Description
What Makes a Good Attorney and Why it Absolutely Has Nothing to Do with the Law School You Came From
[00:00:00] Following your advice helped me land a summer associate job at a smaller firm this summer after striking out at OCI.
Good.
I used to have the attitude that, because I was at a top 14 school, I didn't need to look at that many places, I made this mistake my first and second summer, and as a result, probably didn't get as good jobs as I could have. I learned some lessons. However, will the mistake of not properly marketing myself this summer and not working with a major law firm follow me for the rest of my career?
No, there's nothing wrong with not working in a major law firm. And that's not going to follow you for the rest of your career. I don't think there's a problem with OCI, but you are definitely limiting yourself many times and just going to a top 14 law school does not make you a good attorney.
That's something everyone in this call should understand.
Attorneys from the worst law firms beat the hell out of attorneys from the top 14 law schools all the time. And I just want to be very quick about the important things, 'cause I keep hearing this stuff from people on these calls. I went to a top law school, but what makes a good attorney ultimately, are things like,
advocacy,
negotiation ability,
insight,
ability to intimidate the other side,
seeing angles that [00:01:00] others don't...
Guess what? Surprise! None of these things have anything to do with going to a good law school? Unfortunately, everybody that thinks they're a good attorney because they went to a good law school, which is the majority of attorneys that go to good law schools, ends up not being a great attorney.
These are just a few of the things that are important. Most attorneys are going to good law schools, never bring in business and therefore they have to go in-house. So, this is what happens to most of them. Most attorneys that go to good law schools may not be the best negotiators or if they are good negotiators, they're pushed around by other others, there are just so many things.
Most of them aren't advocates for their clients. They're advocates for themselves. There areforareare rare so many problems with what it takes to be a good attorney. And these are just things that I've learned along the way, but the top law school does not make you a good attorney. That's just something that you should understand.
What makes you a good attorney has everything to do with who you are, your ability to--
advocate for your clients and yourself.
Your ability to negotiate.
Your insight,
Your constant improvement.
Being detail [00:02:00] oriented.
Working hard.
These are the things that make people rise to the top and do well. Now, the way you're thinking. And this is, sure. If you want to go to a law firm, where we're representing giant institutional clients and where all you have is your background and that's enough. That's probably okay. But no, not working in a major firm is not going to follow you the rest of your career. You got a job, you should feel good about it.
People need to understand this stuff. Nothing's more common by the way than attorneys in their sixties and seventies talking about how they went to these great law schools. And then, frankly, they are not working in good jobs, because they never thought about any of these things.
I have nothing to do with any of this. You just can't let other people define you and tell you that you're a good attorney because of, where you went to law school or because of where you were summer associates.
Now, none of this is going to follow you for the rest of your career. As you get up and you start moving into better firms, if that's what you want to do, you will be able to move to better firms. You'll look at that as a point of [00:03:00] pride and to keep him motivated. I didn't even get a summer associate job in OCI. Now, here I am, at the number two firm in the country or whatever. And, I think you should take a look at this one where we talked about the boutiques. If you're at a smaller firm, all you want to do is you want to get into the best firm you possibly can for your practice area. And if you do a good job with that, you'll always be able to move up, but you need to throw yourself into whatever you're doing.
Also, focus. I would concentrate on being a good attorney and not worrying about this other stuff.
There's a lot to that question. Okay.
Ultimately, the most important thing of any attorney is the boundary grouping in business.
Because if you have a business, you can pretty much work anywhere. Bringing in business from the largest clients possible is eally what determines your success and more than anything, most people do not do this and that ends up hurting. Bringing in business is more important probably than being a good attorney.
I hate to say it. I'm not the one that makes these rules, but that's what law firms, thinkers, even the best ones.
