Finding the Perfect Fit: Determining Which Practice Setting Suits You Best
By Jennifer Sloan Hilsabeck
Most attorneys practicing for any length of time have
switched settings once or twice before finding the one
that best suits them. In my case, I started with a relatively
large firm by Nevada standards, worked briefly in a very
small firm, and then made the move to my current position
as an in-house counsel with a private company. Most of
my friends have embarked upon similar employment journeys,
with many taking on roles as government attorneys along
the way. As attorneys, we all share a common career rooted
in the practice of law, although how and where we provide
our services can differ greatly.
As an attorney in the early stages of your legal career,
you may be wondering which path to pursue and may likewise
be looking for guidance on how best to navigate that
course. Although I certainly do not purport to have the
best answers to questions such as these, I can share
some thoughts on what has worked for me thus far in my
career:
- Honestly, and continually, assess
your career goals. Although this may sound like a no–brainer exercise, it can be a starting–off point for some deeper soul searching. For example, many readers who are currently working as associates in law firms may think that the logical end goal for their career is to achieve partnership status within that firm, end of story. Before ruling out any other potential opportunities, take an honest evaluation of this proposed career path. Are the partners at your current firm not only financially successful but also happy in other areas of their lives? Do you feel that you are being given adequate guidance at this early stage in your career in order to be able to achieve the goal of partnership within a reasonable time frame? Can you see yourself being accepted by the partners at your firm as an equal player whose opinions and contributions will be valued and acknowledged?
If you can answer “yes” to these questions, congratulations! It sounds like you have found a firm that fits you perfectly! If not, don’t panic. Perhaps you should take a moment to reach out to a senior associate for a frank discussion of your concerns. If you don’t already have a partner mentor within the firm, it’s probably time that you sought one out. Or perhaps it’s time to dust off your resume and test the waters. The bottom line is that you owe it to yourself to make sure that you are working in the best possible environment for your continual development as an attorney. You’ve worked very hard in the competitive educational environment of law school to make it this far and you owe it to yourself to ensure that this hard work pays off by best positioning yourself for a successful career. That career may be with law firm or it may not—either way, it should be somewhere you feel appropriately challenged by the work that you are given, valued for your unique contributions and, above all, happy with the overall working environment. After all, as you undoubtedly know by now, you will be spending much more time at work than anywhere else for many years to come!
- Find a good mentor . . . or two! Once
again, this may sound like something that goes
without saying, but it’s important enough
to emphasize again. Having a mentor to bounce career
concerns and aspirations off will give you invaluable
insight. Experience really is the best teacher,
and talking to someone who has already been down
a career path similar to yours can result in learning
about pitfalls while you still have time to avoid
them. An effective mentor can be someone with whom
you work, someone from your law school, or a trusted
family member. The key to finding a good mentor
is finding someone that you trust and with whom
you can speak frankly. If you can find more than
one person who fits this description, even better!
Just like the old saying, two heads are definitely
better than one. Soliciting advice from more than
one source, especially about something as important
as your future career, makes practical sense.
- Don’t be afraid of change simply
because it is different. This really
is easier said than done. Change is scary, especially
if you have been doing things a certain way for
a period of time. But that shouldn’t stop
you from making a change necessary to achieve
your professional (and therefore personal) happiness.
Although this phrase has become cliché,
it really is never too late to change. For example,
I know of an attorney who had commenced his career
as a litigator and, after practicing as such
for several years, decided that he would rather
work as a corporate attorney. Rather than thinking
this avenue was forever unavailable to him because
he began his career in litigation, he took the
time necessary to develop his legal skills in
the corporate law arena and became arguably one
of the best and widely respected corporate law
attorneys in my home state. Life is full of change—it’s
what keeps things interesting! You are probably
not the same person that you were back in law
school, and odds are you won’t be the same
person years from today. If you find yourself
yearning to focus on a different practice area
or move to a different practice setting, take
the time to research the steps required to make
that transition. If after your investigation
you find that you are still interested—go
for it!
- Always remember where you started. Every
experience in life helps to shape and define who
we are today. Likewise, each experience in your
legal career will determine who you eventually
are as an attorney. Regardless of where you end
up, always remember the first law firm/government
entity /corporation to hire you. It was that organization
that recognized your potential as a new attorney
and was willing to take a chance on you, usually
without much prior law-related work history on
which to base its decision. The first employer
you have is most likely the one that will show
you the ropes and give you the basic set of skills
that you will continue to develop throughout your
practice of law. It never hurts to acknowledge
this employer’s contributions when you receive
compliments on your skills later in your career.
Also, maintaining contacts with the people who
gave you your first break can help you throughout
your career in many ways: these people can act
as a referral source and can provide invaluable
guidance as needed. If you are lucky, as I have
fortunately been, you may even develop genuine
friendships with these fellow attorneys that will
continue to blossom, regardless of where you work.
Overall, it’s important to remember that the practice of law is more than just a job: it’s a true profession, which means that your colleagues are most likely individuals who care just as much about your development as a professional as you do. As a young attorney, don’t be afraid to reach out to these people for advice—you’ll most likely be pleased with the response!
Jennifer Sloan Hilsabeck is associate general counsel for American Nevada Company, a Greenspun family company that was founded in 1974. ANC is a major developer of commercial office centers, retail centers, master planned communities, and mixed-use projects in Nevada, and is currently developing new planned communities in Arizona and Texas aggregating approximately 7,000 acres. In addition, she is currently a member of the Leadership Advisory Board of the American Bar Association's Young Lawyers Division and has been appointed to serve as a Young Lawyers Division Liaison to the General Practice, Solo and Small Firm Division as well as the Business Law Section of the ABA. Within the GP|Solo Division, Jennifer also currently serves as Chair of both the Young Lawyer and the Corporate Counsel Committees.
© Copyright 2008, American
Bar Association.
