The Real World: Life after Law School

First of all, if you step into that marble foyer for the first time and realize that you would rather be anywhere but there, you should be. The practice of law is for people who truly want to be lawyers. Those who don't have their hearts in it will have a very difficult road ahead of them. However, if the smell of all those legal pads really gets you going, don't lose track of that passion. It will get you through what just might be the toughest 12 months of your life.
 

Many fresh-faced new lawyers go into their first year on the job with visions of perfection dancing in their heads. They plan to draft perfect briefs and advance perfect ideas while wearing perfectly ironed shirts and smiling perfectly bright smiles. They are usually disappointed.

When it comes to doing the grunt work that first-years are sure to do, it's usually easier to focus more on getting the job done right rather than getting it done perfectly. There won't be anyone grading your papers, making sure you've done everything properly. There will, however, be a real, live client paying good money for you to make sure that what he/she wants gets done.

In short, you should try to have a broader perspective when it comes to first-year work. Focus on the overall goal of accomplishing a task, and don't get bogged down in the miniscule details.

Once you start working as an attorney, there will be many things you won't have any idea how to do. For example, the firm will have its own system of filing, distributing information, and handling day-to-day operations.

Many times, you won't know where to go, how to get there, or whom to talk to once you do; but instead of spending your days in the restroom mopping your sweaty brow, ask someone for a practice guide that deals directly with the firm's practice areas. This is a simple, easy way to get your head above the water and gulp in some much-needed air.

Once you have a basic understanding of how things at the firm work, you will gain confidence in your own abilities and become more comfortable doing the work. However, there will most likely come a day when someone hands you an assignment that leaves you baffled, wondering what in the world you spent the last three years of law school learning.

In this situation, take a deep breath, and go with your gut instinct. Do what you think you should do, regardless of whether or not you know that it's the right thing to do. Most likely, your gut feeling will be correct. After all, you must have developed some sort of legal intuition while sitting immobile in those stuffy college auditoriums.

Also, don't be afraid to ask a senior associate or partner for answers to questions or for clarification on assignments. Sometimes, you can save a lot of time simply by asking the right person a question.

Now on to arguably the most exciting part of being an attorney (at least in the eyes of new associates): the perks. The best advice in this area is moderation. Overdoing it or taking advantage of the firm in any way will be viewed negatively. Therefore, even if the firm seems liberal when it comes to living the high life, it's always better to exercise a certain level of restraint.

Another area where restraint should be practiced is in regard to your personal life. Don't get me wrong. Everyone has issues of a personal nature that have to be dealt with from time to time, but keep in mind that your superiors have their own personal problems to deal with.

Learn the 10 Factors That Matter to Big Firms More Than Where You Went to Law School

Unless you have a personal matter that absolutely, positively must be discussed, keep your private life to yourself. Also, it's a good idea to talk things over with your family and friends prior to starting work so that they understand exactly what you're getting into. That way, you won't have to deal with the added stress of family disagreements and disappointments if you have to suddenly renege on commitments.

And a last little tidbit of advice for newbie attorneys is to take advantage of your status. Partnership will come soon enough, and then you won't be able to ask dumb questions or get lost on your way to the restroom. Take this opportunity to learn as much as you can while you have the least amount of responsibility. Being teachable during the first 12 months will pay off in the future.

Please see the following articles for more information about life as an associate:
 

• What's Next after Finishing Law School
• The Five Stages of Every Legal Career
• The Choices of Practice in Law
• Choosing a Law Specialty: Who Are You and What Do You Want
• The 10-Step, ''No-Fail'' Guide to Distinguishing Yourself as a First-Year Associate
• 5 Tips for First Year Law Firm Associates
• The Art of Drafting a Proper Legal Memo
• Top 39 Tips for New Litigation Associates and Trial Lawyers: How to Be a Good Litigation Attorney
• The Real Reason There Are Fewer Law Firm Jobs (What No Attorney Wants You to Know)
• Avoid the Dangers of Getting Jobs Through Friends and Family
• Should You Marry a Lawyer? A Couple's Guide to Balancing Work, Love and Amibition
• The Three Major Legal Fraternities
• 2015 LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in Best Law Firms
• 2015 8th Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
• 2015 1st Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms
• Getting along with colleagues and co-workers in a new firm
• LawCrossing Salary Survey of Lawyer Salaries in Best Law Firms
• The Pros and Cons of Working in a Law Firm
• The Impact Law Firm Economics Can Have on Your Legal Career
• How to Avoid a Bad Reputation at Work
• Must You be a ''Type-A'' Personality to Succeed in a Law Firm?

Please see the following articles for more information about law firm jobs:
 

• What Law Firms Look for In a Lateral Resume
• Law Firms and Part-Time Attorneys-They Really Can Go Hand in Hand
• Overhead Ratios of a Law Firm
• 2014 AmLaw 200 Law Firm Revenue, Firm Size, and Breakdown
• Top Ten Reasons Why Older Attorneys Have a More Difficult Time Getting Law Firm Jobs
• Staying Put In Your Current Legal Firm and Learning Is the Best Option In Recession.

Please see the following articles for more information about law school, the bar exam and succeeding in your first year of practice:
 

• Acing Law School Exams: Grade-A Advice
• What's Next after Finishing Law School
• First Year of Law School Survival Tips
• Does Law School Rank Determine Success?
• The Three Major Legal Fraternities and Why You May Want to Join One
• Late Bloomers: Going to Law School Later in Life
• Coping with Law School Dismissal
• Graduated From a Tier 3 Law School: There’s much you can do with your degree
• Why You Should Think Twice About Remaining in Law (or Going to Law School)
• Should You Marry a Lawyer? A Couple's Guide to Balancing Work, Love and Amibition
• After Law School, B-School: The Rise of M.B.A.'s Among Attorneys
• Law Schools at Historically Black Colleges and Universities
• Non-ABA-Accredited Schools May Offer Good Alternative
• Top Law Schools Analyzed and Ranked By America’s Top Legal Recruiter Harrison Barnes
• The Five Stages of Every Legal Career
• "Guidelines on Reciprocity or "Admission on Motion" among the States as per American Bar Association"
• Pass the Bar in One State, Work in Another
• Taking the Bar in Multiple States
• 10 Ways to Bounce Back After Failing the Bar and Pass on Your Next Attempt
• Don't Panic! Ten Tips for Surviving the Bar Exam
• New York's Exam: The Biggest Baddest Bar
• If You Have Failed the Bar Exam It Is Not the End of the World
• Barriers Fall for Out-of-State Attorneys
• The 10-Step, ''No-Fail'' Guide to Distinguishing Yourself as a First-Year Associate
• The Art of Drafting a Proper Legal Memo
• 5 Tips for First Year Law Firm Associates
• Top 39 Tips for New Litigation Associates and Trial Lawyers: How to Be a Good Litigation Attorney
• 2015 1st Year Salaries and Bonuses of the Top Law Firms