When I started my legal career as a law clerk to a federal judge, I quickly became aware that the lawyers who appeared before federal judges in San Francisco all had reputations. Those reputations permeated the courthouse among judges, lawyers and court staff. Opinions regarding lawyers were discussed in the judges’ dining room, the second-floor cafeteria, the clerk’s office and all the neighborhood watering holes. As a result, when lawyers stepped into a federal courtroom, their reputations preceded them and impacted their effectiveness. The lawyers who had “good” reputations often got the benefit of a doubt; the ones with “bad” reputations faced more difficulty persuading decisionmakers that their arguments had merit.

Every lawyer faces the same challenge and opportunity when beginning a career. None of us start out with a reputation but all of us have one long before we retire. Each of us must work to establish a reputation as a practicing attorney. Hopefully you want to be known as an excellent lawyer who is honest, trustworthy and professional. To do so, you must start immediately in your interactions with everyone whose path you cross. Whatever reputation you establish will follow you throughout your career. Good or bad, it is tough to shake a reputation once you have it. And your reputation goes a long way in determining how successful, and more importantly, how satisfied you will be in your career as a lawyer.

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