Four tips for lawyers and partners to avoid career dead ends

Lawyers have more options today than at any time in history. Whereas twenty years ago the firm many lawyers would have joined from law school would be the firm they would make partner at a few years later, that is rarely now the case.

• 'Biglaw'
• In-house
• 'Newlaw'
• Mid-tier
• Freelance
• International moves

The options open to lawyers can seem limitless.

Whilst this can be exciting, it is also all too easy to be overwhelmed by the various options. You may find yourself in a dead end role where you are not happy.

This issue does not merely affect junior lawyers.

I've lost count of the number of Special Counsel and Junior Partners I've spoken to who find themselves 'coming to' one day and realizing that they are unsure whether partnership is for them; or perhaps they have found themselves at a firm where they cannot develop the practice required of them, or are blocked or passed over from making partner for some other reason beyond their control.

What strategies can lawyers and partners utilize to ensure that they avoid career dead ends?

1) Seek out mentors

"A mentor is someone who allows you to see the higher part of yourself when sometimes it becomes hidden to your own view"

Oprah Winfrey

Mentors can be invaluable in helping guide you throughout your career. Whilst formal mentorship programs are common for junior lawyers, as you become more senior you generally have to seek mentors out for yourself.

Choose your mentors carefully.

They should be individuals who have achieved themselves what you want to achieve.

They should be able to give you tangible, pragmatic advice - not merely inspirational figures.

They should be individuals you can trust.

• For junior lawyers this could be an Associate or Senior Associate who is successful in the practice area or group you want to specialize in.
• For the Senior Associate or Special Counsel, this could be a junior partner who has recently attained partnership.
• For Partners this could be the head of group or a senior partner who is in the twilight of their career, with a large practice, and whom you admire.

Your mentors should come from different backgrounds and should include individuals from both within and outside of your current firm.

Your mentors should help give you balanced and focused advice and should be able to help you with your different goals or provide a different angle. For example, a recently made up partner can really help you with any partnership admission process but a more senior partner who has a track record in building a significant practice is more equipped to mentor you though effective business development activities.

I have worked with several lawyers throughout their career that I have never helped directly with a move, or where I have actively advised against making a move. The role I played was that of career counselor, a third party independent sounding board, a mentor, helping lawyers to get out of or how to avoid the “Career cul-de-sac”.

2) Focus on your strengths and what makes you unique

If you feel you are at a dead end in your career think about what comes easiest to you, how you could play more to your strengths, and what makes you unique. Everyone's brain is wired differently.

Think about what will make you stand out.

As your career progresses and the years slip by it can be easy to forget about your natural strengths and the array of skills you have built up.

Perhaps you are naturally charismatic and fantastic at business development but are stuck in a 2ic role which focuses on executing work rather than developing business.

Are you currently utilizing your natural strengths? If you are unhappy, the answer likely will be no.

Reflect on the diverse skillset you have developed.

Are there any underutilized skills that can make you stand out or develop into a niche which your firm / your team is lacking ?

Can you upskill in an area that will position you better within your firm?

I spoke to a partner recently who moved to London many years ago at a time when the market went into recession. He was a finance lawyer who was forced to shift gears and retool as a restructuring lawyer. Now he is a successful partner with a hybrid banking and restructuring practice which is fully hedged against all markets.

3) Set tangible goals

“Most people overestimate what they can do in one year and underestimate what they can do in ten years.”

Bill Gates

Once you have decided the direction you would like your career to go, set small tangible goals to get there and revisit these regularly. Set deadlines for these goals and hold yourself accountable.

A goal such as "I want to achieve partnership" is too vague.

A better approach is to break down the partnership promotion process and to make more specific, tailored goals. For example, "I want to develop X client where I was previously on secondment and increase revenue from that client to $X00,000 this financial year."

4) Don’t let your career meander

Time flies for busy lawyers and it is very easy to lose track of time.

If your short term goal is to work in Dubai and your longer term goal is to be a partner in an Australian firm, keep your eye on the time and don’t leave it too late to come back to Australia and start working on your personal business plan to get you to partnership.

Five years can pass pretty quickly - especially when you are having fun exploring, building social networks AND when you are flat out at work.

My advice is to get Siri or Alexa to set a career plan timer every two years so that you formally sit up and take note of where your career is heading.

Ask yourself: am I moving in the right direction, learning and growing and where do I need to be to achieve my longer term goal of [X]?

Am I on the right track?

If your career meanders you could quickly find yourself in a dead end.

Drawing these together

Some people seem to gracefully float through life. Success seems to come easy to these people.

• The lawyer who makes Senior Associate after 4 years.
• The 'gun' SA who achieves partnership well before his / her peers.
• The Partner who develops a large practice quickly and goes on to lead the department at a relatively young age.

Some would say that these individuals are destined for success.

This is rarely down to luck.

Generally, these individuals know their strengths and play to these.

They have actively sought out mentors who have helped them develop skills in areas where they are weaker and have guided them on the most efficient path to where they want to be.

They set small, tangible goals with deadlines to work towards their ultimate goal, and revisit these regularly.

They have direction and a plan but are not afraid to tweak the plan should there be obstacles or roadblocks. They do not let their career meander.

"We do the best we can when it comes to our career path and handling the inevitable setbacks in life. But in the back of our minds we can sense an overall lack of direction, as we are pulled this way and that by our moods and by the opinions of others. How did we end up in this job, in this place? Such drifting can lead to dead ends. The way to avoid such a fate is to develop a sense of purpose, discovering our calling in life and using such knowledge to guide us in our decisions."

Robert Greene - The Laws of Human Nature

If you are a Partner or Lawyer and would like to arrange a confidential discussion regarding your career goals please email me at [email protected]