Tips for Career Development in Law

Law school taught me the law. But building a career? That’s a different story. Many years ago, I walked into my first day as a lawyer, armed with my 2nd Upper Degree, thinking I was ready. I WAS NOT. Here are 12 lessons I learnt the hard way: (I wish someone had shared with me before I started) 1️⃣ It’s Okay to Ask for Help Pretending to know everything? Rookie mistake. Ask questions. Get clarity. Even top-tier lawyers do. 2️⃣ Networking > Billable Hours Winning cases builds a reputation, but relationships build careers. That partner you avoid at events? Talk to them. 3️⃣ Reputation Is Currency Every email. Every call. They all shape how people see you. Guard your reputation like it’s your most valuable client. 4️⃣ Billing ≠ Just Hours Worked It’s not about grinding for numbers—it’s about delivering value. (And yes, padding your billables will get you noticed—for all the wrong reasons.) 5️⃣ Clients Crave More Than Advice They want trust, empathy, and someone who listens. Legal skills matter, but human connection wins clients for life. 6️⃣ The Best Lawyers Never Stop Evolving The law changes, and so should you. Stay curious. Stay sharp. Stay ahead. 7️⃣ Mentors = Secret Weapons Find someone who’s been where you want to go. The right mentor will save you years of trial and error. 8️⃣ Burnout Is the Silent Killer The late nights will come, but don’t make them your norm. Protect your energy—because no case is worth your health. 9️⃣ Pick Your Battles Not every fight is worth the courtroom. Strategic restraint is a superpower. 🔟 Mistakes Are Inevitable Here’s the secret: It’s not about never failing—it’s about how you bounce back. Own it, learn from it, and keep moving. 1️⃣1️⃣ It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint You don’t need to win every deal or impress every partner. Pacing yourself is how you last in this game. 1️⃣2️⃣ Never Lose Sight of Your WHY When the grind feels endless (and it will), your WHY will keep you grounded. Don’t let go of it—it’s your anchor. Law school taught you the law. But no one taught you how to build a career in it. Lawyers reading this, did I miss anything? What else would you add to my list? --- Repost this♻️ to help the juniors out there! ➕ Follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. To the trainees starting out: It’s okay to feel scared. P.P.S. The partners you’re intimidated by? They were once where you are. Everyone starts somewhere. You've got this!

As a junior associate, if I want to level up my legal career and start building a book of business in 2026, this is the sustainable, realistic approach that fits alongside a full workload and prioritizes becoming an excellent lawyer first. 1) Treat relationships as part of client service. I calendar them. One coffee or lunch every two weeks with someone I work with or want to learn from. One follow-up or thank-you note each Friday. One thoughtful LinkedIn comment a day on legal or industry content. Strong practices are built on trust. Consistency beats intensity. 2) Pick a lane before I feel ready. Not forever. Just for now. I want people to know what I am building expertise in and what types of questions they can bring to me. I reinforce that through the matters I take on, the skills I develop, and the topics I engage with publicly. 3) Be intentional with warm, specific outreach. No mass messages. No vague check-ins. I reach out when there is a real professional reason after working together after an event, article, or case after a role change and I am clear about why I am reaching out and how it connects to our work. 4) Turn everyday legal work into quiet visibility. When I learn something useful about case law, prosecution strategy, or industry trends, I share it. A short post. A comment. A conversation in the office. The goal is not self-promotion. It is knowledge-sharing and credibility. 5) Invest early in mentors and sponsors. I am thoughtful about who I ask, prepared when I show up, and deliberate in my follow-through. I focus on long-term relationships built around growth, feedback, and doing excellent work. None of this requires being the loudest person in the room. It requires showing up consistently while I am still learning and honing my legal skills. This approach has helped me stay focused on becoming a stronger lawyer while building relationships that compound over time. It is not flashy. It is deliberate. And it has served me well so far.

