Youth And Inexperience Can Be A Resource For Some Lawyers

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Many lawyers might believe that young and inexperienced lawyers are at a practical disadvantage when they start their careers. Indeed, law school does little to train students to be practicing attorneys, and individuals starting their legal careers might not have the hands-on knowledge needed to excel in the practice of law. However, in some instances, youth and inexperience can be an invaluable resource, and partners should consider this when tasking young attorneys to complete projects.

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Perhaps the biggest advantage of being a young and inexperienced attorney is that people are much more willing to cut a younger lawyer slack than a seasoned attorney who should know better. This is especially important in litigation and other times when advocacy is important to a representation. In many instances, judges and others can have substantial discretion in how they handle matters, and they may be willing to be more flexible with young and inexperienced lawyers who might not know better about how practical matters work in the legal profession.

For instance, one time early in my legal career, I had to appear at a discovery conference on another attorney’s case. This other attorney hadn’t stayed on top of his files, and he owed substantial discovery to the other side. This other lawyer was nervous that the judge might strike his answer because of discovery deficiencies or at least put language in an order which stated that his answer would be stricken if discovery was not provided within a certain amount of time.

Several attorneys for the defendants, the plaintiff, and I all conferenced the matter in front of the judge. All of us took turns describing the status of our discovery responses and making excuses for why responses were not provided. I looked super young at the time compared to all of these veteran lawyers at the conference and was confused about the status of discovery since this was not my file.

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The judge eventually entered an order holding that if all of the defendants except our client did not provide discovery by a set deadline, their answers would be stricken. One of the attorneys asked why my client was excluded from this language in the order, and the judge responded by saying that I was too young to be thrown to the wolves. Incredibly, being only a few years removed from law school helped me since the judge did not want to hold me to the same standard as veteran attorneys who could presumably be held to a higher standard.

In addition, younger and more inexperienced lawyers may also receive more favorable treatment from partners. Law firm partners are much more willing to spend the time and resources to train younger lawyers than to train attorneys who have been practicing for a while. There are many reasons why this may be the case. For one, it might be more comfortable for attorneys to train people who are younger than them since there is an expectation that more senior attorneys who have spent time practicing will train junior lawyers who are less seasoned in the practice of law. In addition, younger lawyers are much more likely to be a blank slate and not come to their jobs with preconceived notions about how legal matters should be handled.

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For instance, I once handled mass torts cases in a very seasoned mass tort that required specialized training. It took months of reviewing materials, practical experience, and other effort before I felt comfortable taking on significant responsibilities on this mass torts matter. The firm might not have had the patience to train someone with more experience, and in such situations, lack of experience can be a benefit.

Moreover, youth can be a resource for business development as well. There is often some novelty around youth and inexperience since younger lawyers are more likely to have enthusiasm about the law than people who have practiced law for a significant period of time. Moreover, clients often like to see that lawyers in different stages of their careers are handling a portfolio of work so that there are lawyers in place who are familiar with the client should more senior lawyers retire.

While working at other law firms, I went to several pitches with partners, and I think that my presence at the pitches helped us generate business. Not only could prospective clients see the associate who would be performing the majority of the work on their case, but the energy of having a younger lawyer might have benefited the pitch. As such, law firms should consider bringing younger lawyers to pitches to help originate business.

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All told, it can sometimes be difficult for young and more inexperienced lawyers since they may not know much of the practical “nuts and bolts” of practicing law. However, in many situations, being young and inexperienced can be a significant resource for some lawyers.

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Jordan Rothman is a partner of The Rothman Law Firm, a full-service New York and New Jersey law firm. He is also the founder of Student Debt Diaries, a website discussing how he paid off his student loans. You can reach Jordan through email at [email protected].

Topics

Biglaw, Jordan Rothman, Small Law Firms


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Originally posted on: https://abovethelaw.com/2021/12/youth-and-inexperience-can-be-a-resource-for-some-lawyers/