In the latest issue of my newsletter, Personal Strategy
The Starting Gun for Legal AI Has Fired. Who in Our Profession is on the Starting Line?
The legal profession’s “wait and see” approach to artificial intelligence is now officially obsolete.
This isn’t hyperbole. This is a direct consequence of the White House’s new “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan.” After spending the last
If you are a high-achieving professional, you live with a fundamental tension. You know that deep, strategic thinking is the engine of your success, yet your calendar is a fortress that rarely permits the quiet time required for it. Important decisions loom, but the sheer complexity of your options leads to the all-too-familiar state of
It’s mid-June, and for many legal professionals, there’s a subtle but powerful shift in the air. We’re at the halfway point of the year. The initial burst of January motivation has long since faded, and we’re deep enough into the year to see whether our original plans are holding up against reality. Too often, we
I’ve been working on organizing and optimizing my AI prompts and prompting methodologies. I noticed that I have two major categories of approaches.
The first I call “complex, structured prompting.”
Google Gemini describes that, and I think accurately, as “a systematic, engineered way to interact with AI. It’s about building a personalized ‘cognitive operating system’, which aims
You’ve blocked out your Personal Quarterly Offsite (PQO). Great start. But let’s be honest: carving out those few hours for strategic thinking is only half the battle, especially for busy legal professionals.
The real challenge? First, protecting that sacred PQO time from the inevitable barrage of external and internal distractions. Second, ensuring the brilliant insights
Issue 5 of my Personal Strategy Compass Substack email newsletter (premium) has been published and sent. It has some new insights and some practical materials to help you move forward with my favorite personal productivity tool – Personal Quarterly Offsites. And I’ve made part of it available for free.
Over the years I’ve borrowed good
For years, I’ve explored productivity techniques, technology tools, and strategies. I now have found and developed one practice that has had the most profound impact – the Personal Quarterly Offsite (PQO).
Frankly, I believe the PQO is the most important work I do. It’s not just about setting goals; it’s about intentionally designing a life
Well, here we are again. Another February 15th and another blawgiversary for DennisKennedy.Blog. It’s hard to believe it’s been twenty-two years. since I wrote that first bold and triumphant announcement, echoing Babylon 5: “And so it begins . . .” I genuinely thought I was late to the blogging party back in 2003. Turns out,
The latest issue of the Personal Strategy Compass newsletter (premium subscription only) is out, and it’s all about getting back on track with your quarterly goals – even if you’re feeling a little behind. We’re diving into the “grace period” PQO, a shorter, more forgiving approach to getting back on track after your Personal Quarterly