Litigation

TO YOUNG LAWYERS

By Mark P. Loftus, Esq.

The American Bar Association Section of Litigation publishes a Journal every quarter impressively entitled The Journal of the Section of Litigation. The Journal can occasionally be a bit...well, dry. Then there is Sidebar, the column written by Kenneth P. Nolan, a meat and potatoes lawyer from Brooklyn. His columns are not to be missed. They are short, funny and sometimes profound. His latest column is entitled "To Young Lawyers" and I have quoted some of it below:

I try not to denigrate anyone's skills, but we're lawyers, facilitators. Not one of us is finding a cure for cancer. Sure, we help people often in dreadful situations. But there's no reason for an end zone dance. Win your case; put your papers in your briefcase. Shake hands, or, if you're from Brooklyn, kiss cheeks. Thank the judge, the staff, and the clerk. Walk quietly out of the courthouse. Have an extra glass of wine or two. And the next day, pick up another file and begin again.

No grandstanding. Quiet confidence is the most effective. Keep your ego in your pocket. Sure, you're smarter and better than everyone else. Try not to show it all the time. Allow others a word on conference calls. Every leap year admit that another attorney's thoughts have value. Please. Include your victory on the website and in the materials that sit in your reception area. But don't let success and money change you. Be gracious. Have class. You're not as wonderful as your firm's propoganda attests. Ask your wife, your sister, your college roomie. They know.

Great advice, and not just for young lawyers.

Full post as published by Illinois Lawyer Blog on July 01, 2008 (boomark / email).