These Lawyers Share What They Wish They Knew Before They Got Into the Law Game
Movies have distorted reality a bit when it comes to legal drama. I mean, who didn't want to become a lawyer after seeing Elle Woods absolutely slay her trial speech to prove the defendant innocent (while showing up her ex in the process)?
Practicing law IRL is much less juicy and much more nuanced (and first-year law students would never be allowed to question a witness on the stand). Some lawyers may never see the inside of a courtroom, first of all, and discerning what kind of law suits you is a more complex process.
Whether you're applying to law school, trying to pass the bar exam, or just got a job with a firm, you need to know what's coming. Lawyers Amanda Devereux, Rachel Rodgers, and Jamie* share what life after law school has been like, and how it differed from their original expectations.
1. You may have just graduated law school, but you haven't seen anything yet.
"Law school doesn't really teach you how to practice law," Devereux says. It turns out, you have a lot left to learn. "In the beginning, it may seem like nearly every time you are assigned a task, it's something that you've never done before," she adds. But don't worry, eventually, with more practice (pun intended) you'll get the hang of the skill set and type of law you're practicing. "The anxiety should subside after a couple of years when you've developed a decent base of skills," Devereux says.
2. You may not pass the bar on the first try.
The bar exam wasn't exactly designed with everyone in mind. "Here’s the thing. The bar exam—like most academic exams in our country—was first developed by white, affluent, powerful men (a.k.a. the patriarchy) who very much wanted to retain their power," Rodgers says. While the exam and its policies have changed slightly over the years, it's still going to be a challenge to pass.
"If you fail the bar exam on your first try, you’re in good company. So did Michelle Obama. So did Hilary Clinton," Rodgers says. "You can persist." Her best study tips include using flashcards, and taping them up all over the place in your house so that the info sinks in.
3. If you don’t go to an Ivy League law school, you can still be a great lawyer.
"You don’t need to be the smartest person in the room," Jamie says. Sure, it's great if you graduated from Harvard or Yale. But even if you don't go to a top tier school and are going into a competitive field like corporate law, it's all about motivation and being a team player, she says.
4. You're going to be really bored if you don't pick a field of practice that fits your personality.
"I do complex commercial litigation and white-collar criminal defense, which I enjoy because it's challenging and it's exhilarating when you score great results for the client," Devereux says. That's not going to be the right move for everyone, though. "If your passion is public interest environmental law, you might be bored to tears if you practice bankruptcy law instead," Devereux adds. Make sure you vet out different kinds of law (internships are great opportunities for that!) before you decide on a field.
5. Certain types of law will be more flexible than others.
If you're prone to wanderlust or simply don't want to be tied down to one city, one option is intellectual property law, like Rodgers practices. You'll be dealing with trademarks, patents, copyrights, and the like to protect creative works, like songs, books, or technology, she explains. And it may allow you to move around or work remotely. "Because trademarks and copyrights are regulated by a federal agency, you can work with trademark and copyright clients from any state. This gives you lots of flexibility if you don’t want to be stuck in the state in which you are barred," says Rodgers.
6. You probably won't spend much time in court.
All the movies that show lawyers only working when they're in court are not at all accurate. "In fact, you might never see a courtroom," Devereux says. You'll probably be spending a lot of time alone, in an office, researching cases, and processing paperwork. "Most lawyers are not in court delivering soaring speeches in front of juries every week," says Devereux.
7. Being a lawyer means being a writer.
Just when you thought those law school papers were done, that's not quite the case. "I'm a litigator, which can be a bit like writing a term paper every night for the rest of your life," Devereux says. But no matter what area you practice in, writing is definitely going to be part of the job. That might include briefs, memos, contracts, letters, and even emails, she adds. "So brush up on your writing skills, especially post-law school, because communicating clearly and effectively is the greater part of the job," says Devereux.
