Experienced chief legal officers & law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council offer firsthand insights on legal issues.
You’ve graduated from law school, accepted an offer, and are ready to kick-start your legal career. But while it may look like it’s smooth sailing from here, you still have a long road ahead of you, with plenty to learn along the way.
The good news is, there’s no better time than right now to start working towards your future, and no one better to show you the ropes than the experts who have already been there. Below, seven experienced chief legal officers and law firm partners from Forbes Legal Council share their best advice for young lawyers who are just getting their careers off the ground.
From top left to right: Doug Bend, Lawrence Buckfire, Victor Cardona, Anthony Johnson, Fatima Khan, Matthew Digesti, Peter Minton. All photos courtesy of the individual member.
1. Give Before You Take
The best way to develop strong business relationships is to proactively think of ways to help others. Instead of asking for this or that, try asking how you can help them. You’ll be amazed at how much you help yourself by constantly thinking of ways to help others. – Doug Bend, Bend Law Group, PC
2. Find A Niche Within A Specialty
The best thing a young lawyer can do is find a niche area of law as a specialty. This will make you significantly more valuable to a law firm and a commodity for potential clients. For example, become an expert on a certain type of tax laws, like overseas investments, or an area of real estate law, like construction defect litigation. This will greatly increase your value. – Lawrence Buckfire, Buckfire & Buckfire, P.C.
3. Think Like A Business Owner
Be sure to learn early on that (1) the practice of law is also a business, (2) your clients are your customers, and (3) your name is all you have to go on. Treat your customers, adversaries and contacts as you’d like to be treated and the rest will follow. So get out there and talk to people. It will pay dividends along the way. – Victor Cardona, Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti PC
4. Use Your Skills As A Millennial To Add Value
You probably don’t realize how far you are from being a great lawyer. Step back and compare yourself to a partner at the firm. Rather than standing on the sidelines for years, add value now. Improve your firm’s social presence or help manage its online reputation. Your boss will be impressed by that long before he/she is impressed by your next brief. – Anthony Johnson, Johnson & Vines, PLLC
