There’s a column in Esquire titled “What I’ve Learned” where famous people share what life has taught them. About 15 years ago, I wrote my own “What I’ve Learned” piece for a legal publication. Here I go again.
My first boss told me, “Don’t make the client’s problem your problem.” I think about that a lot.
Come early to work. Gives you time to settle in for the day.
Every morning, skim your calendar for the week. Once a week, check your calendar for the month.
Double-check all your events and deadlines are properly calendared. The cases are yours, not your legal assistant’s.
Get the paid version of Grammarly, even if you have to pay for it yourself.
Always use the active voice. Strong nouns, strong verbs. Few adverbs and adjectives.
Join Toastmasters. Take an improv class. Volunteer to speak.
Get published. Start small. Try to write 200-300 words every day. One day, you may write a book.
Exercise. Eat well. Go to bed on time.
Join LinkedIn. Work on your profile. Post regularly on a topic you know about and enjoy.
Treat your boss like your client.
If you screw up, own it. Develop a solution and discuss it with your supervisor to determine the best approach for handling it. Don’t hide your mistake or try to cover it up.
Go to lunch with your colleagues. Don’t always eat at your desk.
Working from home is a privilege, not a right. The earlier you are in your profession, the more office time you need for your professional development.
Get a hobby.
Feed your village and tribe. We all need a team around us, supporting us, and we do it for them.
Don’t compromise your principles, values, or ethics for the sake of a firm or a client.
Don’t ever do anything that jeopardizes your ticket.
No one is coming to save you.
Your career is your responsibility.
Don’t burn bridges.
Pay it forward. Always.
Read a book or take a class on etiquette.
An open bar is not an invitation to overconsume.
Don’t overstay your welcome at an event, in an organization, or at a firm.
Read.
Don’t doom scroll.
There’s always another great show to watch. Turn off the television.
Listen more. Talk less.
Spend money on a good office chair, a good mattress, and good shoes. Your middle-aged self will thank you.
On your deathbed, you won’t regret not billing more hours.
Take an investment class.
Try writing poetry.
Jury selection is deselection.
Get involved. Volunteer. Do pro bono.
If your firm won’t invest in your development, it’s on you.
Frank Ramos is a partner at Goldberg Segalla in Miami, where he practices commercial litigation, products, and catastrophic personal injury. You can follow him on LinkedIn, where he has about 80,000 followers.
The post What I’ve Learned: Random Thoughts For Young Lawyers appeared first on Above the Law.
There’s a column in Esquire titled “What I’ve Learned” where famous people share what life has taught them. About 15 years ago, I wrote my own “What I’ve Learned” piece for a legal publication. Here I go again.
My first boss told me, “Don’t make the client’s problem your problem.” I think about that a lot.
Come early to work. Gives you time to settle in for the day.
Every morning, skim your calendar for the week. Once a week, check your calendar for the month.
Double-check all your events and deadlines are properly calendared. The cases are yours, not your legal assistant’s.
Get the paid version of Grammarly, even if you have to pay for it yourself.
Always use the active voice. Strong nouns, strong verbs. Few adverbs and adjectives.
Join Toastmasters. Take an improv class. Volunteer to speak.
Get published. Start small. Try to write 200-300 words every day. One day, you may write a book.
Exercise. Eat well. Go to bed on time.
Join LinkedIn. Work on your profile. Post regularly on a topic you know about and enjoy.
Treat your boss like your client.
If you screw up, own it. Develop a solution and discuss it with your supervisor to determine the best approach for handling it. Don’t hide your mistake or try to cover it up.
Go to lunch with your colleagues. Don’t always eat at your desk.
Working from home is a privilege, not a right. The earlier you are in your profession, the more office time you need for your professional development.
Get a hobby.
Feed your village and tribe. We all need a team around us, supporting us, and we do it for them.
Don’t compromise your principles, values, or ethics for the sake of a firm or a client.
Don’t ever do anything that jeopardizes your ticket.
No one is coming to save you.
Your career is your responsibility.
Don’t burn bridges.
Pay it forward. Always.
Read a book or take a class on etiquette.
An open bar is not an invitation to overconsume.
Don’t overstay your welcome at an event, in an organization, or at a firm.
Read.
Don’t doom scroll.
There’s always another great show to watch. Turn off the television.
Listen more. Talk less.
Spend money on a good office chair, a good mattress, and good shoes. Your middle-aged self will thank you.
On your deathbed, you won’t regret not billing more hours.
Take an investment class.
Try writing poetry.
Jury selection is deselection.
Get involved. Volunteer. Do pro bono.
If your firm won’t invest in your development, it’s on you.
Frank Ramos is a partner at Goldberg Segalla in Miami, where he practices commercial litigation, products, and catastrophic personal injury. You can follow him on LinkedIn, where he has about 80,000 followers.
