Posts by Jennifer

For the last several weeks I have been discussing how understanding the people that you work with will lend itself to a much happier and more successful work environment.  Last week I shared the first of two steps to gaining a better understanding of your co-workers: understanding law firm Logistics.  More specifically, a law firm’s Logistics is comprised of proximity, affinity and necessity. These details determine work assignments...

Previously I discussed my initial (misguided) impression of how a law firm environment would work, based on my past work experience. I described how, after some time and opportunity to observe, I came to a clearer understanding of the inherent pressures of the law firm environment. This new level of understanding benefitted my professional relationships almost immediately. I also discussed the resulting shift in my mindset, giving me...

In my post last week, I started a discussion regarding the misguided expectations that I had about what a law firm environment should be like, based on the professional work experience that I had prior to becoming a law student. What I learned is that a law firm is inherently more reactionary and faster paced (due to the nature of the work) then the previous career that I had been in. The work often involves tasks or transactions with...

In my post last week, I talked about how your first year as an associate is quite intense, but before you know it you will acclimate and adjust…just like you did in your first year of law school.  I also discussed how that intensity is present, at least in part, as a result of adjusting to the expectations of others in your work environment.  This week, I will be discussing Part 1 of how understanding the expectations and goals of the...

Last week I talked about how when we take time off as attorneys, it is often better to embrace the idea that taking time off can be effective as just a quick break instead of a long vacation.  This week, I want to talk about the intensity of that first year as an associate, and how it is actually a lot like the experience we had in our first year of law school. What I thought then: When I started working at law firm for the first...