Many new associates will begin their careers at law firms this month. Having run a law firm over the past 16 years, I’ve learned what makes an associate stand out and excel. Here's how it's done: 1. Write concise emails A partner does not want to read a long email analyzing a particular question or issue. The partner does not have time to read and understand it. Your job is to take the issue at hand and distill it into a few bullet points that can be easily understood. 2. Know what you don't know. Feel free to admit it and ask good questions Partners expect that you need to learn. It is a lot easier to be around a humble associate who asks good questions than someone who thinks they know everything and constantly makes mistakes. 3. Always be improving It is noticeable to a partner when you make improvements. It doesn't matter whether your writing advances, you develop your research skills or you just get better at fielding and answering questions. If you make it a mission to learn and improve every day, it will get noticed. 4. Make a partner's life easier When a client sends a long email, if you can summarize it for the partner and even draft an initial response, you've just made their life 10x easier that day. If your draft responses become the actual responses the partner sends, you become irreplaceable. 5. Develop a good bedside manner If people like you and feel comfortable working with you, a partner will trust you to work directly with a client. If you are cold or off-putting you might be kept far away from direct client interaction. 6. Communicate with partners about the turnaround time for your work You might receive work requests from multiple different partners. Make sure you communicate and ask when something needs to be returned. This way here you are meeting the expectations of the partner (who is your biggest client btw). 7. Don't take advantage of work-from-home policies If you are lucky enough to be working remotely, make sure you are working just as hard as you would in the office. You should also always be available to partners during working hours. If you take advantage of the system, people will know. It will affect your career significantly. 8. Be a hard worker and work long hours Yes, I know..."hustle culture" is not cool these days. But, hard work never goes out of style. Partners notice who is working hard and who is on cruise control. This will affect your ability to be promoted and even keep your job. ============= Are there any tips you would add to my list? #attorneys #lawyers #legalcareers

Here's one of my favorite pieces of career advice: take actions that create more options. Having options means having greater autonomy. Something I wish I learned sooner is that sometimes you have plant seeds way in advance of when those seeds will actually bloom into options. I often discuss this principle with junior lawyers, when the question "When do I need to start focusing on business development?" comes up. My answer: Sooner than you might think, perhaps not for the reasons you think, and likely not in the way that you think. When: now Why: creating options How: building relationships internally, especially if you're at a midsize to large firm As a junior lawyer at a midsize to large law firm, you won't be originating work. But that doesn't mean you can't make a positive contribution for your firm—and create more options for yourself. Some of the long-term opportunities that may arise when you build strong relationships with colleagues, across offices and practice groups, include: - Getting brought in by your colleagues to help pitch and win new matters. - Generating referral work from lawyers you currently work with who move on to other firms. - Generating client work directly from those who move in-house. - Inheriting clients from other lawyers when they retire, move in-house, or otherwise transition out of the firm. These things won't happen overnight. But they won't happen at all if you don't start building strong relationships now. Here are some tangible steps you can take to position yourself for future success: 1. Rethink your value proposition. You're an important member of the team, not a worker bee. Even as a first-year lawyer, you can make a valuable contribution. 2. Make yourself visible. Be an active networker within your firm, especially with those in other offices and practice groups. Showcase your communication and leadership skills through internal presentations, writing for internal and external publications and participating in firm committees. 3. Take ownership. From client work product to internal firm initiatives, adopt an ownership mindset for every task you take on. If you hope to make partner at your firm some day, it’s never too early to start acting like one. Even if you're not interested in making partner, this mindset will serve you well in any endeavor you pursue. 4. Be proactive. Look for opportunities to contribute. Bring ideas to the table. Show enthusiasm. 5. Be a sponge. Pay attention to the habits and practices of the high achievers in your firm. The path to success has been marked by trailblazers who came before you. Follow their lead. If you're a junior lawyer, taking these steps will go a long way toward helping you succeed in both the practice and business of law, and create more options for you—from advancement in your firm to capitalizing on other career opportunities—in the future.

