This article appeared in the Winter 2021 issue of the Young Lawyers Division newsletter, Dictum. Read the full issue here (login required).
By James A. Lewis V
NJSBA trustee and co-chair of the Diversity Committee
As you take off the training wheels and are no longer properly described as a “new attorney,” the consideration of what comes next can be both exciting and overwhelming. As a sprightly first-year associate, there appears to be plenty of guidance abound. Work hard. Be adaptable. Be mindful of the billable hour. Volunteer and strengthen your relationships with clients, partners and colleagues through producing timely, impeccable work.
As mid-level attorneys, there is any number of titles and hats that can be donned: lateral associate, senior associate, non-equity partner, equity partner, bar association leader, spouse, parent, just to name a few. For this group of practitioners, the tried-and-true rules for success as a new attorney still apply. Hard work, tenacity, and adaptability remain the hallmark of success for attorneys at any stage.
As you approach that mid-range of your career, though, new risks and uncertainties come into play. The interplay of the familiarity of producing quality work product, exceeding client and partner expectations are now coupled with the innovations and design theories of charting your best career path — whether that means creating or developing a book of business, casting your sights toward in-house roles, entering public service, or leaving the practice altogether.
The metaphor of building the plane while flying it captures the pressure of flying the plane — managing responsibilities that may include pressing deadlines, colleagues, familial obligations — while simultaneously building it — i.e. being cognizant of opportunities for growth, forging a brand in alignment with one’s professional goals, and becoming a trusted member of one’s organization(s) and professional community.
Unfortunately, as distinguished from building a plane, there is no blueprint for creating a successful career in the law. Nevertheless, as with everything in the law, much can be learned from past precedent. Here are three tips that may help mid-level attorneys arrive as their best selves as practitioners and people.
1. Be comfortable with the process.
You’ve survived! Attrition is highest for associates in their third to sixth year of practice. It is a source of discomfort for some within the profession. From the perspective of management, this range is when attorneys are able to take on more responsibility and have absorbed the time and cost associated with professional, legal training.
In many ways, attorney reputations have already been forged over the course of this time and there are some indicia of who is being groomed for leadership. As a mid-level, it is important that when looking at the current leadership of your respective organizations that there is a critical assessment as to whether it is a good “fit.” Recognize whether performance-wise the mid-level attorney is meeting the increasing expectations of the organization.
It is also important to recognize whether there is any stagnation in the mid-level’s development. Are there opportunities for growth? Is the attorney being given (or creating) opportunities for innovation? Keep a healthy, pragmatic perspective of current positioning. After all, with four years of undergraduate education, and three years of law school, by the time you reach your seventh year of practice, you’ve now only just spent the same amount of time practicing law as it took you to become a lawyer in the first instance. A career path is a journey, and often the steps taken over the course of what can be a long journey are just as important as the desired destination.
2. Remember, teams accomplish more than individuals
Who is on your team? Whether through support staff, utilizing vendors, or creating synergies through networking and relationships — are you adequately delegating to your teammates? Are you top of mind as a referral source? Are you stepping up as a leader in the spaces where you are most equipped to manage responsibilities? This profession is exceedingly more difficult if success is attempted by individuals who operate as an island. There is a wealth of information and guidance that is primarily accessible through mentorship (as both a mentor and mentee). As a mid-level, you have (or should have) something to contribute substantively to your area of practice, to your leaders in supporting their vision of success, and to those newer to the practice by virtue of being an exemplary attorney (or, at a minimum, helping the newer teammates navigate avoidable pitfalls in the early stages of their careers).
3. Be (radically) honest with yourself
As advocates for truth, being honest is our ethical obligation. That candor has to be turned inwardly and be the primary guide in setting the coordinates for the professional future. In the first years of practice, it can be so busy that the opportunity for self-reflection can seem non-existent. This is why it is critically important that at that mid-level stage self-assessment is an intentional part of your practice. Are you in a space where you can learn to develop a book of business? Are your positive efforts recognized? Is staying with (or leaving) your current employer in your best professional interest? In assessing a potential move, are you doing so at the optimal time? Is your practice area contracting or expanding?
Ask yourself the hard questions (and prepare yourself for some hard answers).
Finally, when it comes to building the plane of your career, buckle in and soar high!