A wise mentor gave Soo Yeon Lee this advice when she was a young attorney, and it has stuck with her ever since: Lawyers are in a self-navigating profession. There is no curriculum after law school. It is up to each attorney to shape their career. It takes between seven to 12 years to make partner. Whatever the practice setting is, the first seven to 12 years of practice are generally brutal. It is a time to prove yourself to partners and clients while dealing with competing demands of time, money, and energy. Getting your foot out the door and running fast on the track to success takes priority. What comes next? Once an attorney makes partner (or a similar career milestone) and arrives at the initial destination they have longed for, what waits for them? A typical lawyer who begins their practice in their mid-twenties can have a long career that lasts four decades or more. That’s where I find myself now. This year marks my 20th year of practice, 20 years since getting licensed, and 20 years to nearing retirement. The sudden realization of equal proximity to both ends of the career felt vague and unfamiliar until the camera came into focus. Here are my humble observations and unsolicited advice for self-navigating mid-career lawyers.
For more information see Soo Yeon Lee “Career Development and Wellness: Self-Navigation for Mid-Career Lawyers,” ABA Probate and Property Journal, July 2025.
