The Generation Y Legal Professionals

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By Harrison Barnes, CEO and Founder - BCG Attorney Search

Published By LawCrossing

Though the distinction is a bit questionable because it does not presuppose a homogenous class with uniform class attributes, there is enough commonality in attitudes and perspectives of those born in the mid- 1980s and after to be categorized separately as

Generation Y

. Generation Y is also referred to as the

Millenials

, is considered to be more than 70 million in number, and represents the new generation of talents whose needs, attitudes, strengths and weaknesses need proper assessment by

law firms

Perceived traits in Generation Y

Though not applicable as universal truths, a few accepted and expected attributes that differentiate Generation Y lawyers from those of the previous generation indicate that Generation Y is:

More Tech-Savvy
Better multi-taskers
More worried over work-life balance and family-centric
More worried about “results”
More amenable to teamwork
More narcissistic and better attention pullers

Getting the best out of Generation Y

Being result-oriented, Generation Y professionals, especially new attorneys, sometimes arrive with unrealistic perspectives and attitudes. One thing that is seen universally is a lack of patience and urge to get immediate results. Something, which even if the law firm is ready to accept, the courts and the legal system are unable to deliver. For the law firm, orientation of the new attorney from Generation Y, and teaching him or her exact things that would maximize the realization of Generation Y potentials include:

Providing help in prioritizing assignments
Teaching
time management
Teaching that in the world of law firms and client interactions, lawyers need to make predictions based on their personal knowledge and often cannot access teams to do that
Explain that professional success almost never happens overnight but takes time
While informal communications are okay, a majority of situations demand formal communications
Immediate results on completed tasks are not always visible
If a senior forgets to appreciate good work it does not mean the senior is ignoring the good work
It is better to try to solve problems on one's own, or at least up to a concrete level before asking for guidance or affirmation
Emphasize, that once they are in the law-firm environment, their grades of yesteryear's do not matter, but what matters is present performance
Stress
confidentiality
, and the need of not discussing law-firm work in social networks or anywhere else except at the law firm

Handled wisely, most of Gen Y attributes are assets and not liabilities for law firms. However, in contrast to other sectors of the industry, the law firm practice, despite the ravages of the recession, continues to be steeped in ritualistic conventions and traditions. So, except in the cases of outstanding and international law firms, the proper absorption, accommodation, and utilization of Generation Y professionals into mainstream work remains a challenge. It's not a challenge to those from Generation Y, but a challenge to those who are in the management and belong to an earlier generation, trying to come to terms with new attitudes and perspectives.

Harrison is the founder of BCG Attorney Search and several companies in the legal employment space that collectively gets thousands of attorneys jobs each year. Harrison’s writings about attorney careers and placement attract millions of reads each year. Harrison is widely considered the most successful recruiter in the United States and personally places multiple attorneys most weeks. His articles on legal search and placement are read by attorneys, law students and others millions of times per year.

More about Harrison

LawCrossing has received tens of thousands of attorneys jobs and has been the leading legal job board in the United States for almost two decades. LawCrossing helps attorneys dramatically improve their careers by locating every legal job opening in the market. Unlike other job sites, LawCrossing consolidates every job in the legal market and posts jobs regardless of whether or not an employer is paying. LawCrossing takes your legal career seriously and understands the legal profession. For more information, please visit www.LawCrossing.com.

published June 18, 2012

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