This thread separates today's lecture, where Eben asks a question, from

our attempts at answering it, i.e. our collaborative attempts to frame questions about how to become lawyers that we can carry with us for the next two years ...

-- AndrewGradman - 9 Apr 2008

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This horizontal line separates this thread, where I attempt to permit us to collaborate to attempt to frame questions about how to become lawyers that we can carry with us for the next two years, from

this thread , where Makalika and I do that collaboratively. Go there.

-- AndrewGradman - 10 Apr 2008

I thought I would put some ideas down to hopefully continue others’ thinking about how to frame questions about how to become lawyers (at least private practice lawyers), and maybe jog others to continue this thread:

I sense heavy anxiety when students express concerns about what they won’t know that they should know when the rubber meets the road in real life application. For whatever this is worth, my suggestion is to try not to get psyched out about not really knowing anything about the law beyond basic concepts, research tools and methods, and analytical techniques that judges and lawyers use to parse a legal problem. You WILL learn your areas of law, but it will take time. It’s a process that everyone goes through, and you will find that you will never really stop learning the law (it’s an endless proposition). You are conscientious in applying yourselves – the fact that you got into Columbia is an indication of that, so you will find ways to learn the technical things you should be using when figuring out legal problems for others. On the other hand, I’ve seen lawyers who didn’t really know their areas that well, but they had something else significant to offer – political connections, or deep and broad marketing skills, and so they found someone else in their area who was technically sound, and they tag-teamed with that person.

Eben is right-on when he says that you should be selling knowledge, not time. And I think you will, over the years, observe yourself selling (or really offering) not just knowledge, but much more:

•You will find that the best way to help others (whether clients or the higher-ups you’re working for) is to first, put yourself in their shoes, so that you can see things from their point of view, then apply your knowledge. Every legal question has an answer, but only a portion of that answer is technical; the rest of the answer depends on to whom it is you are giving the answer and why.

I will stop here. I’d love to hear from others: what do you think matters when lawyers, specifically those in firms, apply themselves to their craft? You may be inclined to think about “new associate” duties, but you shouldn’t stop there – this is a life-long project we’re talking about here, no matter how many actual “jobs” you end up having, or in what capacity.