I am neither a new attorney nor starting a new job, and can offer no advice on navigating one’s early career during the pandemic from first-hand experience. But I am a coordinator of our office’s intern program, and I have had the pleasure of working with several new attorneys hired by our office in the past year. As a manager and colleague, I have seen how the virtual office affects a new attorney’s ability to make meaningful connections with colleagues and clients, and how much extra effort is required to successfully manage office expectations. My comments here are based on my own experience working in a federal government law office, which is still—as of October 2021—nearly entirely virtual.
- Check in Early and Often, Using your Manager’s Preferred Method
Partners and managers get busy and may not reach out via Zoom or TEAMS as readily as they would have stopped by your office to check in. Don’t worry about being a bother. Reach out as soon as you have a question. Ask your manager how they prefer to be contacted for a quick question. Personally, I do not prefer virtual “cold calls,” but a simple instant message asking if I’m available for a call is always welcome. Other managers/partners may be fine with the cold call or may prefer you to send them a more formal invitation to a virtual meeting. - Build in Time to Build Collegiality
If you have an assigned mentor or if a more senior attorney in the office has offered to be a resource, ask if you could call them at a certain time once or twice a week for an agenda-free “coffee talk.” It is often during informal interactions with colleagues that I talk through legal and logistical issues of my cases most productively. Finding a way to emulate that easy dialogue outside of a real office isn’t easy, but I’ve found that a regular call with loose goals is close. Turn off your cameras and discuss your cases (or just your weekend) while drinking some coffee. - Dress the Part
Don’t just save it for virtual hearings or client meetings. Throw on your business attire to draft that tough brief or redact that file. One challenge of being a lawyer working from home is feeling like a lawyer while working from home. Shoes with heels or pants with buttons—even if not visible on Zoom—can do a lot to elevate your mindset. - Find Productive Uses for Unstructured Time
When starting a new job, you may find you have spare time built into your day. It takes a while, in our office at least, to fill a new attorney’s docket. In the old days, you would have spent this time setting up your office or getting to know your colleagues. Find a similarly productiveuse for your time: get ahead on your CLEs or read up on governing case law. Ask a colleague for helpful reference materials. Read your agency’s website.
The advice and opinions reflected herein are personal to Ms. Chastain and do not reflect the views of the federal government.