During my second year as a lawyer, my firm didn’t have many associates. I found myself craving peer interaction, and people who really understood some of my ‘young lawyer’ issues, e.g., a general confusion about the practice of law, whether my salary was comparable to others', how to navigate firm politics, etc.
I stumbled into the YLD and found myself in three contested elections in three years. I went from member-at-large to CPD liaison to vice-chair to chair. Pretty unexpected for a self-described introvert who had never previously run in an election.
The caveat to this was when, as a first-year call, I nominated myself for a member-at-large position on a different OBA section executive. When I was notified that I would be in an election, I promptly withdrew my name. Who knows why? … perhaps it was pure fear, a feeling of inadequacy, or intimidation (caused by no one but myself). In hindsight, I regret that moment of self-doubt and would now encourage everyone to run for a member-at-large position, and if you enjoy it, run for other executive positions.
On a tangential note, my vice-chair year overlapped with my maternity leave. The YLD was the only professional activity that I maintained while on leave because I truly enjoyed it. I used it as a pre-scheduled activity that I could do without my daughter (except for the one time I brought her to meet everyone). I recommend this to anyone going on parental leave as it will keep you connected to your colleagues, it’s fun, and it’s manageable.
Now that the year is coming to an end, I feel the need to pass on what I think worked well this year. So, here are a few of my tips:
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