Career Development and Wellness

Contributing Author: Mary E. Vandenack, Vandenack Weaver LLC, 17007 Marcy Street, #3, Omaha, NE 68118.

Culture Matters: Finding a Legal Culture Consistent with Your Values

While I was in college, a mentor said to me “When your values and lifestyle are out of sync, you will be in conflict and won’t find happiness. When you live your life following your values, you will be happy.”

Culture has a variety of definitions, but in the business context, culture refers to the work environment of a business. Most law firms and businesses establish core values and have a strategic plan. Incorporating the core values into day-to-day operations and functioning is how values are expressed in the firm or business culture.

Employment as a lawyer can be very challenging on a good day when you are working somewhere you love. If you are working in a culture that isn’t a good fit, you have a recipe for misery. In finding a workplace where your values and lifestyle are in sync, understanding the culture of law firms, legal departments, or businesses is extremely important. I worked at four different law firms before deciding to start my own. Though each of the law firms that I joined had excellent lawyers and some admirable characteristics, I failed to find a cultural fit for me. At one firm, I was so miserable that I concluded that I was not cut out for the practice of law. I began pursuing an alternative career. Before I made a career switch, I started my own firm—and I’ve been living mostly happily ever after. I wish I had better understood culture and the importance of cultural fit earlier in my career.

In understanding the culture of a legal environment, consider how the firm or business operates. What is rewarded? What is accepted? What is punished? Culture isn’t about what the website says are the great qualities but how the firm or business functions every day.

Develop Cultural Competence

Culture competence is generally considered to be the ability to understand and appreciate cultures and belief systems. In the context of evaluating culture for legal practitioners, I use the term to refer to our ability to be aware of and understand the culture of different forms of legal businesses to help us ascertain what type of culture will allow career satisfaction to be part of a whole life.

What Is Rewarded?

Historically, law firms value the origination of work and production measured in billable hours. A law firm must indeed have rain and production, but consider whether the firm rewards efforts other than rainmaking and production. Is collaboration valued? Are technological contributions to practice efficiency rewarded? Is production valued over avoiding professional burnout? In writing this article, I googled “What do law firms reward?” The first three pages were articles on compensation and bonuses. A couple of the articles do suggest that law firms consider rewarding leadership, innovation, community service, education, and thought leadership.

For someone considering a new position, numerous acceptable questions can be asked during the interview process to help identify what is rewarded. It is important to find out what matters to the firm and to make a conscious decision whether what is rewarded is sufficiently consistent with your values that the firm or business will be a good fit.

What Is Accepted or Overlooked?

Is bad behavior accepted? Common detrimental behaviors include bullying, lack of respect, “me-too” behaviors, and gaslighting. Poor matter management is another issue that may be overlooked.

It is more difficult to ask questions in an interview that will identify bullying and gaslighting as compared to asking about the compensation system. You can, however, ask about how processes and projects are managed and what the expectations of you would be on those issues. You can also ask about accountability.

Investigate

In the interview situation, you are likely to meet with those who will provide positive stories about culture. Ask good questions, but explore on your own. As you walk through the office, notice the lower-level employees. It may be useful to talk to lawyers who have worked at the law firm or business that you are considering, but, in doing so, remember that the right law firm for one person is the wrong law firm for another. Make sure you are clear about what matters to you in a career. Look closely at the website and lawyer profiles. Do they support community activities that line up with your values? Do they engage in activities that are consistent with what you want to do? Are there lawyers that appear to be where you want to be?

Persist

If you find yourself in any situation in which you are unhappy, evaluate whether it relates to the practice of law, the particular practice area, the culture you are part of, a work/life balance that isn’t working, or whether you should consider some personal coaching. Always persist in finding a practice and a culture that leads to work/life satisfaction.

Published in Probate & Property, Volume 36, No 5 © 2022 by the American Bar Association. Reproduced with permission. All rights reserved. This information or any portion thereof may not be copied or disseminated in any form or by any means or stored in an electronic database or retrieval system without the express written consent of the American Bar Association.

Probate & Property September/October 2022