A new autumn always stirs memories … of first days of school, shopping for supplies and new clothes with my parents (and, years later, with my own kids), the crispness of the air, the smell of burning leaves, the beauty of trees as they change colors, the promise of a new football season, the excitement of baseball playoffs and, more recently, NFL fantasy drafts. At law firms, fall always signals the arrival of new classes of associates who have wrapped up clerkships, fellowships and summer associateships; passed the bar exam; taken “last vacations” and are reporting for their first “real jobs.” I’ll never forget my first day at Kirkland & Ellis on Oct. 1, 1986, in Chicago in what was then still called the Amoco Building … my excitement, my nerves and meeting my future wife (a true story).
My orientation focused almost entirely on administrative matters. I didn’t ask many questions about being a lawyer. Like most associates, I just dived in on the theory that I would eventually be able to figure it out. This tradition hasn’t changed, from what I can tell, which hindsight has taught me is crazy. So, here are a few pieces of advice, based on 20 years as a trial lawyer and 13 years as an in-house lawyer, that I wish I had received when I reported for duty:
- Be a source of truth—be the person in the room (whether it’s a courtroom, a conference room or anywhere else your career takes you) to whom people know they can turn when they want or need to hear an honest assessment.
- Respect the views of people who disagree with you. Listen to both sides of an argument and make sure that people on both sides of an issue are afforded a fair chance to state a principled case. Believe in—and defend—the power of ideas and reasoned debate. Stand up in a principled way for your ideas even (actually, especially) when others resort to shouting, name-calling and hate-mongering.
- Edit your own writing relentlessly—how well you communicate matters, and your emails, letters, briefs and draft agreements will make first and lasting impressions. There is elegance in simplicity—leave the fancy words, shrill adjectives and convoluted clauses to lesser writers.
- Take chances whenever they are made available to you—the longer you wait to take that first deposition, step up to be the lead negotiator, give that first presentation or make that first appellate argument, the harder it’s going to be.
- Be civil. Don’t write nasty letters. Don’t make snide remarks. Don’t let opponents bait you into returning their nastiness. Being civil will set you apart in the right ways.
- Be present. To paraphrase John Lennon, careers are what happen when you’re busy making plans for the next big thing.
- Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. Everyone does. It’s being smart enough to learn the right lessons from those mistakes that counts.
- Resist the temptation to gravitate toward people like you. Embrace and learn from the diversity of your colleagues. Watch for ways in which people behave differently toward, around or in the absence of women, people of color or members of the LGBTQ community and ask yourself if these differences are appropriate.
- Ask questions and listen—and I mean really listen—to the answers. People are honored when you care about what they think and include them in your work.
- Insist on getting candid and timely feedback about ways in which you can improve your performance. Everyone, without exception, has things they can do better. Do not settle for perfunctory reviews in which your managers say, “Hey, you’re doing great” and do not identify “soft spots” that you should try to address. Everyone is entitled to honest and transparent feedback that empowers them to become their very best.
- Stay humble. The legends of our profession are ordinarily distinguished by “accomplishment to ego ratios” that are off the charts. You would do well to emulate their humility and modesty.
- Don’t forget that you are joining a profession with a proud tradition of acting as catalysts for change and promoting justice—in our jobs, through our pro bono activities and through volunteer organizations. Time will sometimes be hard to find, but try not to let your busy life as a new lawyer completely get in the way of your larger aspirations.
- Chase the dreams that are important to you. Put family first. Don’t accumulate credentials, titles and promotions to try to impress others; don’t “check boxes” with your career because that’s what you believe you are expected to do. Don’t fall into the trap of allowing work to feel like nothing more than a job. Instead, be yourself, which will mean that no one can ever tell you that you’re doing it wrong.
