Improving The Practice of Law
It’s about who you know in life and in law. Connections are everything. I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve sat in court and laughed and joked with opposing counsel, magistrates, and judges. Does that mean we are all best buds? No. But, it does mean we know how to cope with an adversarial profession in a healthy way.
It all starts with manners. There is no need to have a bad attitude and be rude. I cannot tell you how many attorneys confuse the adversarial process with being a threatening jerk. That sort of toxic behavior is really a problem in the legal community. One I see changing due to two factors - more healthy women becoming attorneys and more warm people becoming mentors.
Why
Healthy Women make a difference because when trailblazer women entered the legal profession, often they had to adopt toxic behavior like their male counterparts in order to survive. Now, that the profession is less male-dominated, more people who exhibit healthy behavior can survive and thrive in the field.
Warm People as Mentors make a difference because they show young law students and attorneys how a law firm is supposed to feel. If you have a clenched stomach and tight shoulders every time you walk into work, you are in the wrong environment. Work is not supposed to suck. So, if your work sucks, validate your feelings and interview elsewhere until you can make your escape.
But, when you know from day one how good a healthy office environment can feel, you are way less likely to leave the profession after being burnt out and used up in a toxic firm. This leads to the profession losing fewer individuals with high emotional intelligence.
When
There is no time like the present for more healthy women and warm mentors to improve the practice of law. Though many would argue changes that involve inclusivity and equality are long overdue, better late than never!
An additional essential key in bringing inclusivity and equality to the practice of law is the transparency of salaries. Those with nothing to hide, hide nothing as Dr. Phil would say. So, when choosing your law firm, choose one with salary transparency and a culture of openness.
Where
Due to COVID-19, law firms are now remote and in the office. The technology shift of using Zoom and telephone hearings more frequently alone is a huge positive shift in the legal community. Additionally, work and school flexibility with online and hybrid law schools is another way non-traditional students enter into and start to change the practice of law. Further, as child-rearing often falls to the most Agreeable partner (often the female) online programs and working from home allows more women to be lawyers.
As such, technology is allowing the legal profession to change today.
Who
Myself, my female boss who build an all-female firm, my co-workers who are all female, and everyone with high emotional intelligence who enters the legal profession is helping to change it for the better.
Does this mean that men are not helpful to the profession? Not at all, but stereotypical toxic male behavior is not helpful to the practice of law. For example, aggressive rather than assertive, rude, talking over others, and being dismissive are not helpful behaviors.
Equally, stereotypical toxic female behavior would also not progress the practice of law in a positive direction. For example, cattiness, gossip, passive-aggressiveness, and petty arguments are not helpful behaviors. Thankfully, the practice of law has not been marred with toxic female behavior. However, female-dominated professions such as nursing are struggling to overcome toxic female behaviors.
Ultimately, inclusivity and equality in sex, gender, race, nationality, and religion would benefit every profession. In the legal profession, where networking is everything, emotional intelligence is key. So, cheers to positive changes via more healthy women becoming attorneys and more warm people becoming mentors!
