Prioritizing Yourself as a Lawyer

You should learn to pay attention to yourself, not just to details in your contracts or your work.

Pay attention to the feelings you get when you do things.

If you love working on particular kinds of deals, go towards more of that, raise your hand, and ask for that. Find ways to do more. If you find yourself really not liking things, try to figure out ways to arrange your work so that you don't have to do that stuff. 

Another important thing is being an advocate for yourself.

This is the only life you're gonna get. So why do things that make you miserable? Do the work that you love. There's enough flexibility, especially as lawyers, to do that.

I heard the saying that if you have a law degree and a professional license as a lawyer, you'll never be homeless or something like that. As lawyers, we can make a career doing a lot of things and earn enough money to support our families and ourselves.

So, be careful not to get stuck doing something you don't enjoy just for the money. Find your purpose, find your fun in your work. Be selfish and pursue that.

This is an excerpt from Laura Frederick's interview with The Corporate Counsel Show.