Tuesday was my 12th anniversary working for ALM.  Twelve years ago--on March 9, 1998--I started working for what was then known as American Lawyer Media.  It was about two months after the merger of the former American Lawyer Group with the NY Law Publishing Company, and just before the acquisitions of LegalTech and the Pennsylvania Legal Media Group.  So I came on board at just the point where our company began to take shape as the leading publisher in the US of current news and information for the legal profession. 

I've been thinking all day about the changes in the company since I joined.  The office moves, the new product launches, and the move from almost entirely print to a mix of print, online, events and data.  The company is quite a bit bigger today than it was 12 years ago -- financially, by staff count, and certainly by the number of products we produce and markets we serve.  And I'll admit that I take a lot of pride in those accomplishments.

But really what I've been thinking about all day are the people I've worked with at American Lawyer Media/Incisive/ALM over the past dozen years.  Uniformly smart and committed, it has been the people at this company who have kept me engaged and energized during these years.  Journalists who have been committed to improving the practice of law and access to justice.  Business folks, equally committed to serving our customers and finding ways to ensure our success in the marketplace.  And yes, even a kaleidoscope of investors who, in their own way, cared about how best to move this company forward and constantly pushed us to better performance.  All of those people -- many still with us, some not -- have made coming to work here for 12 years highly worthwhile and a real learning experience.

So, to all of my colleagues past and present, thanks for all you have taught me over these dozen years.  I'm looking forward to all you have to teach me over the next dozen.