Professionalism in Law School
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Though it may not feel like it, your legal career begins the moment that you set foot on campus for your first day of orientation. Law school is a professional school, and the reputation and practices that you develop in law school will follow you through your practice of law. Many of your fellow law students (and even some of your professors) will become your colleagues after graduation, and you will rely on members of the law school faculty and staff for support, guidance, networking, and recommendations even after graduation. With that in mind, we strongly encourage students to reflect on the kind of professional persona that they would like to employ during their interactions with the law school community.
"Professionalism" means many things in the legal profession. Prior to graduation you will take a course devoted to professional responsibility, and you will need to pass the Multistate Professional Responsibility Exam to be admitted to the Washington State Bar Association. However, professionalism is not just a matter of understanding the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct. The way in which you approach your legal studies will inform how you interact with everyone that you encounter in your legal practice. Below are some areas that you may want to consider as you begin your legal studies:
- Honoring your obligations: This includes attending scheduled appointments (and arriving on time), timely notifying others if you have to cancel an appointment, and meeting deadlines consistently. Being able to manage court deadlines, appointments with clients, and other time-sensitive obligations is an incredibly important skill in legal practice.
- Maintaining an appropriate social media presence: This includes monitoring your privacy settings on social media accounts, considering how your social media presence appears to employers and others, engaging with sites like LinkedIn, etc. Here's an interesting article on how social media can affect law students Links to an external site..
- Engaging with professional development opportunities: This includes meeting with the Center for Professional Development Links to an external site. (CPD), actively investigating employment and volunteer positions, participating in mentorship programs, and so on. Each person on the CPD staff has their own area of expertise so figure out which CPD team member aligns the most closely with your interests and personality. Also look into having them review your cover letters, resumes, and job search-related emails.
- Handling communication thoughtfully: You will likely find yourself inundated with emails in law school, but mass-deleting is a quick way to miss important notices and resources. Develop a plan to handle large quantities of email communication now. Additionally, be aware of your tone and professionalism in emails to professors and colleagues. If you are emailing with potential employers, you can contact CPD to make sure you're communicating in a way that will improve your chances for success.
- Considering your professional appearance: How lawyers should dress is a surprisingly fraught discussion, but be aware that legal professionals and clients often have certain expectations about how law students should dress for things like meetings, interviews, and networking events. If you're not sure what that entails, speak with CPD or practicing attorneys to find out what dress code is expected in a given scenario. Here's a good general piece of advice: look into getting a well-fitting suit.
- Showing respect to the law school community and yourself: Even though this is an adversarial profession, respectful interaction is incredibly important to the practice of law. This is a high-stress environment occupied by a diverse group of people, and this can lead to challenging interactions with others. Law school will offer numerous opportunities for you to observe how well you are able to communicate respectfully with others while respecting your own values and needs.