Advice for “minders” and “grinders” from a partner who has served all roles and survived 25 years in BigLaw, in-house, and back again: Not everyone in a firm is a “finder.” Some lawyers are minders, the managers who guide matters and keep clients calm. Others are grinders, the doers who research, draft, and carry the load no one else wants. Without them, nothing gets filed, closed, or argued. Yet if you do not originate work, the path to fulfillment requires clarity, boundaries, and a different definition of success. ⸻ 1. Own Your Role Without Apology Minders and grinders are not second-class. Finders may bring clients in, but minders keep them, and grinders ensure the work stands. Clients often forget who pitched them but never forget who delivered. If you consistently produce, people rely on you. That is leverage. Pro tip: when you make colleagues and clients look good, your value multiplies. ⸻ 2. Protect Your Sanity Minders wrestle with shifting demands and politics. Grinders battle deadlines and invisible hours. Both risk burnout. Guard your time. Rest. Push back when needed. You do not earn respect by breaking down. You only guarantee more work without credit. ⸻ 3. Build Influence Without Origination You may not control the client list, but you can control reputation. • Minders: become the lawyer who sees problems early and solves them. • Grinders: master a niche skill so you are the go-to person. Do not vanish behind the work. Share insights. Teach juniors. Offer to present. Visibility is power even inside the firm. ⸻ 4. Play Politics Intentionally Firms reward rainmakers, but they also reward lawyers who protect rainmakers. If you want influence, you cannot only be tactical. Volunteer for pitches. Ask to join client updates. Position yourself as someone who understands business goals, not just assignments. When leadership sees you as strategic, your career opens up. ⸻ 5. Redefine Success Beyond Origination If you measure only against finders, you will feel small. Instead: • Minders: take pride in being the trusted hand that keeps clients loyal. • Grinders: take pride in precision. Cases collapse on details, not visions. Plenty of lawyers build respected, well-paid, and stable careers as minders and grinders. Equity is not the only win. Expertise, influence, and fulfillment count just as much. ⸻ Bottom Line Not every lawyer will be a finder. That is fine. But if you are a minder or grinder, success comes from valuing your contribution, guarding your mental health, earning visibility, and defining your own scoreboard. Do that with intention and law becomes not just survivable, but sustainable, rewarding, and even extraordinary. #LawFirmLife #YoungLawyers #AttorneyAdvice #LegalCareer #LawFirmPolitics #BrownRudnick #BigLaw

Lawyers, most job seekers focus on job portals and online applications, assuming that’s where the best opportunities are. But here’s a reality check: nearly 70-80% of jobs (especially senior roles) are never publicly advertised. They get filled through internal referrals, networking, or headhunting. As a career coach for lawyers and law students in India, I’ve seen this play out time and again. Law firms and legal teams often prefer: ✅ Internal referrals – Saves time and ensures trusted hires. ✅ Legal recruitment agencies – Like Neeti Shastra, which specializes in targeted placements. ✅ Direct headhunting on LinkedIn – A powerful tool for mid-to-senior roles. So, if you’re only relying on job postings, you’re competing with thousands of applicants for the same positions. Instead, here’s how you can tap into the hidden job market: 🔺 Build genuine connections with lawyers in your practice area—engagement matters! 🔺 Stay in touch with your alumni network—your seniors might be hiring. 🔺 Work with legal recruiters—especially if you have 2+ years of PQE. 🔺 Be active on LinkedIn—many hiring decisions start with a strong profile. A passive approach won’t cut it in today’s competitive legal job market. Be strategic, be visible, and go beyond the job portals! If this was helpful, share it with someone who needs to hear this today. ________________________________________ 📍 I help lawyers secure their dream jobs. 📍 I assist lawyers and firms in generating high paying leads.

