Networking in San Diego: Tips for New and Aspiring Lawyers

In the first few years of practicing law, it is easy to focus solely on the hard skills associated with this profession. For most new lawyers, it is essential to focus on developing strong research and writing skills that will serve as a foundation from which to grow. The first few years are an endurance race—for each new task, a new lawyer must spend time learning the facts of the case, the law, the procedure, or the firm’s methods. Only then, can the new lawyer move on to actually completing the task. The learning often takes just as much time as the doing. Of course, you cannot bill the client for the hours you spend learning, so the days stretch well into the evenings. With schedules dictated by looming deadlines, it is often difficult to imagine voluntarily adding any more work to your plate. Many young lawyers are so focused on building the hard skills that they lose out on incorporating soft skills into their legal foundation. Soft skills are not the focus of law school or the bar exam, so they may not get the attention they deserve, but those who devote time and energy to developing those skills early have an advantage. Whether it is client management, communication, teamwork, or networking, soft skills make you a better lawyer. At work, many of these soft skills are reserved for the supervising attorneys, but networking is beneficial and accessible to all attorneys.  Read More