Greener Pastures
Dear LiL: I’m a mid-level lawyer in a setting where I love the work and my team, but there are no current opportunities to advance my career due to the structure of my workplace and there may not be for a few years. How do you know when to stick it out and fight for recognition or move on to (hopefully) greener pastures?
Dear Greener pastures – thanks for your query to our blog. I don’t know the nature of the position that you are in, but I recommend you looking at your career in a wholistic way and I’d like to offer some general thoughts on career advancement.
Advancement as legal counsel can take all sorts of forms beyond a title. Wherever you are and in whatever position you occupy as a lawyer your focus should be on advancing your knowledge and skills as much as you can.
Expanding Your Expertise
1. Case Responsibility
Seek opportunities to take on more complex cases or lead significant portions of ongoing matters. This can involve managing client relationships, developing case strategies or mentoring junior team members on your cases.
2. Diversify your Practice
Look for chances to work on different types of cases or in new practice areas. This might include; volunteering for pro bono work, collaborating with colleagues in other departments on cross-disciplinary matters or pursuing additional certifications or specialized training.
3. Mentorship and Networking
Actively seek out mentorship opportunities, both as a mentee and a mentor: engage with senior counsel for guidance and insights, offer to mentor law students or junior associates, and participate in professional associations and legal networks.
4. Leadership and Administrative Roles
Express interest in taking on responsibilities beyond casework by joining or leading internal committees, contributing to firm policies or procedures, or organizing training sessions or CLE events for your colleagues.
Maximizing Current Opportunities
Before considering a move, thoroughly explore the possibilities within your current organization. Have candid discussions with your supervisors about your career aspirations and potential growth opportunities. Investigate options for lateral moves or temporary assignments in different departments or practice areas. Utilize any in-house training programs, online courses, or educational benefits offered by your employer. Lastly, nurture relationships with colleagues and superiors. Strong internal networks often lead to unexpected opportunities.
Be careful about assuming the grass is greener at another pasture and utilize all the opportunities that are available to you at your current workplace. Often the trust and respect that you have built will lead to more opportunities for you than you may realize, and those opportunities may be greater than those that you would find at a new organization.
About the Author
Rose Keith, KC is a partner with Harper Grey. Not only is she a skilled mediator, she also maintains a multi-faceted practice focusing on workplace law assisting both employers and employees. In both realms, she is known for her broad subject matter expertise, legal acumen and sound judgment. Rose is a blur of perpetual motion lending her irrepressible enthusiasm to many different organizations and associations she passionately supports both inside and outside the legal community.