How to Succeed in Your First Year as an Associate
There are many good articles and videos online – and you will also hear from your seniors who have gone there before – on how to start and then grow in your legal career.
But how to “succeed” is more than following a list of 10 things (and many tips are easier in theory than in practice). What “success” is differs from person to person; this article offers views from seven lawyers in practice, who come from various backgrounds and seniorities. We’ve all been there before, as a newly-qualified lawyer on the first day of the job, and we are happy to share what we’ve learnt over the years (and what we wish we knew as a first-year associate).
1. Surround yourself with people you can talk to
“You are at the check-in line for this next journey. Your time is no longer measured by semesters, and summer vacations. You will no longer be graded on a published rubric, or on a curve. Your success is measured by yourself, milestones you set, assessments you choose to undertake. Your happiness and satisfaction has always been yours to pursue, now more than ever. Surround yourself with people you can talk to. Talk about the stress you are feeling, the workload, the pressures, the criticism, the failures. Talking helps you to confront the negatives head-on, learn from them, and move forward and onward. I have been blessed in my career to have been taught and mentored by the good, the principled, the thoughtful. Find those gems around you, and be guided by what is right, not what is easy. And remember, no matter how bad it gets, you are never alone. Someone is always there to listen.”
– Lim Lei Theng, Partner (Head of Knowledge Management, Head of Pro Bono), Allen & Gledhill LLP
Lei Theng was my professor in NUS, where she coached me for negotiation competitions. We also worked together on many pro bono initiatives. I’ve always admired how she can balance everything – family, career, and so many pro bono and coaching projects on the side, so just before I graduated (in 2012), I asked her how she did it all. The advice she gave me I remember to this day because it was so honest and practical – she was supported by two helpers and her mother (and it was not the case of sleeping only three hours a night!). It also helped to have a husband who is not the fifth child. Having a community to support you (and openly acknowledging the support of that community) will be what carries you through your career.
2. Find role models – and you can have different role models for different aspects of your career
“A senior lawyer once told me early on in my career that, while it would be important to seek out a good mentor to guide me on my journey through legal practice, it would be equally important to seek out role models.
Always be on the lookout for lawyers whose qualities you would like to emulate. Watch, learn and absorb what you can from those who have a few extra years of experience under their belts and slightly more grey hair. Pick and choose different role models for different aspects of your career – for example, you may want to model yourself on a lawyer who has great client management or technical skills, or you may wish to be more like that lawyer who is an amazing team manager, or who somehow manages to balance his/her family life with work.
Remember that while most may only have a few mentors over the course of their careers, you can choose as many role models you want (and this is entirely up to you!). Congratulations on getting called and welcome to the profession!”
– Gary Beh, Corporate Counsel, Linklaters
Gary is my senior in law school; we knew each other through the NUS Pro Bono Group. I’ve known him to be a very happy individual who always has a reason to smile. Gary surfaced on my LinkedIn feed where he was speaking on a panel about “Thriving vs. Surviving in Legal Practice” for pre-qualified lawyers earlier in June, and I thought he would be perfect for this article. I reached out and I’m so happy he said YES to sharing his experiences. The takeaway is that you’ll reconnect with friends at various points of your life/career, so don’t be afraid to reach out and make a connection.
3. Recognise that you are in the service industry
“Every client comes to you to pay you for a service. They are not here to be impressed by your vast knowledge of the law/procedures or your outstanding experiences. They want you to resolve the legal issue they are facing, whether it is a dispute, corporate deal or something else. That is fundamental.
So simply having a good grasp of the law and being able to tell the client what the law is, is unfortunately, not adequate. You must first need to fully understand the client’s issues, including the nuances and intricacies of the matter. You then need to curate your advice to the client according to their specific circumstances. You must also carefully manage the client’s expectations from the beginning till the end of the brief. Remember, you are here to serve your client’s legal needs relating to the matter they had approached you/your firm. Ideally, at the end of the matter, the client must walk away feeling that in return for whatever they paid, they were more than adequately served with proficient legal services.”
