The Limitless Lawyer

It's a man's world...so what?

The legal field is still predominantly male. According to findings by Catalyst, in 2007, women made up 32.6% of all lawyers. And, of the nation's 200 largest law firms, women represent almost 16% of equity partners and only 8% of managing partners. For women of color, they represent only 1.7% of all partners.

So I thought that this post from Inc.com entitled, "How to Get Heard in a Meeting Full of Men," would provide some insight for young women graduating from college or law school who need to find a way to be heard in a male dominated profession, office or world.

However, I would never, in a million years, implore any of the methods outlined in the article. BUT, and this is the real subject of this post, I realize myself to be a different kind of gal. Here's why:

 

1. I've always been surrounded by mostly men in family and friendship situations.

2. I've never had a problem being heard.

3. I never take on the mannerisms of men in order to be heard.

4. I always wait until there is absolute silence and then I make my point, confidently and succinctly. Men are amazed by this and usually go on to ask for more.

5. I also have been told that I intimidate some men because of my silence. I never raise my voice. I won't yell to be heard or tap into the testosterone that I know lies within me to engage.

 

But I hear professional women struggle with this all the time. I'd like to know from other women what works for you and why or why not. Share the knowledge so young women will not sit in meetings raising their hands, asking for permission to speak. The thought of that makes me gag.

The #1 factor to happiness is...

WORK! Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness, along with Ed Diener and Laura King, conducted a meta-analysis (a "study of studies") of 225 studies of well-being. She admits being surprised by the results.

This study revealed that work, more so than any other variable, including relationships, was both a cause and consequence of being happy.  Here are some excerpts:

"The evidence, for example, demonstrates that people who have jobs
distinguished by autonomy, meaning and variety - and who show superior
performance, creativity, and productivity - are significantly happier
than those who don't."

"Why does our work make us happy? Because it provides us a sense
of identity, structure to our days, and important and meaningful life
goals to pursue. Perhaps even more important, it furnishes us with
close colleagues, friends and even marriage partners."

"The more successful we are at our jobs, the higher income we make,
and the better work environment we have, the happier we will be.
This increased happiness will foster greater success, more money, and
an improved work environment, which will further enhance happiness,
and so on and so on and so on."

Read the article here:

Now back to work...

If you've enjoyed this article, please pass it on to your friends via email or your favorite social networking site. But, most importantly, tell the transitioning and former lawyers in your life to take a few minutes to share their wisdom via this survey.

Kathleen Bradley: Lawyer turned Executive Coach

Career transition is difficult. It takes a combination of introspection, perseverance, skills development and networking - all while working a full-time job, of course. Kathleen Bradley, Director of Professional Development at The Executive Lawyer LLC faced and overcame these challenges during 18 years of law practice.

She indicates that, within the first 3 years, she began thinking about leaving the practice of law. But didn't fulfill this dream until 18 years later. Her first step, like Marci Alboher, was to hire a coach. That is when she decided that coaching others was what she wanted to do.

Kathleen's next step was to attend a leadership coaching program. After graduating, she had difficulty breaking into coaching and returned to school again, obtaining a Masters in Leadership from Georgetown University. Fortunately, she says, she "...had a substantial stash of money from my career." But her tenacity and love for coaching provided her with the daily inspiration to stay the course. She also recommends The Pathfinder by Nick Lore, one of her first coaches.

A final thought from Kathleen on what it feels like to live your passion every day:
"I feel like my work today is like playing in the sandbox with friends. I felt like my work as a lawyer was pushing a boulder up a hill every day."

You can read the entirety of Kathleen's survey answers here.

If you've enjoyed this article, please pass it on to your friends via email or your favorite social networking site. But, most importantly, tell the transitioning and former lawyers in your life to take a few minutes to share their wisdom via this survey.

2 Reasons to Stop Being a Lawyer Today!

I needed only 2 reasons to quit practicing law. Here they are:

1. The most successful lawyers specialize.
The top IP lawyer doesn't do a little criminal defense work on the side. He doesn't jump in and second chair a death penalty case when the mood strikes. The top M&A lawyer doesn't double as the top Environmental lawyer. Greatness in this profession necessitates a complete focus on one, perhaps two related areas of legal expertise.

My interests are so varied that it is crazy!

Hat tip to my friend Stephanie West Allen at Idealawg for alerting me to the possibility that I'm a Renaissance Soul.

2. Lawyers are lawyers no matter where they work.
Whether you are a lawyer working for the stuffiest or most innovative organization, you are still a lawyer. If that works for you, great! If it doesn't, read on. I used to think that being a lawyer at Google would be oh-so-fun. I thought I'd be hanging out in the cafeteria, eating ethnic cuisines from around the world and "chillin' out" in a bean bag chair, while I read by lava lamp. Then I glanced at the Corporate Counsel job description and realized that, very likely, some free food is probably the only perk (and some hefty stock options, which is nothing to sneeze at) I'd get. Either you enjoy the practice of law or, perhaps, you just don't.

Admitting this gives me the opportunity to reinvent myself and sift through previous professional experience to collect those mysterious 'transferable skills' that people always say that we lawyers have. Interestingly, I do think that I have found a way, even in jobs that I didn't necessarily enjoy, to take on responsibilities that I did enjoy.

Hat tip to my cousin Martha for this light bulb moment. She's a CPA turned writer who says the same thing about accounting. :-)

Now, it's your turn. Write down, at least, 5 responsibilities in your current or previous jobs that you've done that you've also enjoyed doing. These may not have been part of your job description, but you may have found yourself doing them anyway. Those are the keepers.

