Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona
Author:
Jaeger-Fine, Toni
Edition:
2nd
Copyright Date:
2023
20 chapters
have results for becoming a lawyer
Floating Part 12 results (showing 5 best matches)
- “Toni’s work is a must-read for anyone in the legal profession who is looking to hone their skills and become not only a more effective lawyer, but also a more successful one. . . . I am sure it will help lawyers to develop the kind of well-rounded skill set that is increasingly necessary in today’s fast-paced legal environment.”
- Becoming a Lawyer
- Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona
- Becoming a Lawyer
- Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona
- Open Chapter
Chapter 6. Wellbeing and Sustainability 252 results (showing 5 best matches)
- The Path to Lawyer Well-Being, supra note 3 at 1. See also Frederic S. Ury and Deborah M. Garskof, Health and Wellness, in Essential Qualities of the Professional Lawyer 219 (2013) (“When a lawyer becomes overwhelmed with stress and strain, not only does career satisfaction suffer, so does his or her ability to perform”). See also id. at 9 (wellbeing enables us to make “responsible decisions” that affect our clients).
- Each of these effects relates to an important part of what lawyers do, strengthening the case for the need for legal professionals to get adequate sleep. Although many of us suffer from sleeplessness from time to time, if it becomes chronic, it may be time to seek professional help.
- Stress is inevitable in the life of most people, especially lawyers. In mild or moderate levels, stress can be a positive But when stress becomes overwhelming, it can lead to negative consequences, such as burnout, depression, anxiety, substance abuse; physical conditions such as cardiovascular, inflammatory, and other illnesses; and cognitive decline, such as impaired attention, concentration, memory, and problem-solving ability.
- The National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being agrees that there are substantial benefits to attorneys engaging in mindfulness meditation, lauding its ability to “enhance cognitive reframing (and thus resilience) by aiding our ability to monitor our thoughts and avoid becoming emotionally overwhelmed.” The report continues to note that mindfulness “can reduce rumination, stress, depression, and anxiety. It also can enhance a host of competencies related to lawyer effectiveness, including increased focus and concentration, working memory, critical cognitive skills, reduced burnout, and ethical and rational decision-making. . . . Evidence also suggests that mindfulness can enhance the sense of work-life balance by reducing workers’ preoccupation with work.
- —The competitive qualities inherent in many attorneys are further underscored by the fact that ours is an adversarial legal system, a notion that is introduced early on in our law study, as appellate decisions form the mainstay of legal education, especially in first year doctrinal courses. This system of course revolves around conflict. And as agents of others, much of our work is as advocates promoting particular positions—whether in litigation, transactional, or any other kind of legal work. Embedded in an adversarial system, lawyers like to win, an inclination that becomes problematic when it bleeds into other areas of our lives.
- Open Chapter
Chapter 2. The Business of Law: The Changing Landscape of Legal Practice 91 results (showing 5 best matches)
- There was a time when most lawyers remained at a single firm for their entire careers. In the last decades, lawyers have become increasingly mobile. Careers have become “more like a collection of experiences (a portfolio) and a lot less linear” Law firm associate loyalty to their firms has waned emerging from the pandemic; many associates surveyed reported that they would leave their firms for more compensation and a staggering 60 percent said they would
- Finally, the decline of mentorship and training in many law firms and other contexts reinforces the need for each of us to be more intentional about developing a professional persona. Effective mentoring and training often become casualties of the current law practice environment due to a number of the factors discussed above—in particular, the refusal of many clients to pay for the work of entry-level associates and an increase in lawyer mobility (meaning smaller returns on investment in associate training and mentoring). The confluence of increasing price-sensitivity of clients and associate costs creates a perfect storm under which many firms are reluctant to invest heavily in the hiring, training, and mentoring of new talent. This presents yet another reason to be proactive in developing and nurturing an effective professional persona.
- Times have changed. While law remains a noble profession, a craft, and for many a calling, the practice of law has become more of a business—a business that has become increasingly commoditized and commercialized. norms that traditionally governed the profession are in a state of flux.
