Solo Practice

Why You Can Succeed In Starting A Firm Even If You Floundered At Your Job or In Law School

Some lawyers want to start law firms, but fear that they'll fail either because they floundered at their previous place of employment or performed poorly in law school. If that's where you find yourself, worry no more. According to new research, a lack of control in a job situation has a fundamental effect on one's mental abilities. That's because lack of power forces people to constantly re-evaluate and second guess themselves, thus redirecting their effort from substantive tasks and  diminishing their performance.

The theory makes sense. For example, how many times did you psyche yourself out before a law school test, trying to absorb all kinds of conflicting advice on what to do and not to do, instead of just following your gut. And on the job, how much time did you spend worrying about what your boss was thinking instead of using your own judgment to figure out what the client wanted or what would make the brief most persuasive.

So give yourself a break. Past performance is never indicative of future success, especially if you functioned in a less than ideal school or work environment.

HT to Feminist Law Profs for the link.

Full post as published by My Shingle.com on May 20, 2008 (boomark / email).