Frequently Asked Questions and Answers
By Elena Kaspi, JD, MSW, ACC
LawScope Coaching, LLC
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1) What advice do you have for lawyers who don’t want
to give up their careers but who are considering making a transition in
order to make more time for family and other commitments?
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This is a very common question among lawyers primarily because all
professionals are looking for a way to stay professionally engaged and
still meet their personal and family commitments. Every lawyer’s
situation is different some might be looking to find time for a hobby or
intellectual passion, while others might be trying to find a way to
create more predictable family time. No matter what the motivation
behind a transition there are some basic steps that can help ease the
process. These steps can be broken down into three categories of
exploration or self assessment: namely, you need to know what you want,
you need to create a clear plan of action, and most importantly you need
to advocate on your behalf.
Let’s start with the first step: you need to know what you want
to get what you want. Most attorneys can rattle off fairly quickly what
it is that they don’t want but knowing what you don’t want
just isn’t enough. Take time to figure out what options are out
there at the firm or company. Do you want a full time schedule on flex
time arrangement or part time schedule? Is there a precedent for this
option and what is its history? Can you afford it financially? Can you
afford it professionally? And if so, how long do you envision wanting
this type of arrangement? What kind of ramp up and ramp off time will
you need to make the transition efficient? The more knowledgeable, clear
and specific you are about what you want the easier it will be for the
firm to believe in your ability to make it work.
Secondly, creating a clear plan of action in the form of a clear
proposal lets your employer know that you take this transition seriously
and that you have outlined what they can expect from you and what your
remain committed to achieving. Create several drafts of the proposals to
reflect your “dream situation” and your “best case
scenario” and your “bottom line”. Have a friend,
mentor or colleague review the proposal and offer insight and
suggestions. A word of advice: all transitions are messy so help the
process along by setting realistic expectations for yourself, and for
your employer. Employers need to know what they can expect from you so
that they can endorse your proposal with less ambivalence.
Finally, put your legal skills to work for you to get what you want.
You are going to need to advocate, advocate and then advocate some more.
In the process keep in mind that your employer has to see that your
proposal can benefit their interests as well. It is your job to convince
your employer that you can maintain flexibility and demonstrate ongoing
commitment to your clients and professional growth.
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2) For lawyers who are on a flex time or reduced schedule
what advice do you have about ‘staying in the
game?”
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Flextime or reduced schedules can offer a great way to balance life
and work but for some it can feel a little isolating. Shuttling between
your two arenas—work and life-- with little or no time for
networking, professional development or collegial banter can leave many
attorneys feeling professionally disconnected. For some the key to
successful flextime arrangement is having an equally clear and active
action plan for “staying in the game”. Creating a
“staying in the game” action plan can helps foster and
strengthen an attorney’s professional development and circle of
colleagues and may ease the way for that moment when they may decide to
return to fulltime practice.
Staying in the game can mean different things. For some it means
staying active in professional associations like the local Bar
Association, for others it means committing to attend a certain number
of firm social functions, and for others it may mean becoming more
active in alumni association or clubs. The important thing is not what
you choose, but that you choose and commit to a “staying in the
game” plan of action that not only compliments your flex time
arrangement but that can offer the support and network of your
professional community.
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Frequently Asked Questions