- The technology revolution has a significant upside for lawyers and law firms: as technology continues to perform much of the standardized work formerly performed by junior associates, such lawyers will have the chance to work on more sophisticated bespoke work earlier in their careers. It also gives technologically savvy, entrepreneurial lawyers outstanding opportunities to add value to their law firms or to work in this growing field.
- Commentators have described the “migration of law practice from a professional culture to a commercial culture.”
- Open Chapter
Chapter 3. Legal Professional Persona Building Blocks 211 results (showing 5 best matches)
- It has only recently become fashionable to speak of leadership and lawyers in the same sentence. Once thought to be largely the province of those in business or politics, it is now widely recognized that lawyers need to exhibit traits of leadership to effectively compete and thrive in today’s challenging marketplace.
- But lawyers also need to be leaders in more commonplace ways and in more routine settings. The authors of a Harvard Law study confirm that “the concept of lawyer as leader. . . is not limited to those lawyers who find themselves in formal leadership positions.” Because leadership is a mindset and orientation rather than a position or title, all of us need the skills of a leader in our everyday work.
- Some find it helpful to visualize a new habit by imagining themselves behaving in a particular manner in a particular situation. It has been found that “[t]he more often you visualize and imagine yourself acting as if you already had the new habit, the more rapidly this new behavior will be accepted by your subconscious mind and become automatic.” Imagine the professional you hope to become, and you will become it.
- While the average IQ of lawyers appears to be well above the national average, lawyers’ emotional and social intelligence is below average, leaving us unable to meet our full potential. In addition, because the non-lawyers that we work with on a daily basis, including many of our clients and staff members, enjoy levels of emotional and social intelligence that exceed ours, we may be at a notable disadvantage.
- a crucial skill for lawyers, especially in today’s rapidly changing and complex legal landscape. Today, to succeed, lawyers must be able to navigate different cultures and work collaboratively with diverse teams. Strong leadership skills are essential for lawyers to effectively manage projects, build relationships with clients, and inspire and motivate their teams. also involves having a strong sense of self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and the ability to build trust and inspire confidence in others. In short, leadership is a vital skill for lawyers to develop if they want to succeed in today’s legal environment. Law schools and law firms should prioritize leadership development to provide lawyers with the skills they need to excel in their careers.” Barbara Levi, Group General counsel and Members of Group Executive Board, UBS
- Open Chapter
Chapter 7. Working with Others 193 results (showing 5 best matches)
- “Young lawyers should act and think like partners, assuming the commitment that comes with representing a client, whatever the nature of the matter they are working on. As they evolve in their career and assume professional responsibilities, the issues and clients will become more important and by the time they become partners they will have the necessary tools at their disposal for a successful professional career.” Manuel Beccar Varela, Partner, Beccar Varela
- “Relationships with others are the foundation of what lawyers do: a combination of courtesy, social intelligence, and awareness of cultural and generational differences are bound to define a lawyer’s weight and success—or lack thereof.” Javier El-Hage, Chief Legal Officer, Human Rights Foundation
- A lawyer is not bound . . . to press for every advantage that might be realized for a client. . . . The lawyer’s duty to act with reasonable due diligence does not require the use of offensive tactics or preclude the treating of all persons involved in the legal process with courtesy and respect.
- “Junior people need to think through a problem completely—and using all resources available to them, particularly their colleagues—before they give me a memorandum or draft brief. Junior lawyers should give senior lawyers solutions, not problems, and they should only give senior people their best work.” Grant Hanessian, Partner (retired), Baker & McKenzie LLP
- “There is no substitute for great mentoring in developing one’s professional persona. Ask any good lawyer how they built their career, and they will point to multiple teachers and coaches who helped them along the way—not just in developing the technical skills required to deliver results for a client but also in learning how to become a trusted advisor and, crucially, how to navigate one’s own career. If you want to excel in the legal profession, seek out people you respect and learn from them.” Jon D. Van Gorp, Chair, Mayer Brown
- Open Chapter
Title Page 1 result
Chapter 5. Time Management and Organization 59 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Time management is a challenge for many lawyers given the significant demands and fast pace associated with legal work. The need for effective time management has become intensified due to some of the changes to the profession discussed in Chapter 2 and the ubiquity of mobile devices that make us accessible at all times. Each of us has many things to juggle in both our personal and professional lives, making how we spend our time “a key strategic decision.”