“If you want sexy work, get great at grunt work.” I’m starting tips for law students who’ll be in their first “lawyer” jobs at firms in 2025. —As you may know, I was an associate at a top law firm for the first 10 years after law school. —Then I took a job working as in-house counsel at The Hershey Company, where I spent 2-3 years before returning to BigLaw as a Counsel for 7 more years before “retiring” 😉 in 2016. Based on my experiences—both being supervised and then supervising—I developed a view about what it takes to do well. Here are my 3 top tips: 1️⃣ If you want sexy work, get great at grunt work If you get assigned to perform a task that seems “below” you, look eager and enthusiastic anyway. When I was delegating to associates, I could always sense when someone was less than thrilled to receive a project. I’d sense a subtle eyeroll, an inner groan, or even an outward sigh. I have to say, that really made me not want to work with them again. 👉 So please go in with an attitude that no project is beneath you and be genuinely grateful for the chance to prove yourself. Unless and until you demonstrate that you can handle “grunt” work responsibly, senior lawyers will not trust you with sexier assignments. 2️⃣ Treat Support Staff as GOLD There is a category of people working at the firm that are not lawyers. Employees who come to mind include: —paralegals, copy and mailroom staff, administrative assistants, help desk operators, marketing/PR peeps & receptionists. These are the people who know everything you don’t. Invest early in befriending these people as allies. They will help you when no one else will. They can tell you the unwritten rules. They also know the firm gossip. They can be allies or foes. These people are gold. 👉 Do not take them for granted! 👉 Do not dismiss them as “beneath” you! 3️⃣ Don’t pepper a partner with piecemeal questions Instead, be strategic. Collect your questions as they arise and keep working to the extent you can until you’ve amassed a solid list you can bring to the partner at one time. This works best if you try to anticipate the questions you’ll have. Here are a few common ones: -How much time should I bill? -Does the firm have models to follow? -Does the client have specific rules for billing? -Are there others I might consult for guidance? -What will my work product ultimately be used for? -Do you have any writing-style guidelines or format preferences? Best is to ask your questions in the assignment meeting itself. I also typically followed such a meeting, either right after or the next day, with an email to the assigning attorney. My email would summarize my understanding of what I was to do and pose any additional questions I had thought of. *** I will think of more and circulate in a future post that explains more about each, but this post is getting long. 💌 Amanda 🗳️ What would you add?

After mentoring 500+ law students and legal professionals, I’ve noticed something that separates those who build thriving careers from those who stay stuck. It’s not grades. It’s not connections. It’s not even luck. It’s the willingness to be bad at something new. The lawyers who grow fastest are the ones who raise their hand before they feel ready. They take the call they’re not sure they can handle. They learn a new practice area by doing, not just reading. They ask questions that might make them look uninformed. The ones who struggle? They wait. For the perfect opportunity. For more experience. For someone to tap them on the shoulder and say “you’re ready now.” Here’s what I wish I’d understood earlier: confidence isn’t a prerequisite for action. It’s a byproduct of it. Every complex cross-border deal I’ve closed, every compliance framework I’ve built, every difficult client conversation I’ve navigated—none of it happened because I woke up one day feeling qualified. It happened because I said yes and then figured it out. To the law students and young attorneys in my network: your career will not wait for you to feel ready. Start before you’re comfortable. Learn in public. Get it wrong, then get it right. That’s the only path I’ve seen that actually works. What’s one opportunity you almost didn’t take that ended up shaping your career? I’d love to hear it.

