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Young Lawyers Q&A

A diverse panel of lawyers and other professionals from Schnader Harrison Segal & Lewis answers a few select questions in this recurring column, advising young lawyers about their career, professional development, office politics, business development, pro bono work, relationships with mentors and colleagues, and more.

Here is this month's Q&A on losing interest in the profession, deciding whether to refuse assignments and arguing with opposing counsel:

Question No. 1: I find myself progressively less interested in the substance of my work—it's unpleasant at times—but I'm still devoted to earning as much as possible and having a nice lifestyle. Is it possible to enjoy lawyering as much as the personal benefits of the profession?

Albert S. Dandridge: Being a young lawyer is not always being in a land of milk and honey. Unfortunately, learning your craft can sometimes be boring, but you must learn. Hopefully, your work assignments become more interesting as you progress.

David Robert Struwe: Maybe I'm different, but as an associate I find the practice of law fascinating. Whenever I do get frustrated by challenges, I remind myself that practicing law is a whole lot less stressful than serving in the Army, like I used to do.

Osazenoriuwa Ebose: I've been practicing law for less than a year, so it's also hard for me to relate to a young colleague who has already burned out on the profession. I have friends who discovered in law school that they may have made a career mistake. But the ones who graduated seem to have found creative ways to get satisfaction from practicing law in different ways. I'd encourage you to get more creative!

Laurel Gift: I hope you can be thoughtful about the sort of legal work that gives meaning to your professional life and comports with your values. Now is the time to take risks and actively pursue fulfilling opportunities. You are too young to be engaged in work you find unpleasant and uninteresting.

Julie Meyers: Think back about why you wanted to become a lawyer in the first place. This may help you shift your focus away from the importance of earning as much as possible. If you can do work that you know is truly helping your clients, you will feel more fulfilled and “enriched.”

Jonathan B. Skowron: I'd say do pro bono work in an area you are passionate about, especially if your firm will support you. It may not change how you seem to feel about your billable work, but it may help you to “enjoy lawyering!”

Claudia Rayer: From an HR perspective, I suggest you talk with a career counselor who can help you unpack your thoughts and devise a plan that will lead to a career that checks your personal interest, earnings and lifestyle boxes.

Question No. 2: I'm getting assignments, lots of them, and am feeling overwhelmed. I've heard that refusing work is perceived in a very negative way in the firm. How do I manage my workload but not jeopardize my career?

Gift: Communicate! Your work product will ultimately suffer if you continually overextend yourself. When accepting an assignment, ask questions about the final product, expectations, and timelines. While it can be a difficult conversation, be honest about your current work load and what a reasonable deadline would look like.

Dandridge: It is certainly always difficult to say no. Hopefully, you should never do it. That is why you need a mentor or an assignment person who can say no for you.

Skowron: Perhaps instead of just saying “no,” say, “yes, I'd love to help, but given my current deadlines, I cannot turn to this until tomorrow/for at least a week or two. Does that work?” If it doesn't, they'll move on, and you didn't turn down the assignment.

Ebose: I try to give the assigning attorney an idea of my workload so not only can they have a realistic expectation of the end date but also so they can make a better decision and know whether I can handle the assignment. It's likely that the assigning attorney will say “no” for you if they see you're swamped.

Meyers: In addition, if you finish your current assignments earlier than expected, go back to the assigning attorney and let her know that you now have time to work on the assignment. Even if it's too late to help her, she will remember that you came back and she'll see you are responsible and don't turn away work just for the sake of it.

Rayer: Refusing work is probably not the way to go. However, let's take a step back. Are you using your time and technology efficiently? Is your office organized for success or is it a disaster? Are you delegating appropriate work to your assistant? There is nothing that drives me crazier than seeing an attorney fussing with a copier or stressing over an electronic filing.

Struwe: I also recommend using the office resources at your disposal to help streamline your workload. I rely heavily on my administrative assistant and our firm's librarians. They are experts at what they do, and they make my job much easier.

Question No. 3: Many of the attorneys in my office seem to have tense, adversarial interactions with opposing counsel. The constant disagreement makes me uncomfortable. Aren't lawyers supposed to act in a collegial manner? Am I off base or is there something I can do about this?

Gift: Unnecessarily adversarial interactions serve no one. Lawyers are expected to abide by a code of civility. And what's more, it is critical that you develop your own style and stay true to your values.

Dandridge: An attorney has no greater asset than their reputation. If you are not a yeller and screamer, do not become one. There is a whole galaxy of lawyers who advocate for their clients very well without being unpleasant.

Skowron: I agree the best advice is to simply not take part in any negativity yourself, and when you must deal with a difficult attorney, do so as courteously as you can. Sadly, there will always be, shall we say, “overly zealous,” advocates in our profession. Just try not to turn into one yourself!

Struwe: Often, the very nature of our work can be adversarial. However, I try to maintain good relationships with opposing counsel to the extent possible. Try not to make disagreements personal, but rather understand that you are both hopefully zealously and ethically representing your respective clients.

Ebose: This question seems to indicate that a young attorney should either follow suit in acting adversarial or take action to do something about it. I'm not sure that a junior lawyer has much say in the actions of other attorneys at a firm or organization, so I would wait to see if other solutions develop and keep true to your own professional credos.

Rayer: Look, your professional conduct will be noticed, appreciated and hopefully reciprocated by others. So one more thought—you may not remain at your current law firm forever. Would you prefer your reputation in the field to be “what a creep” or “what a professional?”

Meyers: As our former First Lady Michelle Obama says, “When they go low, [you] go high.” It's definitely the way to go and it diffuses the situation.

Email your questions for next month's column to [email protected]. If selected, questions will be published anonymously; your name and firm/business name will not be published.

Schnader's Q&A panelists include: Albert S. Dandridge, III (Philadelphia partner, 1978 law school graduate); Osazenoriuwa Ebose (Philadelphia associate, 2018 law school graduate); Laurel Gift (Pittsburgh partner, 2000 law school graduate); Jonathan W. Hugg (Philadelphia partner, 1994 law school graduate); Julie Meyers (chief marketing officer, 1986 law school graduate); Claudia Rayer (director of human resources); Jonathan B. Skowron (Pittsburgh associate, 2009 law school graduate); David Robert Struwe (Philadelphia associate, 2011 law school graduate).