Law school education covers writing and thinking like a lawyer, but focuses less time on building future lawyers’ professional identity. I had the good fortune of addressing 64 newly licensed attorneys earlier this month at the Fourth Judicial District Bar Admission Ceremony, which was presided over by Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lisa Holder White.
The ceremony took place at the Illinois Supreme Court in Springfield. Justice Holder White organized a thoughtful and uplifting ceremony that provided the new admittees with a warm welcome to the Illinois legal profession.
I was asked to speak about professionalism. My goal was to galvanize the new admittees around the notion that attorney professionalism and a focus on professional identity matters – for their clients, their colleagues, their careers, and the justice system as a whole.
Professional identity defined
Like any good lawyer, I began my talk by defining professional identity. According to the American Bar Association (ABA), professional identity is what it means to be a lawyer, and the special obligations lawyers have to their clients and society.
The development of a professional identity, according to the ABA, should involve an intentional exploration of the values, guiding principles, and well-being practices considered foundational to a successful legal practice.
I view professional identity as a lawyer’s mission statement, their North Star, and the principles on which they have built their careers. Each action and decision should be grounded in these values.
For example, I was candid with the new admittees that I did not like law school and seriously thought about dropping out on a couple of occasions. However, when I had these thoughts, I would reflect on the values that led me to law school. One of my key values was social justice, and I knew law school would open doors for me to do this type of work.
It has been 22 years since I was sworn into the Illinois Bar, and social justice is still an important value in my work. I spent the bulk of my early legal career as a legal aid attorney. Now, at the Commission on Professionalism, I focus on promoting principles of integrity and civility among Illinois lawyers and judges, and work to eliminate bias and divisiveness in the legal and judicial systems, thereby ensuring that those systems provide equitable resolution of problems and disputes for the people of Illinois.
I emphasized to the new admittees that their professional identity will not be exactly like mine or the person sitting next to them, and that is a good thing. Your professional identity should be unique to you.
While a well-defined professional identity sounds like a nice thing, how do you determine yours? Here are four steps to help you define your professional identity, whether you are new to legal practice or a seasoned veteran.
1. Determine your values
What fuels the work you do? Why did you want to become a lawyer? These are good initial questions to reflect on, but it is also important to dig deeper into your values. This is where Brene Brown’s “Living Into Your Values” exercise can be of assistance.
The exercise asks you to choose your two most important values from a lengthy list. Once you determine your top two values, Brown helps you turn these words into actions through a brief list of poignant questions.
The goal of this exercise is to help you identify values that can ground you when you are in tough situations or must make difficult decisions. For example, how will you react to a rude opposing counsel? Will you add more fuel to the fire by acting in the same way? Or is it an opportunity to practice patience?
Being clear about your values will provide you with a good roadmap for how you conduct yourself. These values can also help remind you of your purpose when the stressors of being a lawyer cloud your vision.
2. Look for your community
The Harvard Business Review found that lawyers are America’s loneliest professionals, which often leads to poor performance and job satisfaction.
For new lawyers, the transition from law school – where you may have developed a reliable community of support – to legal practice can feel especially isolating. Plus, we are still recovering from the isolation of the pandemic and not being in the office full-time.
So, where can lawyers find their community? One of the best places to start is bar associations. While I believe it is important to have friends outside the legal community, it is also invaluable to connect with other lawyers who understand the nature of the legal profession.
There are so many wonderful bar associations to choose from, including national associations, like the American Bar Association; state bar associations, like the Illinois State Bar Association; and local bar associations, like the Champaign County Bar Association.
There are also affinity bar associations such as the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois, LAGBAC – Chicago’s LGBTQ+ Bar Association, and the National Asian Pacific American Bar Association.
You can find smaller committees within the bar associations that focus on your practice area or areas of interest, such as a legal aid committee or a section on taxation. The Illinois State Bar Association has compiled a list of bar associations to start your search.
Bar associations can help you meet people and learn more about your legal community, which will assist you in developing and refining your professional identity.
3. Find a mentor
In a recent law review article, University of Notre Dame Law School Professor Christine M. Venter, makes an excellent point. She writes:
“…to successfully attain a professional identity, young lawyers must obtain good mentors, be in a supportive community, and be exposed to a welcoming and inclusive discourse that acknowledges their value as individuals.”
I think this applies to lawyers across all career stages.
Every speaker at the Fourth Judicial District Bar Admission Ceremony stressed the importance of finding a mentor. The Illinois Supreme Court Commission on Professionalism agrees.
We work with organizations across Illinois to facilitate a professionalism-based Lawyer-to-Lawyer Mentoring Program, which goes beyond substantive and procedural law to include a focus on civility, integrity, innovation, and ethics in legal practice.
The free, one-year program explores topics like maintaining civility in highly charged environments, supporting organizational diversity, navigating well-being as a lawyer, responding to workplace bullying, and effective strategies for developing new business.
Importantly, mentors report that their mentees teach them about innovative technology, practice strategies, and other topics addressed in today’s law schools.
In 2024, 1,158 lawyers at more than 50 organizations participated in the program. Six hours of professional responsibility CLE is available for mentors and mentees.
Learn how to get involved here.
4. Continue doing things you love
Lawyers are busy, but that doesn’t mean you have to give up the things you enjoy outside the law. If you enjoy playing an instrument, do that. If taking a walk in the morning recharges you, keep at it.
Dr. Larry Richard, a former litigator turned psychologist, has conducted significant research on the personalities of lawyers. His data shows that 90% of lawyers score in the bottom half of the scale on resilience, which indicates lawyers may find it difficult to bounce back from adversity and criticism.
The good news is that you can improve your resilience. One way is through activities and hobbies that you enjoy. So, continue to participate in that Sunday morning running club that you like so much.
Don’t skip it
“What is your professional identity?” Don’t skip answering the question.
This holiday season, I encourage you to take 15 minutes and consider the steps I have outlined. You will reap the benefits in the new year!
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What Does It Mean To ‘Act Like a Lawyer’? Reconsidering Our Professional Identity