On the Job

This week marks the end of four weeks on the job. In those four weeks, I've managed to complete five, presentable work products for any future employer. However, I feel as if I could have done more. This past week, I spent all of Wednesday doing absolutely nothing! Woke up at 6 am, got to work at 8 am, and twiddled my thumbs until 5 pm that day. You can say I was a bit annoyed at the whole situation. But more than that, I was bored.

Now, some might say 'find some work'. Well, that's difficult because I did ask if anyone had work for me that day. However most of the attorneys either did not have work or their work required me to spend more than half a day on it.

Aside from my nine hours of boredom that day, my experience here has been good. I've learned to be more precise in both my writing and research. In fact, I've also learned that for many young attorneys (or wannabe attorneys), half the battle is gaining experience and confidence in doing your research.

In my 1L year, the professor would give us all the statutes and/or cases we would need to construct a memo. Now though, I'm doing all the research on my own so I don't feel as confident as I can be when it comes to research. I consistently feel as if I am missing something...some statute or case or I did not spend enough time deciphering any hidden meanings behind a statute or case. However, I can take solace in what one of the attorneys told me. Once a young attorney becomes confidant in his or her research abilities, writing a memo becomes much easier.