Practicing Law Sucks

Yes, you can succeed as a Lawyer...if you follow these basic rules

Just because you have a Law Degree and have passed the Bar Exam does not, in and of itself, guarantee you "success."  Like the old saying goes, "There are rules to every game," and the practice of law is no exception.

Unless you inherit a fortune or win the lottery, you are going to have to work for your success.  But, you will do okay if you follow the following tried-and-true tactics for having a successful legal career -- and life.

Set specific and ambitious goals.  Effective goals point directly toward results.  "Get involved with my local Bar Association" is more motivational then "Work my way up to being on the Board of my Local Bar."  Although you need to be realistic about what's possible, don't set goals that are too modest.  A real challenge will inspire your best efforts more than an easy win.

Focus on career improvement, not perfection.  You can always do more, achieve more, get more.  Don't let the fact that you're not at the pinnacle of your career achievement drain your enthusiasm.  Measure your progress so that you know how far you have come, and give yourself credit for moving closer to your goal.

Take a proactive approach.  You can't just wait for things to happen - - successful lawyers make things happen.  Create your own opportunities by focusing on what you can control and not worry about what is beyond your reach. 

Learn from others.  The old saying, "Experience is the best teacher" has a great deal of merit.  Be willing to ask for help from an experienced lawyer.  The chances are they would be proud to be asked and willing to be helpful.

Don't be afraid of failure when it comes to career planning. Most career mistakes aren't the end of everything. Put your ideas out there and (after some careful planning) give them a chance to succeed.  If one crashes and burns, study it so you can learn what happened.  Maybe you just experienced bad luck - the wrong place at the wrong time - and your idea still has a good chance of achieving results.  Or maybe you can adjust your approach to improve your chances on the next attempt.

JEROME M. BAME, Esq., Coach-Mentor-Confidant to Lawyers, 10061 Talbert Avenue, Suite 200, Fountain Valley, CA  92708; Telephone (714) 962-4477; Email jmb@PracticingLawSucks.com

We are our own worst enemy

I am in the "complaint business."  Or, to be more precise, lawyers seek out my help in solving issues that make them unhappy.  And, as we lawyers know, there are a lot of unhappy lawyers - - as attested to by Bar Surveys and authors of articles and books on that topic.  So, I hear a lot of complaints.

Many of the complaints I hear are from self-imposed problems or, put another way, they are created by the lawyer's own actions or inaction's.

Several examples:

• A lawyer may complain that they keep losing files when, in fact, their desk and office looks like a tornado hit it; or,
• A lawyer complains that no one in their office likes them when, in fact, they, them self, do not exert any effort to be friendly to those around them; or,
• A lawyer complains about certain of their clients or cases when, in fact, they should not have taken on those particular clients or cases in the first place;
• Etc.

In each of these situations, the problem was created by the individual lawyer, himself/herself. 

Using these examples, it would be easy for us to say that the solution is quite simple - - clean up your desk and office, or start being more friendly to those in your office, or be mindful of the clients and cases you accept.  But, the complaining lawyer would typically respond, "Oh, I can't.  That's not me.  I am just who I am, and can't change"  ...and, then, they keep on complaining.

MY response would be (and, in many instances, is), "Well, either change, or stop complaining.

I guess that when the "pain" of losing one file too many, or getting kicked out of your firm because "you just don't fit in," or accepting that "client from Hell" (who, in addition to not paying your fees, sues you) gets too much - - the lawyer finally realizes that change is essential.

But, what a "price" to pay !!

JEROME M. BAME, Esq., Coach-Mentor-Confidant to Lawyers, 10061 Talbert Avenue, Suite 200, Fountain Valley, CA  92708; Telephone (714) 962-4477; Email jmb@PracticingLawSucks.com