The perception of what it’s like being a lawyer is often rather gloomy. Of course, just like in every profession, routine tasks, unpleasant and unpredictable situations, and work-related challenges often frustrate us.
But, have you heard the theory that gratitude can transform that negative perception into something rewarding? It can change how we view ourselves, our personal lives, and our careers. It’s an essential habit to practice, and Thanksgiving is a perfect occasion to think about what you are grateful for in your career path.
This Thanksgiving, I decided to ask lawyers what they are thankful for in their profession. Here is an inspiring list of seven reasons for gratitude shared with love by attorneys (get ready to become inspired).
Gratitude for Clients (Advocating for Someone in Need)
Whatever we do in life is always about people. Lawyers shared their gratitude for their clients with whom they communicate daily. Appreciation for the ability to help others in need is so heartwarming. It reminds us that we are all in need in one way or another.
I am grateful for awesome immigrant clients who make my life so rich and interesting. — Marina Shepelsky, Esq. of Shepelsky Law Group
I am very thankful for the phenomenal clients we have. As a reinsurance boutique practice, we serve clients on several clients from a broad range of backgrounds and cultures. We are very fortunate to have such a great, diverse group of clients. We have traveled to many countries and had friends (clients) we could spend time with and learn a lot about local customs, restaurants, sights to see, etc. — Steven G. Bazil, Esquire The Bazil Group
Gratitude for Promoting Justice’s Inherent Good
There are so many injustices around the world that it is very touching to know you can make a difference at your work. Being a lawyer is indeed a noble profession, and it is a big reason to be grateful for your career.
The opportunities a lawyer gains for a fulfilling personal and professional life are more significant than the obvious societal benefits that come with being a lawyer. Because it promotes justice’s inherent good, the law is a noble profession. Legal labor, in contrast to many other types of employment, uses an overall goal as its measurement. It is a luxury to have some standard of goodness by which we can gauge our professional integrity, even when we struggle to identify that goal in the midst of moral and pragmatic uncertainty. — Rick Nehora, Managing Director at California Law Firm
The thing that I am most grateful for is the opportunity to use my skills to help people in a time of need. To me, it is extremely fulfilling to use whatever abilities and skills I may have on behalf of someone struggling with a problem or challenge that they cannot handle on their own. Advising and advocating for someone in need – and seeing the comfort and sense of ease they get in knowing they are not alone – provides me great satisfaction, and I feel fortunate to be able to do that for a living. — Tom Simeone, an attorney in Washington, DC
Gratitude for Gained Communication Skills
Another reason to be grateful for as a lawyer is strong communication skills. Communication is an art rather than a scientific discipline. Luckily, lawyers have many mediums and activities to master this art that helps in other areas of life.
As an attorney, I am grateful for having unmatchable communication skills, which almost every lawyer posses and makes them one of the most elite communicators in our society. Attorneys, with regular debate practice, develops one of the most important life skill of effective communication. Not only in the courtroom but communicating feelings to your partner or winning a bargain with the shopkeeper, effective communication skills that lawyers possess help them win small battles every day only by persuading with the words coming out of their mouths. — Fran Haasch, Founding attorney at Fran Haasch
Gratitude for Professional Organizations & Communities
What can be more inspiring than being surrounded by professional, motivated communities? This is an essential and rewarding part of being an attorney:
I am grateful for professional organizations where I can socialize with my colleagues and always learn something new and amazing I can use to better our work. — Marina Shepelsky, Esq. of Shepelsky Law Group
I am grateful for the communities I’ve found in the law: people inside our firm who share values and bring positivity to the practice and people outside our firm committed to the same goals. — Mark Lyda, Founder of the Lyda Group
Gratitude for Sharing Knowledge
There is nothing more inspiring than sharing your knowledge. Lawyers often have a chance to share their knowledge with future generations and contribute to justice. So, here is another GREAT reason to be grateful as a lawyer.
I am grateful for the opportunity to share knowledge with bright students and to work in an academic environment. Teaching students about the rule of law in business is not only a privilege but also an opportunity to make a lasting impact in business and society. — Robert C. Bird, Professor of Business Law, School of Business | Eversource Energy Chair in Business Ethics
Gratitude for Team
Becoming a top-notch lawyer is impossible without having a motivated and like-minded team around. Think about how people who work with you help you daily. Think of those people as the second family you are grateful to know.
I am most thankful to our staff. Our paralegals and legal assistants are the backbones of our operation. There is no way this office could run one day without the hard work of our support staff. Their dedication, hard work, and compassion for our clients make our law firm successful. — Kris Parker, Founder, and managing partner at Hendry & Parker, P.A.
In my firm, I’m supported by a brilliant team which I’m thankful for in my pursuit of justice for my clients. — Edith Pearce, Female Personal Injury Attorney and owner of The Pearce Law Firm
Gratitude for Challenges
Challenges are not something people used to be grateful for. However, every time we face a challenge, we grow significantly, both personally and professionally:
I am grateful for challenges. I’m grateful that every day at work is a challenge and that the challenge drives me. — Scott Perlmuter, Attorney & Managing Partner
Gratitude for Modern Tech Solutions
Modern lawyers have another thing to be grateful for — those tech solutions that transform old-school legal practice. From tools for virtual court hearings to contract automatization tools, tech makes law practice thrive every day (and, of course, contributes to lawyers’ work-life balance).
I am grateful for modern software and automatization that makes working with in-person and remote staff so good. Zoom – I love talking to people face to face, even when we live in different time zones. — Marina Shepelsky, Esq. of Shepelsky Law Group
As in-house counsel for a tech-forward property insurance company, I’m extremely thankful for the technology we have in place that allows me to work from practically anywhere in the world. This gives me the opportunity to spend the holidays with family and friends yet still be able to handle important projects that always seem to crop up at the end of the year. — Mr. Stacey A. Giulianti, Esq.
Wrapping Up
What makes you most grateful in your professional life? It’s important to take time to reflect and notice the simple things we can be grateful for every day to help us cope with the stresses. Fill your heart with joy during this festive season.
I hope the list above will help you embrace the power of appreciation. May the gratitude you feel in your heart provide you with new inspiration for personal and professional achievements.
