I remember when I first got admitted as a lawyer. I wouldn’t change anything, however, if were a few tweaks I could make, it would be these ones.
By the way this is not legal advice… these are TIPS for your career.
Let’s dive in.
1 – Don’t be afraid of looking stupid
Don’t be afraid of asking silly questions.
As your primary or high school teachers may have said, “there is no such thing as stupid questions“.
This is so applicable when working in law!
You would rather look or feel silly for a moment because you asked a “stupid question” than to be scared, take a guess, and be wrong about it.
I carried this advice with me, not just as a lawyer now, but when I started working in law firms.
One of the reasons why I failed my 8 classes was that I was afraid of asking those “silly questions“.
RELATED: How to Improve Your Law School Grades
2 – Double-checking your work
For example, when I first worked in a law firm, one of the emails I would get was a client asking a question. Replying to that email can involve giving some advice. When you are about to give advice, that is the time when it is so important to double-check.
As a lawyer now, whenever I answer client emails, I double-check whenever I feel a tint of doubt.
Sometimes, I’ll need the simple short emails to be double-checked. After all, it goes back to the first advice: there is no such thing as silly questions.
3 – Don’t take feedback so personally
Whether the feedback is given to you nicely or in a certain tone (like they sound a little angrier lol), don’t take it personally.
I can confidently say that every piece of feedback I’ve received during my law career has positively contributed to how I work now as a lawyer.
The only way to get better at your job is to take the feedback, implement it, and get better. Then, the cycle repeats.
REPEATED: How I Overcame Failure in Law School
4 – Discomfort for growth as a lawyer
What I mean by this is sometimes you’re going to get out of your comfort zone in your career. It’ll not be fully comfortable, but it’s essential to grow personally and professionally in your career.
For example, taking client phone calls was once out of my comfort zone and I had so much discomfort. But it was an essential experience during my career because it built my confidence in them.
There will always be little or big things that may push you a bit, but it is those things that help you become a better lawyer.
To Wrap Up
These are the four pieces of advice that have helped me tremendously in my transition as a lawyer:
- Don’t be afraid of looking stupid
- Double-check your work
- Don’t take feedback so personally
- Discomfort for growth as a lawyer
Becoming a lawyer is a great achievement. Just know that being a lawyer will involve many professional growth lessons along the way. When you push back the fear of feeling “silly” for asking the “stupid” questions, double-check your work for clarity, implement all feedback, and take the opportunities to get out of your comfort zone, it helps you become a better lawyer.
Without them, how can you expect to grow in your career?
If you want more law school or becoming a lawyer journey tips, you can check out the law school blog here and also my Instagram.
If you are about to start the lawyer journey, good luck!
– Lauren 🙂
P.S I suggest reading these blog posts next:
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hi, this is Lauren! I’m a lawyer from Melbourne, Australia.
I failed 8 classes when I was in law school, got 3 High Distinctions in my last semester, and now I’m a lawyer. I know how overwhelming law school can feel.
That’s why I have created this little space for aspiring lawyers on my blog!
About laurenbarri.com: I create content on all things personal development, productivity, self-care, and habits! There is also a law to lawyer hub specifically for those who want to be lawyers and thrive in law school.
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