By Kelsie Russell
University of San Diego School of Law
Working remotely has been extremely isolating for new lawyers and law students, especially for those who are brand new to a firm or law school. Professional and student organizations have moved all gatherings to Zoom. Some have given up meeting completely until the COVID-19 pandemic is over. The lack of in-person interaction has made it hard to network and meet new people who can offer support for a budding new lawyer trying to make her way in the profession.
Similarly, many law firms have moved their staff to 100% remote work, and many firms have been hiring new attorneys or law clerks with only a remote work option. Firms may be expanding their staff but not their office space.
Unless you have a lawyer roommate, there’s no one else physically around during the day for you to ask questions, bounce ideas off of, or get advice from. There’s no office kitchen to go grab coffee where you can also rub shoulders with more senior associates or partners. There’s no copy machine or file room to bump into paralegals or legal assistants who know where to find the best samples of past assignments or how to get the dang footer right at the bottom of a pleading.
So how does a new law professional build her career without the usual in-person “meeting places” to build relationships?
When I was working in-person in the office as a law clerk, I easily found answers to my questions and made helpful connections with staff who knew the ins and outs of processes and operations. But once we began working from home, I found myself alone, in a bedroom-turned-office, trying so hard to figure everything out by myself. I was extremely nervous about reaching out to anyone for help over the phone for fear that I may be bothering or interrupting them. I was reluctant to send an email knowing it could easily get buried in an overloaded inbox. I knew everyone was busy, juggling life and work in the midst of a pandemic. The last thing I wanted to do was add another task to anyone’s plate by answering my meager research question. And I also wanted to avoid the feeling of being ignored when I experienced no response to my calls or emails. I was trying to show I could handle the work, that I could to “make it” in this profession and “figure it out” without being a drag on the senior attorneys.
In an attempt to try to figure out a solution, I recalled advice from a former professor. One professor had said that our experiential classes would likely be the most focused feedback we may ever receive on our work product in our entire careers. She emphasized the experiential classes were the place to ask all of our questions, whether big or small, because when we get to a law firm, some questions could actually do more harm than good. She told us the attorneys who volunteered to come to class and give us feedback would be great resources to reach out to, because those attorneys want to be asked questions and have intentionally made time to be mentors. Not all attorneys at a firm will have the interest, time, or the energy to give guidance.
So, I decided to reach out to one of my experiential professors and accepted her offer to meet over Zoom to talk about navigating a career in the law.
That initial meeting with my professor was the turning point in ending my isolation. She listened to my fears and challenges, and assured me they were common. She helped me develop confidence to self-advocate for myself by strategically asking questions and voicing concerns to the attorneys I work with. She even told me of a position at a law firm that had contacted her for a recommendation, and that she’d be happy to give them my name and resume. The meeting convinced me that I needed to find more people who understood my situation and were available and willing to offer support and help.
I began to build a group of people to rely on for questions, brainstorming, and sharing fears of failure with. I sent texts to former co-workers asking how they tackled assignments. I connected with classmates on LinkedIn, sending messages to classmates asking what strategies they used in their remote work to tackle assignments and receive feedback. Everyone told me what worked and didn’t work for them. This was extremely helpful to my understanding that all firms and attorneys work differently, and there is no “typical” experience.
I also chose to engage with professional organizations like the SDCBA New Lawyer Division and the Consumer Attorneys of San Diego. My involvement has led to conversations with other members. Some are law students a year ahead of me, giving great advice on how they utilized their clerk experiences. Others are new lawyers, sharing how they landed their first attorney position.
I successfully fought isolation by building my own network — a group of people who are available and willing to listen to my questions and offer their support. It has made all the difference in not feeling overwhelmed that I have to figure everything out by myself as a law student trying to build a career in the midst of a pandemic. I encourage you to build your own network of friends, professors, and colleagues if you, too, are experiencing isolation as a law student or new lawyer.