There’s
a
column
in
Esquire
titled
“What
I’ve
Learned”
where
famous
people
share
what
life
has
taught
them. About
15
years
ago,
I
wrote
my
own
“What
I’ve
Learned”
piece
for
a
legal
publication.
Here
I
go
again.
My
first
boss
told
me,
“Don’t
make
the
client’s
problem
your
problem.” I
think
about
that
a
lot.
Come
early to work. Gives
you
time
to
settle
in
for
the
day.
Every
morning,
skim
your
calendar
for
the
week. Once
a
week,
check
your
calendar
for
the
month.
Double-check all
your
events
and
deadlines
are
properly
calendared. The
cases
are
yours,
not
your
legal
assistant’s.
Get
the
paid
version
of
Grammarly,
even
if
you have
to
pay
for
it
yourself.
Always
use
the active voice. Strong
nouns,
strong
verbs. Few
adverbs
and
adjectives.
Join
Toastmasters. Take
an
improv
class. Volunteer
to
speak.
Get
published. Start
small.
Try
to
write
200-300
words every
day.
One
day, you
may
write
a
book.
Exercise. Eat
well. Go
to
bed
on
time.
Join
LinkedIn. Work
on
your
profile. Post
regularly
on
a
topic
you
know
about
and
enjoy.
Treat
your
boss
like
your
client.
If
you
screw
up,
own it. Develop
a
solution
and
discuss
it
with
your
supervisor
to
determine
the
best
approach
for
handling it. Don’t
hide
your
mistake
or
try
to
cover
it
up.
Go
to
lunch
with
your
colleagues. Don’t
always
eat
at
your
desk.
Working
from
home
is
a
privilege,
not
a
right. The
earlier
you
are
in
your
profession,
the
more
office
time
you
need
for
your
professional
development.
Get a
hobby.
Feed
your
village
and
tribe. We
all
need
a
team
around
us,
supporting
us,
and
we
do it
for
them.
Don’t
compromise
your
principles,
values,
or
ethics
for
the
sake
of
a
firm
or
a client.
Don’t
ever
do
anything
that
jeopardizes
your
ticket.
No
one
is
coming
to
save
you.
Your
career
is
your
responsibility.
Don’t
burn
bridges.
Pay
it
forward. Always.
Read
a
book
or
take
a
class
on
etiquette.
An
open
bar
is
not
an
invitation
to
overconsume.
Don’t overstay
your
welcome
at
an
event,
in
an
organization, or
at
a
firm.
Read.
Don’t doom scroll.
There’s
always
another
great
show
to
watch.
Turn
off
the
television.
Listen
more. Talk
less.
Spend
money
on
a
good
office
chair,
a
good
mattress, and
good
shoes. Your middle-aged self
will
thank
you.
On
your
deathbed,
you
won’t
regret not
billing more
hours.
Take
an
investment
class.
Try writing poetry.
Jury
selection
is
deselection.
Get
involved. Volunteer. Do
pro
bono.
If
your
firm
won’t
invest
in
your
development,
it’s
on
you.
Frank
Ramos
is
a
partner
at
Goldberg
Segalla
in
Miami,
where
he
practices
commercial
litigation,
products,
and
catastrophic
personal
injury. You
can
follow
him
on LinkedIn,
where
he
has
about
80,000
followers.