September marks my 35th year in the legal profession (and 37 if you count being a summer associate and clerk during law school). I have been fortunate to experience the profession from many vantage points, including clerking for a governmental agency, being an associate and partner; working in-house, which included two general counsel stints, and, for the past 18 years, working as a recruiter and consultant for a wide range of law firms, corporations and individual lawyers.

Along the way, I have worked with or otherwise know lawyers who span the spectrum, from current law students to the most experienced practitioners. I often inquire as to the paths that lawyers have taken in their careers and some of the observations they have about the journey.  One particular aspect I have asked others about is what surprised them the most about the practice of law.

In this two-part series, I will share the most common answers to those questions, with a focus on responses of those of my vintage or older. It is my hope that this longer-range perspective may be especially helpful to those who have many more years in the profession ahead of them.

1. You Need to Be Comfortable With Selling

I recall sitting in an orientation class just before our first official day of law school. A professor asked why we wanted to be lawyers and one intrepid soul blurted out: “because I want to be a professional who can focus on my work and doesn't have to deal with sales.” The word “sales” dripped off his tongue as if it were laced with poison, as the contempt he had for that facet of business reverberated quite loudly.