Landing your first legal position is a major career milestone. But your first job is exactly that: a first step.
As you gain experience, you may discover new practice areas that interest you, skills you want to develop or career paths you hadn't previously considered. You may decide to pursue advancement within your current organization, make a lateral move, transition to an in-house role or explore opportunities outside traditional legal practice.
Whatever direction you choose, building a legal career requires more than simply accumulating years of experience. Being intentional about the skills you develop, relationships you build and opportunities you pursue can help you continue moving forward.
Here are some ways to take ownership of your professional growth after your first legal position.
Think Beyond Your Current Job Title
Early in your career, it's easy to focus on succeeding in the role immediately in front of you. That's important, but your current position doesn't have to define the rest of your career.
The legal industry includes opportunities across law firms, corporations, government agencies, nonprofits, academia and other organizations. A law degree can also provide a foundation for careers in areas such as compliance, consulting, legal operations and business.
Pay attention to which parts of your current role you enjoy most. Do you like researching complex legal questions? Working directly with clients? Negotiating? Managing projects? Developing strategy?
Those preferences can provide clues about where you may want your career to go next.
Build Skills that Travel with You
The substantive knowledge you develop in a particular practice area is valuable, but some of the most important career skills can transfer across roles and organizations.
These may include:
- Legal research and writing
- Client communication
- Negotiation
- Advocacy
- Project and matter management
- Business development
- Leadership
- Technology and AI fluency
- Professional judgment
Look for opportunities to strengthen these skills through your everyday work. Volunteer for assignments that stretch your abilities, seek feedback from more experienced colleagues and take advantage of professional education opportunities.
The broader your skill set becomes, the more options you may have when you're ready for your next move.
Find Mentors and Build Professional Relationships
Career growth rarely happens in isolation.
Mentors can provide perspective on decisions, help you understand how your organization or practice area works and offer guidance based on experiences you haven't had yet.
Your professional network should extend beyond one mentor, though. Build relationships with colleagues at different levels, former classmates, clients, attorneys in other practice areas and professionals you meet through industry organizations and events.
Networking doesn't need to mean reaching out only when you need something. Staying connected, sharing knowledge and taking a genuine interest in other people's work can help you develop professional relationships that last throughout your career.
Ask for Feedback Before You Need It
Annual reviews shouldn't be the only time you learn how you're performing.
Regular feedback can help you identify strengths to build on and weaknesses to address before they become obstacles to advancement.
When possible, ask for specific feedback after significant assignments. Instead of simply asking, "How did I do?" consider asking what you could have done differently or what skill would make the biggest difference on your next assignment.
Then act on what you learn.
Showing that you can receive feedback and use it to improve can be valuable in your current position and throughout your career.
Understand What Advancement Requires
Doing good work doesn't always automatically lead to the next opportunity.
If you want to advance within your current organization, learn how advancement decisions are made. What distinguishes someone who succeeds at the next level? Are there expectations related to client relationships, business development, leadership, billable hours, subject-matter expertise or other areas?
Once you understand the expectations, you can identify where you are already strong and where you may need additional experience.
You can also have more productive career conversations with supervisors and mentors when you have a specific goal in mind.
Keep Developing Your Professional Expertise
Law school prepares you to enter the profession. It doesn't mark the end of your legal education.
Laws change. Industries evolve. New technologies reshape how legal services are delivered. Client expectations change too.
Continuing legal education and professional development can help you stay current while building expertise that supports your longer-term career goals.
Don't think about professional education only as a requirement for maintaining your license. Use it strategically.
If you want to move into a particular practice area, develop leadership skills or better understand emerging technologies, look for training that moves you closer to that goal.
Know When It May Be Time for a Change
Career growth doesn't always mean leaving your employer. Sometimes your best next step is taking on more responsibility where you are.
But there may also come a point when your current position no longer offers the opportunities you need.
You might consider a change if you've stopped developing new skills, see limited opportunities for advancement, want to change practice areas or have identified a role that better aligns with your long-term goals.
Before making a move, be clear about what you're looking for. Leaving simply because you're dissatisfied can lead you into a different position with many of the same problems.
Instead, define what you want your next role to provide that your current one does not.
Prepare Before You Start Interviewing
Once you've decided to explore new opportunities, don't wait until an interview is scheduled to start preparing.
Update your résumé and make sure it reflects not only what you've done but also how your responsibilities and capabilities have grown.
You should also be prepared to explain why you're considering a move.
Keep the conversation focused on your professional goals rather than complaints about your current employer. An interviewer will want to understand what you're looking for and why the new opportunity makes sense as the next step in your career.
Review the organization, position and people you'll be meeting. Think through examples that demonstrate your experience and be ready to explain how you can contribute from the start.
Evaluate Your Next Opportunity Carefully
A new title or higher salary can be appealing, but neither automatically makes a position the right next step.
Think about how an opportunity fits into the larger career you're trying to build.
Consider the work you'll be doing, the people you'll learn from, the skills you'll develop and the opportunities you'll have to take on greater responsibility. Culture, flexibility, compensation and long-term advancement may also factor into your decision.
Your next job doesn't need to be your final destination. It should, however, help you continue developing in a direction that makes sense for you.
Keep Building the Career You Want
Legal careers don't always follow a straight line. Your interests may change as you gain experience, and opportunities may emerge that you couldn't have anticipated when you graduated from law school.
The important thing is to keep developing.
Continue strengthening your skills, building relationships and paying attention to where the legal profession is headed. The more intentionally you approach your professional development, the better positioned you'll be to recognize and pursue the right opportunities throughout your career.
Explore BARBRI Professional Education to discover professional development programs and resources designed to help legal professionals build practical skills and continue growing throughout their careers.
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