If you've enjoyed this article, please pass it on to your friends via email or your favorite social networking site. But, most importantly, tell the transitioning and former lawyers in your life to take a few minutes to share their wisdom via this survey.

JDSnub Linkroll: 06/14/08 - 06/21/08

Outspoken author talks about her work and life
Alisa Valdes-Rodriguez has a unique perspective and interesting story. "To finish The Dirty Girls Social Club, a pregnant Valdes-Rodriguez sat and typed inside an Albuquerque Starbucks for 15 hours a day. She says it took her two weeks to finish the book, which she had begun years earlier but never had the time or deadline to complete." She landed $475,000 for this one. Nice!

The Kindergarchy
This could be the basis of a great film - one where children rule the world. I try to stay out of these discussions because I'm not a parent and don't intend to become one and find most parenting "techniques" to be so very bizarre. The writer makes some good points that will fall on deaf ears. But we, the non-parents, must giggle.

My favorite quote: "A child being the most dear of all possessions, instructions--maintenance manuals, really--for his or her early upbringing were everywhere. Pacific mobiles swayed gently over cribs, nursery rooms were designed with the kind of care devoted to the direct descendants of the Sun King--and why not, for every child suddenly became his or her own dauphin or dauphine. In the background the music of Mozart--so good, parents were told, for heightening the intelligence quotient--played on at just the right volume. Impossible to be too careful about these matters, when so much was at stake."

Grad Tidings: Can a Test Steer you to the Ideal Career?
To sum it up: "Too many people believe "you take a test and it tells you what you should do," says Spencer Niles, a professor of counselor education at Penn State. "There is no such test." I, and many others, placed too much importance on the assessments, which are really just a starting point for the tough self-exploration and research needed to find or revitalize one's livelihood."

Firms show flexibility on career-life balance
It is becoming more prevalent for both established careerists and young people just entering the workforce. Good tips and resources listed.

Apartment Therapy: The Doctor Is In
Everything is shrinking - our wallets, our cars, our homes. I love efficiencies and I abhor the idea of using more resources than I need. How cool is it that someone can live in a 265-square-foot one-bedroom apartment, with a wife and child? Okay so he did finally move to a 725-square-foot apartment. But still?

Neanderthink: Desperation With a Difference
Worth the read. Special note to women: "The less a man knows about a woman, the more alluring she is at first-and the more driven he is to interact with her."

Happiness on Nightline
Wealthier people are happier. Richer countries have happier people. But, for a more thorough scientific examination, click the link.

The Lawyer Personality: Why we sometimes don't like ourselves

In 2006, Dr. Larry Richard (J.D./Ph.D.) of Hildebrandt International released a study that surmised research conducted since 1998. A cross-section of attorneys were given the Caliper Profile. In it, he revealed  The Lawyer Personality Profile. Here are the findings:

Skepticism - High scorers tend to be skeptical, even cynical, judgmental, questioning, argumentative and somewhat self-protective.
Lawyers: 90% vs General Public: 50%

Urgency - High scorers tend to be impatient, have a need to get things done and a sense of immediacy. Urgent people are sometimes brusque, poor listeners, and can be annoying to many people.
Lawyers: 71% vs General Public: 50%

Sociability - High scorers tend to desire to interact with people and feel a sense of comfort in initiating new, intimate connections with others.
Lawyers: 12.8% vs General Public: 50%

Resilience/Ego Strength - High scorers tend to bounce back from criticism or rejection, taking things less personally.
Lawyers: 30% (many scored in bottom 10th percentile) vs General Public: 50%

Autonomy - High scorers tend to resist being managed, to bridle at being told what to do and prize independence.
Lawyers: 89% vs General Public: 50%

Interestingly, Dr. Richards noted that the unexpected finding was that lawyers' personalities are very different from those of the general public; and, I would add, not in areas that engender likability.

He further writes that the average person tends to use his or her stronger personality traits across all situations. I have heard many men, especially, say that they would never date or marry a lawyer. Understandably, it is based on the correct assumption that the less desirable traits would transfer from work to home as well.

In general, one of the hurdles, in addition to explaining why you don't want to practice law or follow a traditional legal career path, is to confront the  assumptions of the general public about the lawyer personality.

For some of us, this may entail a candid assessment of others' perception of us (my bestfriend's nickname for me is "Emotions from a Law Book," which would be cute but for the possible sociopathic implications - I'm working on it!).

Still others may need to seek professional assistance, whether a career counselor or psychologist (I'm really serious) to address prevalent personality issues.

Most importantly, as you review the traits above and think to yourself, "Eww, I wouldn't want to work with people like that!" Well you may have just discovered, in addition to the long hours and tedious work, why you hate being a lawyer so much.

In 2002, Tal Ben-Shahar, Ph.D. began teaching a Positive Psychology seminar at Harvard. 8 students initially signed up. The following year, he offered a lecture. 380 students signed up.

In Chapter 7 of his book Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, Dr. Shahar discusses happiness in the workplace.

He offers the following as specific questions we should begin to ask ourselves:
(1) Am I happy at work?
(2) How can I become happier?
(3) Can I leave my job and find something meaningful and pleasurable?
(4) If I cannot afford to leave or, for one reason or another, do not want to leave, what can I do to make my work more enjoyable?

There is an underlying skepticism (scroll up, re-read)) among lawyers that likely inhibits our belief that finding happiness at work, at home or in life is possible. The higher incidences of alcohol and drug dependency and depression confirm this.

As I've discussed here , stepping out of our comfort zone and, especially,  interacting with non-lawyers will enhance 1) our belief that happy and work can coexist; and 2) our desire to transition into a new career and find a little happiness for ourselves.