– Nakoorsha Abdul Kadir, Managing Director, Nakoorsha Law Corporation
Nakoorsha and I were formerly Deputy Public Prosecutors in the Attorney-General’s Chambers, and back in 2013 I used to sit at the workstation diagonally in front of his. Because he had many years of experience with criminal matters (and I had just started), I would often approach him with questions, and I appreciated that no matter how busy he was, he would always make time to help me. No matter how urgent the matter (or I) was, he’d always start with “Ms Seah, chill, what is the issue?” before we’d work through identifying the areas to focus on. The takeaway is that when you learn from your seniors, don’t just pick up the law from them, but also their attitude towards solving problems and their demeanour. I still hear that reminder to “chill” in my head to this day!
4. It is challenging at the beginning but it will get easier with time
“If you’re reading this, you’re likely at the start of your journey as a new associate. Congratulations on making it this far!
Concerns about managing your first year are inevitable, so I would like to give you a long-time partner’s perspective on the job and some words of advice.
I would like to begin with the words of wisdom my mother once imparted to me. I expressed to her how anxious I was about my first day and she replied with characteristic curt candour, “Aiyah, you already made it through law school, 99% of people cannot even get into law school, you know?” The advice was brusque, invaluable and holds true for all of you incoming associates. If you have gotten to associateship, you can get through associateship.
Regardless, nobody is immune to stress and pressure and this job is full of it. No matter how prepared you are, the job will take a toll on you. However, I can guarantee you that it does get easier and all you need to do is push through the first two or three years. The learning curve is steep but once you’re past it, practice becomes second nature and you will have become all the better and wiser for it. Yes, the initial climb will be tough, but it’s well worth it for the glorious views at the top of that mountain.
So, embrace the challenges, respect your capabilities, and never lose sight of the fact that you are making a real difference in people’s lives. It won’t always be easy, but I promise you, it will be worth it.”
– Carrie Gill, Partner (Co-Head, Family and Divorce), Harry Elias Partnership
Carrie is a friend I got to know when I started playing darts for the Law Society back in 2018. She’s shown me how you can take work seriously, but never lose your zest for life (for example, she has broken out into a spontaneous dance in front of an audience – that included our Chief Justice – during our yearly darts competition with the Malaysian Bench & Bar). I admire her frankness where she tells it like it is without sugarcoating things, so she is someone I turn to for advice (and a dose of ‘tough love’), when I need a sounding board about a situation I encounter in the course of work. The takeaway is that you will make new friends through activities you enjoy doing, and when your friends are at a different stage of their careers, there is so much to learn from them as they will give you tips on how to handle a situation, having gone through it before.
5. Lawyers aren’t robots – it’s okay to have emotions. Give yourself the time and grace to process a situation, and then keep moving forward!
“One thing I’ve come to notice about people in the legal profession is that they tend to sigh, and quite a lot. I too have been called out by friends and colleagues (and called them out myself) for letting out sighs subconsciously throughout the course of the day. Soon, you may find yourself doing the same. Whether it’s because you’re working on a very tight deadline or because you’ve been scolded for making a mistake in your draft advice, there will be many occasions in practice that you will find yourself unable to do anything except let out an exasperated sigh.
Personally, I have come to understand it as a sigh of catharsis and resignation, that there is little I can do but to carry on after a brief pause. However, I have realised that to otherwise dwell on such moments in practice will only make myself wonder why I chose this profession in the first place. So, my advice for you to succeed in your first year as an associate is to not be disheartened and to take these moments lightly. They may happen more often than you hope but there is much more to each day in practice than these brief, fleeting moments.
And if you ever feel alone, don’t forget that the legal profession is filled with fellow sighers who have been where you are and are ready to commiserate with you!”
