At the time I sit down to write this article, I have been a practicing attorney for a whole seven months. I have learned a lot in this time and want to share some tips that have been helpful to me. Do I recommend you at least consider them? Sure, but as with most everything in life, everyone needs to decide what works best for them. So without further ado, here are my top tips for new attorneys just starting out.
Develop your craft
Often, attorneys want to hit the ground running right out of law school and acquire as many clients as fast as they can. This sometimes includes getting involved in as many groups as you can fit into your schedule. While these are all good things to start developing immediately, the first and most important thing you want to accomplish is becoming a great lawyer. Do not get me wrong, I do not think I have accomplished this in a mere seven months, nor do I think anyone can; the learning curve is just too high. However, it is important to start developing the skills and habits necessary to develop your craft. If you work to obtain the largest client base possible before you actually know what you are doing, you are doing a disservice to your clients and yourself, and you probably won’t have any repeat clients once they figure out you aren’t a great lawyer yet.
There are several things you can do to help develop your skills:
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