Center for Professional Development in the Law

Career Planning for Lawyers

 Evaluate Your Present Position

For many years now, poorly thought out job and career decisions resulting in dissatisfaction have been epidemic among lawyers. You must be prepared to assume responsibility for the decision-making on all issues which vitally concern your career and your life. 

Why not begin by evaluating your current or most recent work experience in the light of your ideal workplace? Print out this page or simply write down the numbers from 1 to 20 on a sheet of paper and proceed as follows:

Rate ONLY the characteristics below which are important to you on a scale of 0-10 indicating how much that charcteristic is satisfied in your present workplace. Divide the total score by the number of characteristics you selected to obtain your satisfaction score. Not surprisingly, a perfect score is a 10.

1. ___Provides intellectual stimulation and creativity
2. ___Rewards competition
3. ___Allows self expression
4. ___Provides adequate Income
5. ___Provides time for family and non career pursuits
6. ___Provides self-respect
7. ___Provides close colleagues
8. ___Provides diverse responsibilities
9. ___Provides the right legal specialties
10. ___Am treated as professional
11. ___Provides training and development
12. ___Provides opportunity for direct service
13. ___Provides work consistent with personal and religious values 
14. ___Contributes to the public good
15. ___Responsive to cultural and ethnic diversity
16. ___Provides chance to work independently
17. ___Provides right geographical location
18. ___Provides managerial opportunities
19. ___Provides early client exposure
20. ___Provides chance to feel needed

A. My Total Score was ___
B. I selected ___ characteristics.
C. Dividing A. above by B. above, you get your satisfaction score  ___.

Unhappy with your score? If you scored less than 5.0, you are probably quite dissatisfied with your work and perhaps the direction of your career. What should you do?

First, if you are a lawyer who wrongly believes that you are trapped forever in the world of large law firms and have no options, please read Options Other Than Large Law Firms.

Second, understand that taking control does NOT mean rushing to look at the want ads, calling recruiters or even contracting with an "Outplacement" firm.

Third, learn how critically important it is that you become aware of your goals, your values, whether they be personal or professional, your interests and your options.

Fourth, if you haven't already done so, take a look at the description of my Services to learn more about my approach to professional development and career planning and contact me if you have any questions.

Finally, recognize that when you accept a position, it combines both satisfying and undesirable features many of which you can evaluate PROSPECTIVELY before accepting a position. What a difference it makes to be able to predict, before taking the position, the likelihood of your finding satisfaction there!! While circumstances may dictate taking one that is not desirable, you will no longer be able to say you were passively placed. This decision-making approach results in you affirmatively CHOOSING the next step on your career path.