How to Be a Lawyer by Jason Mendelson & Alex Paul

Author:Jason Mendelson & Alex Paul [Mendelson, Jason & Paul, Alex]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781119835820
Publisher: Wiley
Published: 2022-05-31T00:00:00+00:00

Dang, THAT Is Irritating! (Or what frustrates me about people newly out of law school)

Kids these days! But seriously, the differences among my generation (Gen X) and younger generations have certainly created some interesting work challenges. What I've noticed over the last few years among many recent law graduates or lawyers early in their careers are two things: first, they think they know a lot more than they do. Unfortunately, law schools leave you ill-prepared for the actual practice of law. Most law schools do a really nice job of teaching you how to think like a lawyer. The Socratic method challenges your brain to continue exploring different avenues and permutations of possible outcomes, and IRAC is a fantastic method of breaking down and understanding a case. But law schools often don't give you a lot of the skills you need to practice law. How do you navigate the billable hour? How do you engage with your colleagues? When should you ask questions? (Pssst … the answer is ALWAYS.) What is EQ? How do you write a concise e-mail with the right amount of information and not too much explanation? WHAT DO CLIENTS REALLY WANT??? Unfortunately, these things are generally learned during the first years of practice by sucking on a fire hose and crossing your fingers while standing on one leg and hoping someone takes you under their wing. Second, these same folks expect rocket movement up the proverbial ladder regardless of competence or skillset, but merely as a matter of course and expectation. I've had many conversations with new lawyers who expect to work 9-to-t, no weekends, but still make General Counsel within a few years. This is not only unreasonable, it would most likely be malpractice. There is absolutely nothing wrong with demanding a work-life balance, and with having high expectations. But the expectation that a recent graduate will achieve partner or GC status (or CLO or top dog or whatever) as a matter of course is simply hubris.

Also, I forgot to mention that I am highly annoyed by poor grammar. Please learn the difference between which and that. Know when to use a semi-colon and a colon. And the use of a period is not “aggressive.”

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