6 Ways to Continue Growing & Developing as a Lawyer

It’s not uncommon for lawyers to find themselves hitting a ceiling when it comes to professional growth. In fact, many find they have the same client load year after year. With such little variation, skills can stagnate and boredom can creep in.

As we all know, stagnation and boredom are a dangerous combination in the legal profession, so it’s important to look for new growth opportunities whenever possible.

Constant Growth

Here are a few ways you can keep growing and developing as a lawyer:

1. Find a mentor. Build a rapport with a professional you admire and ask them to take you under his or her wing. Not only can these veterans offer advice on problems you’re facing, they can also offer a fresh perspective.

2. Take on new challenges. Through a service like LexInsight, you’ll find opportunities to enter side contracts with new clients. In addition to receiving extra cash, you’ll also get the opportunity to delve into new topic areas, allowing you to challenge yourself.

3. Attend seminars and conferences. These valuable sessions are great for busy attorneys who don’t have time to go back to school. And since we know professional development is crucial for law professionals, these are a great way to meet other attorneys while tapping into ideas from thought leaders.

4. Train, teach, and speak. When you teach, you engage with the material on a deeper level. Plus, you’ll be building upon some of your most valuable skills, like speaking and attention to detail.

5. Ask for feedback. It’s important to do this with both your seniors and your clients. They’ll point out holes in your work where you can work to improve — holes you might not catch on your own. Make it clear you’re interested in everything they have to say so they don’t hold back or sugarcoat their responses.

6. Start learning again. Use your commute to listen to podcasts and books on new topics so you can learn new information. Look at it this way: If you commute an hour a day, you’re learning five hours a week. And since most podcasts are free, they’re cheaper than a seminar or a class at a local college.

If you’re ready for new challenges, look to LexInsight for new clients in need of talented lawyers. In addition to expanding your workload, you’ll further develop communication, conflict resolution, and business skills as a contract lawyer.