This quarter, we will be discussing tips for how to make the most of your summer position. The qualities or attributes that firms and organizations are looking for in their associates are often unspoken and frequently intangible, but those are the attributes that drive the profession’s most successful lawyers. While you won’t find a class on “current events” or “humility” at law school, you can begin to develop these attributes and others now.
Over the quarter, we’ll be talking about each of these qualities individually, including some ideas for how to improve in each area.
- Knowledge of Current Events
- Appearance & Personal Reputation
- Humility & Manners
- Generosity
- Flexibility & Enterprise
- Client Service
- Punctuality & Time Management
- Diligence
- Sociability, Collegiality & Fun
Let’s start with knowledge of current events. It may seem obvious, but truly successful lawyers can talk to almost anyone about almost anything – from clients to colleagues. A great tool for good conversation is being up-to-date on cultural happenings. Think about the last time you went out to dinner with non-lawyer, non-law-school friends. What did you talk about? What did they talk about? What topics engaged the most people at the table? Chances are good that current events were among the topics that everyone could discuss.
How does this apply to your position this summer? Nearly every day while I worked for him, Judge Wynne would come into chambers and ask me about a story somewhere in the A section of the Seattle Times – he favored anything law- or technology-related. Not only did he expect me to have read the story, he expected me to have an opinion about the story. While I enjoyed our morning discussions about referendums and the latest Apple product, my awareness of current events had an unexpected side effect – I now had something to talk about with every attorney or party who came into the courtroom. By engaging the parties and attorneys in light conversation about something other than their legal proceeding, I helped them relax and get comfortable in the room.
Moreover, if you apply this technique to your practice area, you can quickly become an expert on the hot issues for your section. The ability to find, understand and explain the cutting-edge issue in your practice area will help to build your reputation as a passionate, resourceful and capable attorney.
How can you improve your knowledge of current events?
- Read a local and a national newspaper daily
- Subscribe to a list serve for a practice area that interests you
- Download an app with today’s headlines
- Watch the news as you’re getting up or going to bed
- Subscribe to an RSS feed
- Make GoogleNews your homepage and spend time reading the articles
- Read a magazine like the Economist, Times, or an ABA journal (many can be found in our library!)
