Simple Advice for New(er) Lawyers

I have learned over the years to take any advice with a grain of salt. I advise you to do the same with mine 🙂 So, with that, here are some suggestions, in no particular order:

1. 10,000 hours. If you have read Outliers (Gladwell), you know what I am talking about. 5 years of 2,000 hours of annual billable hours. Per Gladwell, this appears to be the amount of time needed to gain proficiency, if not expertise, in a subject or activity. In short, practice, practice, and then practice some more.
2. Pace yourself. See above. Law school is a marathon, not a 5k or 10k, and a legal career, spanning potentially 40 (or more) years is an ultra-marathon. I am on mile 23 (having graduated in 2000). Your first job most likely will not be your last. Most likely no single piece of work will define your legal career.
3. Find a Mentor. Many law schools offer this. Some bar associations do as well. I have two mentees, and done right, the mentor-mentee relationship is mutually beneficial.
4. Join a Professional Bar Association. My favorite – and in full disclosure, I am its current Secretary – is the IP Section of the California Lawyers Association. If you work on technology transactions, join the Licensing and Technology Transactions Interest, where you can meet monthly and listen to and participate in discussions on cutting-edge issues with experienced practitioners.
5. Write an Article and/or give a Presentation. Partner with a more experienced attorney, or do it on your own (with the help, if needed or desirable, of a more senior attorney). Many (but not all) attorneys are willing to help new(er) attorneys, for a variety of reasons, including giving back, respect for and/or commitment to the profession, good karma, etc.
6. Virtually any Legal Job is Better than No Job. You need to start somewhere. As mentioned, your first job will not be your last. Experience is worthwhile in itself. Certainly, early on in your career, you need flight hours (see point #1). Plus, it’s easier to find a job when you have one.
7. Right Place at the Right Time. For better or for worse, the power of this cannot be underestimated. Some lawyers seem to bounce around, while others, having found an executive sponsor and/or great role, stay in the same role (with advancement) or follow another, more senior attorney (sponsor) for years. In a firm, you may find yourself supporting one of its rainmakers (who treats you with dignity and respect). When that attorney moves to another firm, you move with them. In-house, in theory, you could report to the same attorney for 10 or more years, and as that attorney advances, so do you, on your own merits, of course. Continuity seems key to success, but it’s hard to control or engineer. Just be mindful of this paradigm.
8. Be mindful of wellness. Easier said than done, but literally as simple as taking a sunrise hike (see above) or, if possible, a vacation (see below) to re-orient your perspective and recharge. See point #2 as well.
9. Learn the rules (legal and social). There are formal rules (e.g., what you need to include in a data processing agreement or addendum, under Article 28 of the GDPR). Then, there are informal rules. Okay, rules might not be the best term; perhaps, conventions or social mores is better. Like any profession, law is a people business. Yes, you have the law and the facts, and the application of the former to the latter, but ultimately the practice boils down to resolving problems, in, and I firmly believe this, a civil and respectful way. Treat others with dignity. Show true gratitude. This is equally important, whether you are in year one or year twenty of your practice.
10. Write. See point #5. Start a blog, or if that is not your thing, find other outlets to write. You might enjoy this, and this can only improve your legal drafting.