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Home Blog Uncategorized Career Tips for New Lawyers – How to Create Your Ideal Life and Career

Career Tips for New Lawyers – How to Create Your Ideal Life and Career

March 31, 2011

Congratulations!  You graduated from law school/landed your first clerkship/internship/associate position/job!  Now what?  If you landed your dream job that you’ve always wanted since you were 5 years old, good for you!  You are one of the incredibly fortunate .05% of attorneys in the U.S.  But if you were lucky enough to find a job, it is probably slightly less than perfect.  Maybe you wanted to be at a big, prestigious firm, but ended up somewhere else.   Or maybe you made it to a big firm and are wondering what you got yourself into.  Either way, there is hope!
Despite the fact that attorneys in the United States are among the most intelligent, educated, motivated, and academically successful people in the country, many are unhappy with their chosen profession.  Many leave the law altogether after only a few years.  Is being an attorney really that terrible?  The answer is definitely not!
This is clearly a sweeping generalization.  Obviously, there are plenty of happy lawyers out there, and they love what they do.  While we cannot claim to know their secrets to career fulfillment, and do not have a magic formula for career success, we do have some tips. 
Have a Plan
When starting out, try to have a vision in mind for how you want your life to be, and plan accordingly.  For some reason, lawyers tend to be fairly passive when it comes to their careers – they take whatever work they can get.  At first, this is fine and normal.  If you’re looking for a job, you’ll take the best thing available.  If you’re at a firm, you’ll do whatever the partners ask you to do.  But during this process, even if you feel like you don’t have any control over what work you do, you still should be mindful of what you want to do someday because eventually, you will have a choice.  And even when it seems like you’re taking orders, you still have power to shape your career.  If you ever find yourself hating your job, time will only heighten your feelings, not lessen them.  Law can be all consuming, so you definitely want to like what you do.
Consider your strengths and weaknesses, and how much you want to work.  Think about plans for family.  Think about your ideal work environment and colleagues.  Brainstorm, and write it down.
Put Your Plan Into Action – Shape Your Own Destiny!
1.  Once you have considered your life, now think about what you love.  What is interesting to you?  What gets you up in the morning?  Find a way to incorporate it into your career path.  Maybe you love fashion?  Can you represent fashion designers?  Write their contracts?  Maybe you love sports?  Get involved with sports agencies, or sporting goods product defense.

2.  Create a niche. 

a.     Find one area of the law (something related to your personal interests), and dig deep.  Get as specific as you can, whether it is a single statute, or regulation, or obscure kind of contract.  Become an expert on something that very few others know. 
b.     Read everything you can about your area of interest.  Start writing articles, even if it is for your own blog.  Submit your articles to anyone who will publish them.  Get to know others who write on your topic, and offer your assistance.
c.      Get involved with groups and associations, especially non-lawyer groups and associations, who will benefit from your specialized knowledge.  Members of these groups are your potential clients!  Do not worry if the members of your group are young.  They will age, gain experience, and power to make decisions as time goes on.    Use social media to get connections.  Think of this part as fun!  You get to meet interesting people with whom you have something in common.  Listen to them.  Make friends!
d.     Offer to speak, teach courses, or anything to get you out into the community related to your chosen topic.
e.     Be active in the community in general.  Become known for positive contributions.
Why is this important?

Happy people are more successful.  Everyone knows when you like what you’re doing.  People (as in clients and therefore success) will be drawn to you if you are interesting to be around.  You will be excited, more engaged, more effective, and more knowledgeable if you enjoy your career.  Joy is a natural incentive to gaining more knowledge and experience, and in connecting you with people and groups who will help to advance your career.

The opposite is true for unhappy people.  If you don’t like what you’re doing, people can tell.  You will be less effective at developing a career if you are not interested in your work.  Do you want to do business with a miserable person?  Or someone who is obviously only interested in you because of the profit you can generate for them?  Maybe, but most people would choose to do business with someone interested and engaged, and happy.

The law is such a versatile field with limitless career options.  As a bright new lawyer, you have power to create the kind of career that will compliment a happy life, and to create the kind of life that will compliment a fulfilling career.  You just need to keep an open mind, create a (very flexible) plan, and take steps to make it into reality. 

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