Beyond Biglaw: The Wisdom of Age

If you are an associate and are fortunate to have one or more “elders” at your firm -- seek them out. You will learn something useful.

I am a first-generation American, son of refugees who fled Egypt as a result of religious persecution. As ambivalent as I am to the Egyptian part of my “cultural heritage” — it is hard to feel too close to a country that constructively kicked out my grandparents on both sides while generously agreeing to “repatriate” their possessions — I do sometimes feel the richer for it. But I lost the closest link I had to the “old country” when my grandparents passed on. Both my parents were already in America by their high-school years, so their connection to Egypt was limited. I was talking to a friend in synagogue recently, and he raised an important consideration: that if we want our children to understand anything about their familial connection to Egypt, it was imperative that we start interviewing the surviving elders — those who actually were born, got married, and raised children in Egypt before emigrating. Not only to preserve the record of what they were forced to leave behind, but more importantly to salute them for their perseverance in building an even better life for their families on these shores.

The conversation reminded me that while I may take for granted my exposure to that older generation, there is tremendous inherent value in their experiences that could be tapped for the benefit of the next generation as well. I was also reminded of one of my favorite features of the Biglaw life, which was the presence of semi-retired “senior partners” or “senior counsel” who managed to make it into the office despite the frailties of age. Older folks, free of the need to bill incessantly, still in the game not for financial interest, but more to keep occupied and contribute to others. My advice? If you are an associate and are fortunate to have one or more of these “elders” at your firm, seek them out. They have time and would be happy to share a cup of tea with you. You will learn something useful.

(I suppose that for former clerks, their judges are a similar (if less readily available) sounding board for professional guidance. The fact that the “lifelong” relationship between clerks and their judges is considered such a benefit of the clerkship experience underscores my point: even the smartest, most driven young lawyers can benefit from exposure to their professional “grandparents.” There is tremendous value in the wisdom that only age can nurture.)

I think the value of advice from a very senior lawyer is greatest in two areas. First, with regard to honing arguments or negotiation positions. Older people tend to have less patience for sloppy thinking, and are much more likely to be blunt about the need to fix a losing argument. Couple that skill with the experience of handling many more negotiations of all sorts than a younger lawyer could even imagine, and you can see how a discussion with an older lawyer can help contribute to the successful handling of your matter. Second, senior lawyers tend to be much more generous when it comes to offering direct and realistic career advice. It may be a bit of a shock for a younger lawyer who is accustomed to everyone bowing before their superior credentials and fancy “associate” title. I can guarantee a very senior lawyer, especially when both the younger and older lawyer are at the same firm, will not be impressed — which is a good thing, because the older lawyer is more likely than others to actually tell you the truth. What you do with the unvarnished advice is your business.

You may question the value of spending precious non-billable time having tea and talking about work with an old lawyer from a previous generation — especially someone no longer “really practicing.” After all, you are working with at least one of your firm’s hotshot partners, and soaking in all the wisdom you can from watching their every move. Sure, those observations should be the primary source of your professional development. At the same time, busy “current” partners who are honest will often admit that they are so caught up in their daily matters that they can’t provide as much thoughtful guidance to younger lawyers as they might want to. The perspective of an even more senior lawyer, perched above the “fog of war” that pervades busy law offices, can be exactly what a young lawyer needs at key stages of a case or their professional career.

But what if you are not a former clerk, or working at a Biglaw office where a very senior lawyer or two can be found? Many boutiques or smaller firms, especially newer ones like mine, do not have any “seniors” around. If you are a younger lawyer working at one of those firms, then it makes sense to try and expose yourself to the “older generation” through law school alumni or bar events. And if you a current Biglaw associate who aspires to work at a smaller firm — or even one day own your own firm — there is no reason why you could not continue taking advice from a trusted older lawyer even after you have left Biglaw. But you have to make the effort to build the relationship in the first place.

As anyone lucky enough to have known their grandparents appreciates, we often take our elders for granted. Until the sad day when they are gone, and we realize that there was so much that we wish we could still learn from them. What is true on a family level is true in our profession. If you are lucky enough to have access to an “elder” of our profession — do your best to get to know them. Challenge them with your questions, and take their advice to heart. You will be richer for it. And one day perhaps you will be the “elder,” opening the eyes of a new generation of lawyers to “how things should be,” and “how they were” when you were in their shoes.

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Please feel free to send comments or questions to me at gkroub@kskiplaw.com or via Twitter: @gkroub. Any topic suggestions or thoughts are most welcome.


Gaston Kroub lives in Brooklyn and is a founding partner of Kroub, Silbersher & Kolmykov PLLC, an intellectual property litigation boutique. The firm’s practice focuses on intellectual property litigation and related counseling, with a strong focus on patent matters. You can reach him at gkroub@kskiplaw.com or follow him on Twitter: @gkroub.

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