8. Don't expect to become a partner early in your career.
It's not easy to make partner (or become a part-owner of a firm instead of an employee), even if you're a top performer. "In my experience, most people I worked with did not make partner," Jamie says. Often, it's worth it to leave and go to another firm to get to that level, she admits.
9. You won't always be able to find a clear answer to every case.
Often, cases are much more than just "right vs. wrong" like you see on legal shows. "Legal issues can be very complex, and solutions are not always straightforward. Finding an answer may require a significant amount of analysis, research, discussion, and hard thinking," Devereux says. It's up to you to exercise your critical thinking muscles, she adds, and to embrace uncertainty.
10. You should definitely be taking notes.
"Your memory is not infallible. I didn't take many notes in college or law school, but as a lawyer, I take notes on everything, whether it's a five-minute phone conference or a day-long meeting," Devereux says. And you're going to have to multitask between cases and circle back to them even months later, so make notes in your phone, at the very least. "It's hard to remember every single important detail when you are juggling multiple matters, and sometimes an issue will resurface months or even years after the last time it seemed relevant," Devereux adds.
11. You'll probably be on your phone a lot.
"Lawyers work a lot of hours, and clients can have issues requiring your attention at any time, regardless of whether it's a weekend, holiday, or during your vacation. And, thanks to technology, you can and will be expected to respond and perform the work from wherever you are as soon as humanly possible," Devereux says. This is just kind of the reality for some types of law. Also, certain seasons are specifically busy (for example, if you're a tax attorney).
12. But work-life balance is what you make of it.
Corporate law involves some long nights at the office at some points for sure, like during big closings or deadlines, says Jamie, but it's not like that all the time. "It was on you as the associate to get your work done, unless there was a reason to be there late, or a deadline to meet," she says. If you decide to work in-house at a company, you might have a more flexible, 9-to-5 schedule, Jamie says.
13. Think of your work wardrobe as a uniform.
The type of law you practice has a bearing on what you'll be wearing to the office. The clothes might not necessarily be your go-to if you were going to a date or another fun function, though. "After years of struggling with work clothes, I've pared my work wardrobe down to mostly black and gray skirt suits and a rotation of neutral blouses," says Devereux. "They're always appropriate, pretty much everything matches, and it makes getting dressed for work fairly effortless."
14. Taking care of your mental health is key.
"One insider secret is that most lawyers are overworked, exhausted, and not earning as much as they could," Rodgers says. Burnout, stress, and depression are incredibly common among lawyers. Make sure you take advantage of mental health days, vacation days, and sick days, and if you're truly struggling (or your colleagues are), consult a mental health practitioner.
15. You probably won't be rich.
"Sure, there are plenty of very well-off lawyers, but that's really just the top layer of the profession. Most lawyers earn more of a solid middle-class income," says Devereux. You probably will be carrying a large amount of student loan debt from law school, which is not at all ideal when you're just starting out in your career. "Make sure you only become a lawyer if you actually want to work as a lawyer. If you become a lawyer because you think it will make you wealthy, you may find yourself very disappointed, especially if you could have made an equivalent salary at a job that you would have enjoyed more," Devereux says.
16. You won't have 100 percent job security.
There's unpredictability with some law firms and corporate environments, which doesn't guarantee you a job. "I was laid off from a company right after I found out I was pregnant, as part of a huge round of layoffs," Jamie says. Then, bad luck struck again when she was laid off again from another firm during her maternity leave due to COVID-19 cuts. You just never know what will happen, but it's important to keep good relationships within the industry for future opportunities.
17. It’s worth it to start your own practice, and make your own rules.
Especially if you have a ton of student loan debt, and a family to support, forging your own career path can be a great career move, Rodgers says. She was ahead of the coronavirus WFH curve when she started her own virtual law practice 10 years ago, working. Without the overhead of an office building and with help from some fellow attorneys, she was able to fill a niche and grow her practice by operating via virtual meetings, phone calls, and emails. "Dare to do things differently," Rodgers says.
*Last name has been withheld to protect privacy.
You Might Also Like
