Over the course of my first two years and three months of being an attorney, I have had the privilege to work for one of Philadelphia’s preeminent plaintiffs personal injury firms as well as a firm with a thriving statewide defense practice focused primarily on representing municipalities and other local agencies. Working on each side of the bar has given me invaluable insight into how each side operates. Although there are some stark differences between how the two sides operate on a daily basis, there are plenty of similarities between them as well. Here is a list of four lessons I have learned working for both sides of the bar.

Do Not Let Up When You Are on the Clock

It is tempting to take it easy when your workload seems light, but new assignments easily sneak up on you. Assignments pile up quickly, and never taking your foot off the gas helps keep you ahead. All of your cases are in various stages of litigation. On the plaintiffs side of things, multiple sets of preliminary objections, motions for summary judgment, and motions to dismiss could be filed within a short period of time if you have multiple cases at a similar stage of litigation. Responding to these pleadings can take a significant amount of time, so keeping ahead on everything else in your inventory helps you be ready to work on your responses at a moment’s notice. On the defense side of things, meeting your billable hours requirements can be tough. I take the approach that even when I am ahead of where I need to be on my billable hours, I try to work with the mindset that I am just meeting my hours requirement. You never know when a sick day or Mother Nature will take away a large chunk of time that you would normally be billing for.

Always Refer to ‘Da Rules’

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