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How to Motivate Young Attorneys – Zac Shaffer

I’m a “young attorney” with 5 years of experience, at a few firms. What motivates me and my peers differs from what worked on a younger attorney 20 years ago. While work-life balance and money are still the key motivators, my generation of attorneys started practicing in a world that had significantly changed, both personally and professionally.

First, most of us began practicing in the legal area post-COVID, or we had minimal experience in the legal community before the pandemic. Where remote work or Zoom hearings may have been the exception 10 years ago, we “young attorneys” were born into this. We laid the foundation of our legal careers working remotely, and as a result, consider working that way a mutual benefit because we can successfully further our practice and profession without the need to leave our house. Working late isn’t a problem since we can work on our schedule without rearranging our lives.

Second, the world in general is not the same as it was for those practicing for 40 years. Our cost of living and debt are significantly higher. Most of us expect to be working until we physically can’t any longer. Student debt is nearly 350% higher than it was 25 years ago. For most of us, rent and living expenses consume significant portions of our incomes, on top of what is owed in monthly student loan payments. Therefore, when we balance our financial, personal, and professional goals, we must consider the best career option to accommodate the variety of challenges our generation faces. “Delayed gratification” is not something we believed we could afford or wait for. But, like every other profession, this isn’t the same for all young professionals. Motivation for one, may look vastly different than motivation for the rest.

The biggest difference is that most of us haven’t had the opportunity or haven’t sincerely been required to address what our 5-year, or 10-year, plan is as we are focused on getting through the next year. When I first became a lawyer, there were no job opportunities. We had to take what we could find. But, when COVID struck, the entire atmosphere changed. Job demands were high and “young lawyers” could be selective. Motivation wasn’t important as we felt we could dictate the terms of employment. For those who have or are starting a family, remote work with a good salary and benefits is gold. The same is true for those trying to develop their personal life after leaving it behind during law school.

Misconceptions and miscommunication impact both young and seasoned attorneys alike. Since the two generations have different experiences and challenges in life, the best way to find what motivates a young attorney is to establish earnest and honest communication with us during the interview process. Tell us what is expected and encourage young attorneys to explain their 5-year plan. Whether young or seasoned, every interviewee may tell you what you want to hear if they need a job. But, establishing what is expected and requiring us to look beyond our “quarter life crises” will be telling in what motivates each of us as individuals.

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