Ed. note: This is the latest installment in a series of posts on motherhood in the legal profession, in partnership with our friends at MothersEsquire. Welcome Jeanine M. Donahue to our pages. Click here if you’d like to donate to MothersEsquire.
“Location, location, location” is a well-known phrase in the real estate industry implying that location is the most important factor in determining the value and success of a property. Taking a page out of that playbook, “Relationships, relationships, relationships” is the phrase for new law school graduates contemplating the value and success of their future career.
Keep up with and interact with your college and law school classmates — over LinkedIn, TikTok, or whatever social media platform is in vogue. Don’t limit yourself to virtual connections — in person meetups, whether for drinks, dinner, or an outdoor activity are important. If distance or time is a problem, set up Zoom lunches where you can have a lunch delivered to your friend and then you can causally chat over a virtual lunch. Ask substantive questions about the person’s area of practice or business — what are the trends, what are the concerns or stressors of the job/business, what are their goals — how can you help them achieve their goals. Then think of ways to help your friend. Give them a heads-up about an article you read or a speaker you heard who was lecturing on a topic that may be helpful to them.
Building these authentic relationships from the beginning of your career will help you as you grow. I lost track of my good friend and moot court partner for a number of years — my life and career got busy and I lost contact with him. When I finally looked him up, he was the GC of a Fortune 100 corporation. Because I had not nurtured that friendship for many years, I lost out on a potential opportunity for business development and connections (and, honestly, I missed my friend too!)
By the same token, try to maintain relationships with the people who you work with and for over the years. While in law school, I worked as a case assistant for a large law firm. I kept in touch with the attorneys and support staff of that firm as I moved on to other firms as a lawyer. Twenty years later, those big firm lawyers and some of their staff opened up a litigation boutique and were looking to hire. The relationships I maintained over those 20 years landed me one of the best jobs I have ever had. And from that role, one of the litigation boutique partners made introductions for me to a client who I have now worked with for over 10 years.
Lastly, relationships with co-counsel and, yes, even opposing counsel, are important to maintain and nurture. These are the people you are going to call about what they are hearing in your practice area or industry. They will be the ones you contact to ask about their experience with a judge or mediator or opposing counsel. Opposing counsel who you respect can be a great source for information and for bouncing theories or ideas off of. Attend legal conferences where both sides of your practice attend so that you meet the people in your practice area on both sides of the V. Getting active in various legal groups, like the ABA or local bar associations, is another way for you to get that exposure to co-counsel and opposing counsel. Growing those relationships now will make it easier down the road when you need to pick up the phone to speak with those people.
So yes, you think that practicing law means research, arguments, briefs, and trials but the underpinning of a successful legal career starts as you graduate with relationships, relationships, relationships. Congratulations and warmest wishes on your hard earned and well-deserved success! Don’t wait for fate. Create the relationships now that will shape your future.
Jeanine M. Donohue is a member of the firm’s Litigation Practice Group and Wineries, Vineyards and Breweries Practice Group. She practices in the firm’s St. Helena and San Francisco offices. With over 30 years of experience, Jeanine is a big picture strategist who quickly appreciates the 30,000 foot major issues, while also being attentive to the nuances and important details of each matter she handles. Jeanine maintains a broad litigation practice that includes insurance recovery, commercial, real estate and products liability. Since 2013, Jeanine has served as Outside General Counsel to four active 524(g) settlement trusts with over $1 billion in assets. She manages all outside trust litigation including insurance coverage litigation, bankruptcy and adversary proceedings.
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