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Politics Not as Usual at the Law Firm [by Chet Olsen] Law firms are known as high-stress work environments. Office politics, however, are not the cause of stress, as law firms generally rise above the politics that plague the corporate ranks.
In almost any corporate workplace, employ-
she is not playing office politics. Not being
the law firm structure and how others have
ees tend to find themselves beleaguered by
liked personally by certain colleagues or not
successfully made the climb.
office politics, so much so that it can perme-
positioning oneself correctly within the firm
ate entire organizations and become part of
hierarchy is not going to keep someone with
Nature of the work
a company’s culture. Oddly, law firms seem
real talent down. Similarly, attorneys with
The type of work that many lawyers do does
to buck the trend and be less political than
substandard skills can only hide so much
not lend itself to involving office politics.
other companies, sometimes to the point
- no matter how well they play the game.
After you have some experience, you will handle many matters on your own and simply
where a firm can be almost politics-free. While law firms are rarely considered to have
Law is typically a results-oriented endeavor,
report to others what you have done. Alterna-
relaxed work environments, some people
which often puts office politics in the back
tively, you will be part of a team that serves
find them a refreshing break from office poli-
seat. This works in your favor if you like to
a particular client, case or transaction. The
tics encountered elsewhere. In some cases,
focus on your work, do a good job and be
next matter you work on may involve an
it’s enough to make some in-house counsel
judged on your performance. It also explains
entirely different team of lawyers.
return to their law firms.
why some people with limited interpersonal skills can nonetheless do very well in a law
These sorts of situations do not give people
This is not to say that law firms are com-
firm environment. In fact, many people who,
much of a chance to concentrate on things
pletely apolitical. You will definitely encoun-
because of their lack of personal skills,
other than getting the work done. Sure,
ter it in certain, usually isolated, incidents.
would have trouble surviving inside a com-
everyone will try to score some points for
There are political issues, for example,
pany can do very well practicing law. If you
themselves but this will only go so far when
involved in who is elected partner. At the
stop and think about it, there are probably a
there is a filing deadline or a deal to close.
same time, even this can never be primarily a
few people you know fit this bill. Focus
political decision as the scrutiny is too high. Plus, the nature of the law itself requires
The law firm structure
Lawyers, at least good lawyers, focus on
that there has to be more involved in such a
Law firm structure is different from the cor-
serving their clients and are interested in
decision.
porate ladder. While many people don’t like
surrounding themselves with people who
the basic associate, partner and sometimes
can deliver the best quality work product. A
Compared with corporations, especially
special counsel levels on the law firm totem
partner who needs to produce for his or her
highly structured corporations, law firms are
poll, it’s not all bad. In many respects, it’s a
client is focused on the client’s needs and
far less political. While it’s hard to identify all
good thing - especially if you take a look at
probably doesn’t care that you have a nice
of the reasons for this, some of them can be
the complex personnel organizational charts
personality or that you were especially gen-
identified.
of some companies.
erous in your Christmas present purchases.
The premium placed on talent
You know what you are going to get a law firm
in their own careers. At a law firm, it is their
A lawyer’s skills, or lack thereof, are
as far as how and when you can advance.
work, more than anything else, which speaks
generally more noticeable than are those
Again, you may not like this, but it’s often
for them.
of the typical corporate employee. Except
better than the alternative. While firms can
in extreme cases, it’s unlikely that a star
sometimes be noncommunicative as to what
Lawyers are hip
litigator, for example, is not going to flourish
it actually takes to advance, most associates
Ingratiating yourself to someone who can
in the law firm environment because he or
can get a pretty good understanding based on
advance your career is not going to take you
The bottom line is that lawyers are interested
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as far at a law firm as it will elsewhere. This is because lawyers are on the lookout for this sort of thing. When they spot it, it simply does not go over very well with most of them. Plus, lawyers can spot this type of behavior a mile away. That’s because they do the same thing with their clients. If you are someone who would rather not get involved in office politics and instead focus on doing your job and the law itself, remember that law firms do offer this advantage. You can save your political skills for other areas of life.
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