2. Build Authentic Relationships. Relationships matter—especially in high-stakes, high-pressure environments like law firms. While you’re focusing on doing great work, don’t forget to also build authentic relationships with your peers, leaders, internal and external clients, and stakeholders.
3. Be Engaged and Invested and Raise Your Hand. We love enthusiastic volunteers! Often, you can take an active role in crafting your learning experience simply by raising your hand. Interested in working on a particular matter or learning more about a subject? Speak up! Whether client-billable or pro bono matters, volunteers are often welcomed and appreciated.
4. Don’t Be Afraid to Learn from Mistakes. Mistakes will happen; it’s inevitable, but how you handle those situations will impact your long-term development and success. Make sure you’re learning from those experiences and try hard to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
5. How You Communicate Matters! Communication is critical in all its forms—written, verbal, and even body language. It’s not always about what you say, but how you say it—and how it’s received. Developing an effective communication style, and understanding how to navigate differing communication styles, is critical to success in any professional (or personal!) setting.
Whether you’re diving into your professional experience as a summer intern, preparing to begin your legal career as a first-year associate, or you’re a junior associate thinking about long-term success, hopefully these tips will help you navigate building a meaningful and successful law firm career.
