Professionalism 101: Some REALLY Basic Tips from the National Law Journal

“Why not whip the teacher when the pupil misbehaves?” ~Diogenes

OK, Diogenes has scared me into posting this. To most of us, this advice seems mostly self-evident, but serves as a good reminder anyway. Myself, I'd prefer more positive language (dos instead of don'ts) but the message is the same. Whether you're soon to be starting that first job, even interning or law-clerking for the summer, take a look, even if it's to confirm to yourself that you are much more well-behaved than others out there. Otherwise, there wouldn't be a national article about it...

Thanks to Laura Reilly for the link! May we both escape Diogenes' wrath. Remember, if you find something interesting, please feel free to pass it on, or add it in a comment!

The ABA Journal's e-magazine highlighted a longer article in the National Law Journal. Both give some basic professionalism tips for new lawyers. In a nutshell, from the ABA Journal article:

1. Don’t cover up mistakes. Hiding a mistake can magnify the error and prevent it from being corrected. It also may give your supervisors reason to question your
judgment.
2. Don’t abuse the staff. Hurtful words, screaming tantrums and inappropriate physical contact or intimidation are big no-no’s. Your reputation will be harmed and staffers will make your job more difficult. Bad behavior could also result in lawsuits. Learn to “play nice,” and if you blow up at someone, make sure you apologize.
3. Don’t badmouth clients and higher-ups. Your words may get back to those you criticize. Others who hear your tirades may wonder if you are making similar comments about them.
4. Don’t write angry words in an e-mail, and don’t respond to a “flaming” e-mail in kind. Assume your e-mail will be forwarded to others.
5. Don’t drink to excess. Social occasions with colleagues or clients should still be treated as business meetings.

Whew! I need to insert some positive language here. So, here are some great resources affiliated with these articles.

The National Law Journal has a great career page, and the ABA Journal has a career topic page. The ABA Journal main news page also has a weekly or daily subscription option, and an RSS feed, and even a "blawg" (law blog) directory, if you really want to keep up with the legal news!