- Arriving on time for meetings, appointments, and hearings is one of the top ten capabilities most important for starting lawyers based on the results of a study of 24,000 practicing attorneys around the country. See Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Foundations for Practice: The Whole Lawyer Character Quotient 26 (July 2016).
- Lawyers of course are service providers and ultimately much of what we do is dictated by supervisor or client needs (which often come at the last minute). For that reason, we must retain flexibility in how we plan our days. But having an idea of
- The so-called Eisenhower principle has become a well-known tool for organizing work and ordering priorities. This principle has been refined and popularized by Stephen Covey in
- Organizing and managing one’s own work and the work of others is listed as one of the 26 effectiveness factors in a classical empirical study. See Marjorie M. Shultz and Sheldon Zedeck, Predicting Lawyer Effectiveness: Broadening the Basis for Law School Admission Decisions, 36 L. & Soc. Inquiry 620, 630 (summer 2011).
- Open Chapter
Acknowledgments to the Second Edition 7 results (showing 5 best matches)
- This second edition, in my view, is a substantial improvement over the first because it is the product of conversations I have had with literally hundreds of colleagues in the years since
- Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona
- Becoming a Lawyer
- I thank my students over my more than 30 years of teaching. They have challenged me at every step to be a better teacher, a better student, and a better professional. I have learned more from my students than I ever could hope to teach them.
- I am enormously grateful to my brilliant research assistant, Emma Evans. Her assistance has been invaluable, and she was an engaging conversation partner and voice of reason when I needed it most.
- Open Chapter
Chapter 8. Talent Management, Development, and Retention 182 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Flexibility also should extend to career paths, for example, modifying the traditional up-or-out system to retain valuable lawyers who do not wish to or otherwise are not likely to become shareholders by allowing them to come off the partner track while remaining productive members of the organization.
- Because many lawyers believe that they need to be available 24/7, supervisors and organizational culture can establish guidelines for availability. If supervisors and clients can agree to an availability protocol that signals commitment but is reasonable, transparent, and respectful, it can go a long way toward promoting lawyer wellbeing.
- See, e.g., Cecilia B. Loving, More Support for Mindfulness: Reduction of Implicit Bias, NYSB Inside (Winter 2017/Spring 2018) (citation omitted) (“There is substantial proof that a diverse workforce is better than a homogeneous one. Decades of research have shown that socially diverse groups are more innovating at solving complex problems than homogeneous groups. Research also concludes that the work of diverse groups results in a substantial increase in profitability, as compared to homogeneous groups.”); Walking Out The Door, supra note 92 “Studies of gender diversity in other professional settings show significant benefits and, conversely, a lack of diversity has negative effects. The gender gap at senior levels of firms impacts law firm finances, client relationships, the ability to attract and maintain client business, and recruiting and retaining the best lawyers in the profession. Law firms devote substantial resources to hiring and training their lawyers, and the attrition of...
- https://www.americanbar.org/groups/lawyer_assistance/resources/lap_programs_by_state.html
- American Bar Association, National Task Force on Lawyer Well-Being, The Path to Lawyer Well-Being: Practical Recommendations for Positive Change 52 (August 14, 2017) (hereinafter “The Path to Lawyer Well-Being”).
- Open Chapter
Chapter 9. Effective Communication 125 results (showing 5 best matches)
- “A good lawyer will understand that it is the client’s goals, values, needs, and wishes that will guide a successful representation.” Mark A. Dubois, Mastering the Craft of Lawyering, in Essential Qualities of the Professional Lawyer 109 (2013). “A good listener will be able to develop an empathic relationship with his client, built on trust and respect.” Id. at 110.
- Albert M. Rosenblatt, Lawyers as Wordsmiths, 69 N.Y.St. B.J. 12, 12 (November 1997)
- Finally, remember that a message does not become urgent because we have delayed dealing with something in a timely way. This notion is captured by the phrase “poor planning on your part does not necessitate an emergency on mine.” Civility demands that we manage projects in a way that does not unduly inconvenience others.
