Generation J.D.

Between revisions for the Bowie & Jensen website, trying to organize a Team in Training team for The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and debating the importance of a Pinterest account with staff members, I have been dealing with firm-related issues for the better part of the morning.

Most of these issues involve working with our staff. Like any other organization with lots of people, there is a hierarchy that exists. When I was a law clerk for Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge M. Brooke Murdock, I assumed the hierarchy was either judge/legal assistant/law clerk or legal assistant/judge/law clerk. (Notice how the law clerk was always last.)

In a law firm, you have different groups, including partners, associates, paralegals and staff. Early in my career, I was provided with two pieces of sound advice: if you find a good secretary/legal assistant, never let him or her go; and always be nice to those you work with (and the court clerks).

Paralegals, legal assistants and interns can save you (and your case) when time is short and a deadline is near. Staying late, working through lunch and taking extra care with the task at hand comes easier when a mutual respect exists. Talking down to or poorly about your staff to others only builds resentment. And blaming others for something that is ultimately the attorney’s responsibility is merely trying to deflect responsibility from yourself. As a general rule, it is my responsibility to make sure that there are no mistakes in any document that has my signature on it.

As such, I want to take the time to thank the staff and paralegals I work with and assist me in the zealous representation of our clients. Thanks Tina, Erin, Lara, Brad, Colleen, Jean, Lisa, Tina M. and Nancy.

Do you have staff that you want to commend? Do so in the comments section.

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I ran across a thought-provoking article a few weeks ago: “High-achieving women need more than a bubble bath.” By “high-achieving” women, the article means women who are accomplishment-focused and achievement-oriented— yes, that includes you, my fellow attorneys!

Actually, I found the article — as well as the book on which it was based — to be eerily accurate, as did a few friends of mine.

The article refreshingly recognized the traits of “high-achieving” women are much the same as those found in “high-achieving” men. The difference is in the assumptions that tend to underlie women’s thought processes. Assumptions such as “I have to prove myself to everyone,” “I can’t relax until I finish what I have to do,” and “I should be able to manage it all and accomplish it all without feeling stressed or tired.”

Now, I’m not sure that I would agree that these assumptions are uniquely held by women. I think the assumptions are fairly commonplace in the legal field where, as one article states, “My boss wants innovation as long as it’s done perfectly the first time.”

But I do agree the stress invoked by operating under these assumptions cannot be solved — at least not in the long-term — with bubble baths or vacations.

It makes sense that it isn’t as much about getting rid of the stress; it is about building “stress resilience.” Don’t try to make everything balance perfectly — it is more of a constant give and take, a juggling act, if you will.

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It’s that time of year, when the holidays are over and reality sets in. Back to the grind. I find myself busier than I can remember in years past, although I’m sure that is not the case. I probably made the same statement this time last year, and the year before that, and the year before that…

While there is a lot of advice I could dole out regarding a busy season (deep breaths, make time for exercise, stay organized, etc.), the most critical lesson I have learned is to make a list. Prioritize your “to do’s” in order of deadlines and time demands. Take one item at a time and literally block out everything else from your brain but the item you’re working on (to the extent possible). I call this the “Sticking My Head in the Sand” approach.

I find that I when I run through the list in my brain of all of the things I need to do, I immediately become overwhelmed, the doom and gloom sets in and I am convinced that I’ll never get through this. Yet, each time, I do get through it, thanks to making my list and focusing on one item at a time. It’s a systematic approach to the chaos that also helps keep my stress levels in check.

Start the day by attacking first the thing you want to do the least. The thing I want to do the least is usually the most burdensome and overwhelming. If I attack that thing first thing in the morning, the rest of the day or week does not seem so daunting.

Remember that your workload is going to wax and wane throughout your career. I would never say that I’m ever “not busy,” but certainly some times are more manageable than others.

It is easy to miss the forest for the trees when you’re overwhelmed with “to do’s” and to convince yourself that you’re never going to dig out. You will, one “to do” at a time.

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I was at a networking event last week, carefully attempting to balance my plastic glass of wine while simultaneously eating enough of the hors d’oeuvres off my plastic plate to make it “dinner.” Just as I was stuffing a piece of bruschetta into my mouth, an older gentleman sauntered over and greeted me pleasantly. I returned the greeting and asked him how he was doing.

We got to talking, and he asked what I did… which, frankly, is why I come to these events. Since I work at a full-service law firm, I approach business development and networking events like this one with the mindset that everyone I meet can be a client or refer me to a client — if someone needs an attorney, my firm can handle it.

I told this gentleman that I was an attorney. He immediately made a face as though he just taken a bite out of a lemon.

“Ewwww,” he said as he grabbed a piece of yellow pepper off his plastic plate and took a bite. “You know what Shakespeare said,” he grinned while chewing on the pepper.

“Yes, ” I told him, “I do know, but I and my firm do a lot of important work for our clients.”

I was giving him the benefit of the doubt, although I was pretty sure that was a mistake.

He stopped chewing long enough to reply.

“Yes, but you lawyers ruin everything. I mean, how many people really need an attorney?” he asked, dragging it out so that it was clear what he thought.

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Back in November, my fellow blogger Cara wrote about how young lawyers tackle the decision of going to work when they are knocked over with a cold or the flu.

She, like many of us, showed up to work due to the guilt and stress of leaving work on your desk or placing the burden on someone else in the office to pick up your slack. At the same time, I cannot count the number of times a co-worker has shown up to the office sick and BAM, I was sick just a few days later.

I, myself, fell victim to the flu last week and, for the first time since starting my job in November 2009, had to spend an entire week home sick. Despite the raging fever and having only the ability to either sleep or shuffle slowly from the sofa to my bedroom, the guilt from not being in the office invaded my dreams and turned them into nightmares. (Tossing and turning from nightmares of being fired is not a great way to try and recover from the flu.)

My office does not assign a set number of sick days, personal days or vacation days. They are granted through the discretion of our supervisors and our own judgment based on our hours. While the policy’s flexibility sounds great, it is simultaneously maddening because, as a junior associate, you frequently do not know what to do. I find myself stuck in an involuntary competition with other junior associates as to how few days I am away from the office.

What are your thoughts? Does your office provide you with a set number of sick days, personal days and vacation days? If so, how do they distinguish between the types of “days off” and how many are you allotted? Do you subscribe to the philosophy of “presenteeism,” or do you shield your co-workers from your germs by staying at home? With the advent of teleworking and technology, shouldn’t people just work remotely to protect their peers?

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It’s that time of year again. You’ve made your personal New Year’s resolutions. But now, it is time to set some professional resolutions.

I’m talking about career development goals. You may be required to develop or update a career development plan as part of your firm’s evaluation process. Some are part of a formal program, while others are less structured. If you are not required to do so, you should take the time to do it yourself.

What is a career development plan? In simple terms, it’s a collection of your own goals that you can use to keep yourself on track. It is something concrete you can look back at over the course of the year to make sure you are moving in the right direction. It will let you evaluate each new opportunity that comes your way and will help you determine whether taking the opportunity will move you toward your goals or will infringe on the time and energy that you need to achieve your goals.

For example, your career development plan should “address what you want to accomplish, what you are going to do, and how you are going to do it.”  Your goals should be realistic and include a plan for addressing your current circumstances, including any deficiencies or limitations that you face. Your plan for reaching those goals should include a specific time frame in which you want to achieve your goal and each step toward your goal. It should include both short-term (today through the next five years) and long-term (five to ten-or-more years out) goals.

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