– Julian Liaw, Associate, Drew & Napier LLC
Julian is the first trainee I’ve worked with, and I’m very grateful he’s agreed to share a piece of advice for newly-called lawyers. He is one who is truly willing to go the extra mile with the work he does, with quick turnarounds and original ideas. I admire how frank he is about being in the legal profession – and I feel the same way too. There will be days where you feel that everything is going perfectly and you’re on top of the world, and the next day where everything crashes around you, but remember that the bad days will pass, and there is absolutely nothing that cannot be fixed by sitting down for a solid block of three hours with Google and legal resources (e.g. textbooks, Lawnet, etc.), or with a pen and paper to come up with a plan.
6. Always ask yourself “how can I add value to the team or file that I am working on”?
“I have learnt that you will not have everything figured out in your first year of practice. Oftentimes, you will find yourself consulting multiple resources, particularly when confronted with an unfamiliar area of law. One thing that has helped me to speed up the learning process is approaching a colleague who has worked on a similar application or matter previously. If you are going down this route, always keep your questions focused and precise. The last thing you want to be doing is to approach a senior associate or partner with broad, open-ended questions expecting them to give you a crash course on a particular area of law. As a rule of thumb, be sure to check the textbooks, case law, rules and practice directions to narrow down on what it is that you are unsure about before approaching your seniors. That said, do not be afraid to voice your questions but always do so with a clear purpose.
To remain focused in practice, I find myself going back to this question which has now become a mantra: How can I add value to the team or file that I am working on? A good way to help the team out is to stay on top of running timelines and to organise the stream of documents and information coming in from your clients.
Without sounding too cliché, embrace the unknown and get ready for the intellectual challenge. It can be difficult at times but I have found it rewarding.”
– Arya Gerard, Associate, Drew & Napier LLC
Arya and I got to know each other this year through our membership in the Law Society’s IT Committee, as we were in different firms then. I’m wowed by her commitment to the teams she is on – she volunteered to be the committee secretary to take notes at meetings, and followed through with proposals when asked to flesh out an idea she proposed – and I’m so happy she’s agreed to share her “mindset” with newly-qualified lawyers.
7. Practice is a marathon, not a sprint
“In my decade-long legal career, I have had the benefit of receiving many pearls of wisdom. One such pearl that stuck with me is this piece of advice that a senior told me shortly after I joined private practice – “practice is a marathon, not a sprint”. It still holds true to me today – in career and in life. There is no escaping the fact that life as a lawyer is often frantic, relentless and all consuming. At the same time, life goes on. Balancing life and career can be difficult and frustrating – particularly if things don’t go your way or if your friends and peers appear to have things figured out or are progressing ahead of you. In such times, I find it helpful to take a step back to remind myself that life and practice is a marathon and not a sprint, so I can pick myself up and trundle on. If all else fails, a nice bottle of red and a good steak helps numb the pain.”
– Jeremy Lua, Senior Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright (Asia) LLP
Jeremy and I were colleagues in the legal service, before he moved into the private sector, where he has been active in the cybersecurity and privacy investigations space. I appreciate that in his advice to young lawyers, he is very real about the fact that you will end up comparing yourself to others. But remember: you have a choice, and you can choose to help each other instead of competing. I admire Jeremy’s attitude where he is generous with his time and resources, where he supports friends’ posts on LinkedIn, and also introduces them to people whom they would be interested to know at networking sessions.
The takeaway is that how you succeed in your legal career is more than you – you are the sum of many parts. The friends and mentors you will meet at various stages of your career, from law school, to colleagues at work, to people you reconnect with at various points in your life … these will be the people who you turn to for advice, to share the good times and the bad times, or emulate a trait of theirs you admire. There is something to learn from each one, and you will be a better lawyer for having known each of them.
Congratulations on getting called to the Bar! We wish you joy, wisdom and endurance in your career ahead!
The views expressed in this article are the personal views of the authors and contributors and do not represent the views of their firms.
