Advice to a Baby Lawyer

This week marked my fourth year as a practicing attorney.  I still remember how excited I was to be shown my own office.  It was the former windowless library/storage area that had been converted into an office, but it was mine!  Thankfully, my first year proved to be a really great experience that confirmed that my life-long goal of being an attorney was exactly what I wanted to be doing.  But that doesn’t mean there weren’t bumps along the road.  So I thought it would be fun to give my old self some advice—maybe it will be helpful to all you new baby lawyers!

Dear Nubia,

Ok so you just got sworn in and are about to go work at your top choice non-profit. Good job!  But before you start, you really need to remember that you are now colleagues with other attorneys  and they’ll seek answers from you just like you seek information from them (especially because you’re coordinating the pro bono project).  This means only one thing: Be self-assured!  You may feel timid because you’re navigating a new system, and in charge of a large case-load with a growing pro bono project.  At first, you’ll feel too uncomfortable in guiding the volunteers because you fear offending them.  Or you think they won’t take your suggestions because they have more experience than you.  But this mindset doesn’t help anyone, including your clients!  Remember that there will be plenty of people your first year, third, fifth, and beyond that question your capability–don’t be one of them.  Be your biggest cheerleader.  

At the same time, you’re diving really deep into a nuanced subject. You’re going to have a lot of questions, but attempt to research an answer before you ask those questions.  Sometimes it will feel so much easier to just ask your supervisor about some remedy or policy; after all she is the ultimate authority on what to do.  While it’s necessary to seek out appropriate advice, you should make an effort to find the solution yourself before you inundate your supervisor (or colleagues) with too many questions.  Not only will the research expand your knowledge, but by being proactive you’ll show your group that you’re capable of solving problems rather than waiting on someone to solve them for you.

Finally, let’s be really real here.  You need to start exercising.  For real.  You can’t use law school stress and being near a million restaurants as an excuse anymore.  It’s not just about looks, but it’s about health.  You need a healthy outlet.  Being an attorney is stressful and we all know that it’s too easy to self-medicate in unhealthy ways.  You have to become more vigilant about what you eat, and more importantly, you have to incorporate some physical activity in your life.  I know it may seem like you don’t have the time, but you can make time for things that are important (your health is important!).  Maybe consider running a 5k next year?  The Day of the Dead 5K always looks fun…