Far too often, young lawyers perceive that their value to their firm is proportionate to the numbers on their time sheet, pro-rated credit rating or reputation for face time. Unfortunately, the pay scale and bonus structures often reward exclusively those things so as to send the message that young associates should be worker bees who do not need to think beyond their immediate profitability to the firm.
When you measure your value as a lawyer exclusively by your time sheet or face time hours and not by your talents as a counselor, problem-solver or creative thinker, you are setting yourself up for short-term gain but a long-term loss. The billable-hour bonus will not match what you stand to gain from stepping away from the comfort of your desk and into the arena where you may not be able to bill all of your time, but you will develop what it takes to be a lucrative, practicing attorney in the long run.