"I love being a lawyer, but I hate my practice area." Switching practice areas mid-career isn’t just difficult—it can feel nearly impossible. You’ve spent years building expertise, establishing credibility, and, let’s be honest, getting comfortable. The thought of starting over? Terrifying. But here’s the real question: Are you happy? Because if you’re not, and you’ve got 10, 20, or even 30 more years ahead of you, staying put might be the bigger risk. I’ve seen attorneys successfully make the transition, but it takes more than just wanting a change. Here are some considerations: 1️⃣ Make sure it’s the practice area—not just the firm. A toxic culture, bad leadership, or poor work-life balance can make any practice feel miserable. Before you jump ship, be certain that the problem isn’t just your environment. 2️⃣ If you love your firm, explore an internal transition. Some firms are open to attorneys shifting practice areas. Have quiet, strategic conversations with partners in the practice you’re interested in. If transitioning isn’t an option, you might consider a more creative approach, like pitching a business plan to expand the firm’s offerings—but proceed with caution. If leadership sees this as a sign of dissatisfaction, it could put a target on your back. 3️⃣ Network like your career depends on it—because it does. Your next opportunity will likely come from relationships, not job postings. Get coffee with attorneys in your target practice area and be up front about your goals. All it takes is one person who's willing to help, but you'll have to be patient. 4️⃣ Try to learn as much as you can about the practice area before you even think about applying. If you wait until you land a job to start learning, you’re already behind. Read cases, take CLEs, read books, etc. Do this on nights and weekends. When you finally get an interview, you don’t just want to sound interested, you need to sound prepared. 5️⃣ Be willing to take a pay cut (maybe a big one). Unless you find a unicorn opportunity, expect to start at a lower level of pay and seniority. Can you handle that financially? If not, start saving now and plan it out. 6️⃣ Be honest with your family. A career transition isn’t just your decision—it affects those around you. Align on what this means for your finances, work hours, and stress levels before you make a move. 7️⃣ It’s never too late—unless you convince yourself it is. The hardest part of a career pivot isn’t learning a new area of law. It’s overcoming the fear of looking inexperienced again. But your legal skills, judgment, and experience do transfer. The learning curve may be steep, but you’ve tackled worse. Not every lawyer should make a big mid-career shift. But if you know you’re in the wrong place, staying isn’t the safe choice—it’s just the familiar one. Have you seen attorneys successfully transition to a new practice area? If you’ve done it yourself, what worked—and what didn’t?

Law school may teach you how to think like a lawyer, but the reality is that success in the legal profession isn’t just about what you learn in class—it’s about what you do to educate yourself beyond it. When I was a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute, I walked under this quote everyday: "You May Be Whatever You Resolve To Be"   I didn’t know it then, but life has taught me (the hard way) that we hold the keys to our growth. We get to choose what we want to do and how we want to do it. But it is our responsibility to put in the work to get there. And fortunately, when it comes to the legal profession, the resources to help us are abundant: 1. Conferences, Conferences, and More Conferences If there is an area of law that you want more exposure to, find a relevant conference, buy your ticket, and go. You will learn from the presentations, build connections with other lawyers, and enjoy some good food while you’re at it. There is no better way to get involved in a practice area. 2. Practical Trainings They exist, and they can be game changers. Let’s say that you want to learn how to take better depositions. Why not find a training that will teach you how to take an effective deposition and give you an opportunity to practice doing so? The skills you will learn at that training will benefit you the rest of your career. 3. Get a Book (and Read It) I emphasize “read,” because there are plenty of books on my shelf that look great but remain unopened. There are books on every legal topic out there, some better than others. I guarantee that if you want to learn something, you can find a book on it. 4. Listen to Legal Podcasts Podcasts are awesome! There are so many of them, you can listen to them anywhere, and you really can learn from them. RVA Trial Lawyers: Virginia’s Trial Lawyer Podcast is an excellent one (because I co-host it!). But, in all seriousness, we interview some of the best trial lawyers in Virginia and around the country, so if you want to learn more about trial work, check it out.   5. Talk to Experienced Lawyers Cold call (or e-mail) that lawyer about meeting for lunch or coffee. Chances are they will be happy to meet with you. When at an event, make a point to go introduce yourself to a lawyer you want to learn more about. And never be afraid to ask questions, because more often than not people will be more than happy to provide you the information and guidance you are looking for. When you invest in your own education, the results don’t just add up—they multiply. Over time, those small investments will lead to opportunities you never imagined. Take ownership of your legal education. You really can be whatever you resolve to be. #lawyer #lawstudent #growth