Studying to become a lawyer and practicing law is stressful. Who knew? Despite sometimes feeling the weight of the world on your shoulders, it is important to keep your cool and treat others with respect. During times of intense pressure, it can feel like accomplishing the task in front of you is all-encompassing and that those around you exist only in that particular context. I have seen this happen in law school when students receive their first semester 1L grades and during periods of intensity in corporate law. Showing compassion is not only the right thing to do but will pay dividends professionally (a lot sooner than you probably expect).
Almost everyone is anxious the week your first semester grades come back. Adjusting to law school exams takes place on a steep learning curve that often elicits feelings of insecurity. After grades came back, I noticed that some students walked with a newly developed strut in their step. In fact, my year, one study group disinvited a member because "she could not keep up." Your first year of law school can be very insular; you are with the same group of people all day, every day. It is easy to forget that your classmates exist outside of school and will eventually practice law alongside you. Achieving high grades can feel like a huge self-esteem boost and does often reflect hard work. Do not get me wrong, you deserve to feel proud of yourself, just don't let it get to your head! If you did not score as well as you would have liked, do not let it rock your confidence. Your hard work will pay off too. After all, most law schools grade on a curve. This often means that professors need to find slight differences to justify an A- v. a B+ because they can only give out a limited number of top grades. As important as grades feel, your scores do not mean much two years out of law school. If you want to switch firms after a few years, you want a former classmate currently at your desired firm to speak highly of you; this truly could be the difference between getting hired and not. Your classmate will not remember your GPA but they will recall whether you were generally diligent and the way you treated others. Even though it may not feel like it at first, your reputation as a lawyer takes shape the moment you enter law school.
I have also seen lawyers lose their head in stressful situations as a corporate attorney. In intense moments, such as preparing for a closing, some lawyers probably on a sub-conscious level, subscribe to the mindset that as long you get the deal closed, nothing else matters. This is a gross miscalculation. Like your classmates, your deal team exists the morning after closing. It can be tempting under pressure to snap at a subordinate or wrongfully dump work down the food chain. If you do this enough, you will develop a reputation as a "yeller" or a burden on those below you. You might lose the interest of the responsive and hardworking associates. Clients may start to wonder why your associates never seem to last longer than a year. As you probably have heard, the legal market is currently piping hot for associates, especially among the large firms. The firms known for toxic working environments have struggled to maintain and recruit associates. Over time, this is not good for business.
In terms of professional growth, I have found that working well with others carries just as much weight as an attorney's legal capabilities. Especially in stressful moments, you will set yourself apart by maintaining your cool when others have capitulated to their anxieties.
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