- How we communicate involves a consideration of whether the recipient is a lawyer or a non-lawyer; her level of knowledge about the matter at hand; and her general level of sophistication. In most cases, we should assume that the recipient of our communication is exceptionally busy, so we should have an appreciation for what the recipient wants or needs, e.g., a quick summary or a comprehensive explanation. We should also do our best to communicate what the receiver wants or needs to know in the manner she wants the information or can best process it. Context matters, and we should be deeply intentional about how to communicate in any given situation.
- See Chapter 4.C.4., supra. Listening attentively and respectfully is one of the top ten capabilities most important for starting lawyers based on the results of a study of 24,000 practicing attorneys around the country. See Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Foundations for Practice: The Whole Lawyer Character Quotient 26 (July 2016).
- Open Chapter
Chapter 4. Mindset and Dispositions 201 results (showing 5 best matches)
- Creativity can be an enormously valuable tool for lawyers and, because many lawyers lack it, engaging our creativity can be a meaningful differentiator.
- Optimism plays a special role in determining our success as lawyers. Professors Shultz and Zedeck have found a positive correlation between lawyer success and dispositional optimism as measured on the Revised Life Orientation Test. Dispositional optimism correlates with ten of their 26 effectiveness factors for lawyers, including speaking, networking, passion, stress management, and community service.
- Something that makes young lawyers stand out is “careful selection of, and true engagement in, their chosen practice area. The best and happiest lawyers find every new project, transaction or dispute exciting and as an opportunity to further develop their skill sets.” Kenneth R. Schwartz, Partner, Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP
- Attention to detail is one of the top ten capabilities most important for starting lawyers based on the results of a study of 24,000 practicing attorneys around the country. See Institute for the Advancement of the American Legal System, Foundations for Practice: The Whole Lawyer Character Quotient 26 (July 2016).
- See Ian Gallacher, Thinking Like Non-Lawyers: Why Empathy is a Core Lawyering Skill and Why Legal Education Should Change to Reflect its Importance, Syracuse College of Law Faculty Scholarship (2012).
- Open Chapter
About the Author 3 results
- Jaeger-Fine has taught or lectured domestically and in Argentina, Brazil, China, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Peru, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Taiwan, and Vietnam. Jaeger-Fine is the author of numerous articles on a wide range of topics published in the United States and abroad, as well as several books, including
- Previously, Jaeger-Fine served as associate director of the global law program at NYU School of Law. She was twice a Fulbright Senior Specialist Program grant recipient and is past chair of the sections on Post-Graduate Legal Education, International Legal Exchange, and Legal Education for Foreign Lawyers of the Association of American Law Schools. Jaeger-Fine was associated with the law firm of Crowell & Moring in Washington, D.C., where her practice focused on commercial, appellate, and administrative litigation. She is a graduate of Duke Law School and received her B.A. from Harpur College, where she was elected to
- Toni Jaeger-Fine is Senior Counselor at Fordham Law School, a position she assumed after serving as Assistant Dean for more than 16 years. She is also Principal of Jaeger-Fine Consulting, which provides professional consulting services to law firms and other organizations.
- Open Chapter
Chapter 10. Your Public Professional Persona 53 results (showing 5 best matches)
- LinkedIn is a vital element in the lawyer’s toolbox; every legal professional should have a LinkedIn account that can help him establish a public professional persona.
- Networking is listed as one of the 26 effectiveness factors for lawyers. See Marjorie M. Shultz and Sheldon Zedeck, Predicting Lawyer Effectiveness: Broadening the Basis for Law School Admission Decisions, 36 L. & Soc. Inquiry 620, 630 (summer 2011).
- How would you describe your approach to networking? How can you become a more effective networker?
- The issue of professional dress is fraught because it often implicates questions of authenticity and core identity. For many, particularly those of older generations, a lawyer has a particular look, and that look may not translate into dress that is suitable to or comfortable for women, racial or ethnic minorities, people who identify as LGBTQ+, and others.
