More Top Ten Tips for Women in Law

My last post included the first five Tips for Women in Law from Claudette Christian, Co-Chair of Hogan Lovells, the international mega firm.  Here are the final five tips.6.   Don’t fake sincerity.  Here Ms. Christian is cautioning you to understand the various cultures and personal relationships within those cultures as you develop international business.  However, sincerity is also important in your daily dealings with people at your firm.  My take on this is to always be genuine.  Anything false or contrived will be obvious to others and will interfere with your success.

7.  Network and cultivate mentors.  You have heard me talk about the importance of these two items—perhaps ad nauseum!  Sorry if that is the case, but I do not think that they can be overemphasized.   Networking leads to development opportunities that lead to clients.  That is how you get power and upward mobility in your firm.  Mentors and sponsors are critical to your success—-both male and female mentors and sponsors.  Mentors teach you, and sponsors advocate for you.  Both mentors and sponsors are important to your future.

8.  Take ownership of your work.  In other words, dig in to the subject matter and become an expert.  Never give anything less than your best effort.  The flip side of this is NEVER let anyone claim credit for your work.

9.  Be assertive.  This was discussed in the earlier blog.  Assertiveness is not a negative attribute—far from it.  It signals that you are serious about what you do and how you do it.  If you can be assertive about yourself, it is a good sign that you can be assertive on behalf of your firm and your clients.  This is what your managers are looking for.  AND

10.  Be enthusiastic about your assignments, even the mundane ones.  My take on this is to be a team player.  Someone has to do the less-than-exciting cases, and some times it is going to be you.  Put a smile on your face and be the team leader that your firm values.  Remember the Thought For the Day earlier this week:  Attitude is what determines altitude.

Good luck in executing these very valuable tips.  When in doubt, think positively, be a team player and respect your workplace, your colleagues and the vision of your firm.  If you do that, you cannot help but succeed!

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