What Do Older Attorneys Actually Do to Teach Younger Attorneys?

This post is in response to a well-written but subjectively mean-spirited post written by respected blogger Scott Greenfield over at Simple Justice.  His post was a response to my recent comment on MyShingle.com about how to jump start a law practice.  My initial reaction to his post was anger, but I must admit that he makes some good points.  I wish he wouldn’t paraphrase me though.

After thinking about the issue of young attorneys giving legal advice and the danger that creates, I wanted to turn the tables and talk about what young attorneys may get out joining a law firm and what older attorneys actually do to teach us.

When I got out of law school in 2007 I knew I couldn’t start a law firm right away because I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.  I mean that:  I had no clue.  I knew I wanted to start a law firm eventually, but I had to try the firm route first because, if I didn’t, things could have been ugly.  So, I joined a firm.

Now let me tell you what my first six months or so were like at the firm:  no training, very little observation, clueless wandering, and mostly angry gnashing with my wife about why I was mostly ignored.  Then, I discovered something: the partners weren’t all that interested in helping me, they were more interested in me serving as a money-making vehicle.   I have no problem with that.  It is capitalism.  I didn’t say it was right, but what is?

Furthermore, in those heady early days, I often had discussions with my wife that the so called “training” I got at the firm was to be put in front of a telephone and told to make money.  People started to call and I met with them.  I wasn’t told how to screen a client, do a client intake, ask for a reasonable retainer, draft a competent pleading, or, basically, be a good lawyer.   The partners didn’t appear to care.  But, I did all these things and I, mostly, did them well.

Did I miss out on a lot of things because of that reach for money?  Yes, absolutely.  I’m still upset I didn’t get better training.  But, guess what, I did what I did in law school: I taught myself.  I did three civil trials, many evidentiary hearings, and had many court appearances in 3+ years of practice.  It isn’t an overstatement to say I was in court every day.  I am trying not to brag, but I got a lot of experience by being in court.  I also made a lot of mistakes and learned from them.

But, that is not the point.  The point I am trying to make here is that I didn’t get trained by law partners who were mostly interested in me as an associate making them money. No, I was trained by myself, my peers who I practiced against, and the judges I practiced in front of.  Being at a law firm didn’t make me a better attorney – I did.

So, my question for older attorneys like Scott who make efforts to dissuade young attorneys from “giving advice” or starting a law practice is this:  what training do older lawyers actually give to their young brethren?  Any?

Here are some other pertinent questions:  Are we there to look at?  Are we there to make you money?  Should we be automatons?  Should we kill all lawyers under 40, stop the law schools from accepting applicants, and let all of you wise-souls have more work to do?

I posit that the answer is no.  Being upset about young attorneys giving legal advice is understandable – even laudable.  Castrating all young attorneys for trying to start a law firm and talk about it is another thing all together.

So, I’m throwing down the gauntlet:  I want you older attorneys to stop being negative, start being positive and do something to help any young attorney you can.  This profession is difficult enough without aimless negativity.