- Unfortunate content eventually can be pushed to a lower place on the results list by adding favorable content that will be more current. Due to Google’s very complex algorithm (which takes into account more than 200 factors and is well beyond my comprehension), the placement of new material on the first page can take some time, so it is important to control content early and add to it regularly. Create a blog or launch a webpage that helps show you as the professional you have become and hopefully push other content to a lower position on the results list. In any case, we should be prepared to address any unflattering content on the Internet.
- Open Chapter
Chapter 1. The Legal Professional Persona Revealed 26 results (showing 5 best matches)
- One of the lawyers quoted later in this book was a first-year law student I taught many years ago, and I still recall how that student, even at such a formative stage, was exceptionally gifted across a range of competencies.
- Some of what follows may seem obvious, but an important goal of this book is to encourage readers to be more deliberate about their actions and behaviors so that each of us can become the very best—and happiest—professional possible. There often is a difference between knowing the right thing to do when asked and knowing and doing that thing at the appropriate time without being prompted.
- I credit my time at Crowell & Moring as a period of immense professional transformation. I entered as an utterly naive law student with no meaningful appreciation for what it meant to be a professional. My years there exposed me to outstanding attorneys, lawyers graced by a supreme sense of professionalism infused with a joyous approach to life. Their influence has served as the foundation for my own professional persona. I have found many of the same attributes in colleagues, supervisors, and students since then, for which I am enormously grateful.
- The habits of mind and personal characteristics explored in Part II have their external counterparts in the discussion in Part III dealing with how lawyers relate to the world. Many of the elements in Parts II and III mirror each other and are intimately intertwined. For this reason, although one’s legal professional persona is a confluence of many different features forged into an integrated whole, there inevitably is some overlap among the various elements discussed in the chapters that follow.
- Writing this book and reflecting intentionally on my many years working in different settings with a range of people has had the unintended but splendid consequence of helping me better understand my own motivations, strengths, and weaknesses, and of making me re-think elements of my own professional persona, reinforcing the fluid nature of the journey on which each of us embarks in our professional development. We are never done building our professional persona; our ideal professional persona remains aspirational, a lifelong work-in-progress. To paraphrase Reverend McDonald, we are always becoming what we will be.
- Open Chapter
Chapter 11. Summary and Practice Tips 76 results (showing 5 best matches)
- There is far more mobility. Lawyers today typically have a portfolio of positions over the course of a career.
- There are a range of different people we will come across in our daily lives as lawyers. Be attuned to these differences and approach them with a sense of openness, respect, and curiosity.
- Forget about IQ. If you are smart enough to get through law school, you are smart enough to be an outstanding attorney. Differences in IQ beyond the level needed to become an attorney do not correlate with success.
- Leadership is a defining principle for lawyers:
- Confidence: No one wants a lawyer who does not exude confidence.
- Open Chapter
Table of Contents 37 results (showing 5 best matches)
Index 43 results (showing 5 best matches)
Copyright Page 3 results
- The publisher is not engaged in rendering legal or other professional advice, and this publication is not a substitute for the advice of an attorney. If you require legal or other expert advice, you should seek the services of a competent attorney or other professional.
- © 2019 LEG, Inc. d/b/a West Academic
- © 2023 LEG, Inc. d/b/a West Academic
- Open Chapter
- Publication Date: September 20th, 2023
- ISBN: 9781685611460
- Subject: Professional Identity Formation
- Series: Academic and Career Success
- Type: Academic/Prof. Development
-
Description:
Becoming a Lawyer: Discovering and Defining Your Professional Persona addresses a range of attitudes and behaviors required to succeed—and flourish—in the legal profession. The book covers foundations of a robust and sustainable professional persona (achieving competence, habits, intelligence, and leadership); self-management—professionalism from the inside (mindset and dispositions, time management and organization, and wellbeing); and relationships – professionalism with the outside (working with others, talent management, and effective communication). With greater intentionality, each of us can become better and happier professionals.
This book is a perfect complement to law school efforts to comply with the American Bar Association’s recent revision to Standard 303 requiring that law schools provide ample opportunities for students to develop their professional identity.
