Investment Time

Let’s talk about investment time.

Most big firms expect you to be a good firm citizen. This looks different for each of us.

These are hours you can and should track (“bill”) to show what you do to invest in yourself, your career, and your firm.

It can cover:

✌🏻internal and external CLEs, training, and professional development;

✌🏻 recruiting;

✌🏻mentoring (being mentored and mentoring others) and coaching;

✌🏻 DEI work;

✌🏻 internal meetings;

✌🏻 bar associations;

✌🏻 civic and board engagement;

✌🏻 business and client development and general networking;

✌🏻 professional branding and marketing efforts;

✌🏻 speaking engagements, article writing, podcast appearances;

✌🏻industry and practice area conferences;

✌🏻admin time (triaging emails, maintaining case charts, entering time);

✌🏻anything you think someone at your firm would be glad someone at your firm is doing to further themselves, their clients, and the firm.

Firms are businesses. They are not made by just billing time.

This time, at your firm, may or may not count towards a raise and bonus. On paper, it may not feel like it counts toward a promotion, but:

It is a way to distinguish yourself, to make a name for yourself—

internally for raises, promotions, and other opportunities

externally for self marketing and promotion in case you ever want or need to make a move.

This is a significant tool for self advocacy beyond doing the billable work.

Every firm has an associate or two in each class that is the gold star for hours.

For the rest of us, firm citizenship is where we can shine.

These things are also often fun and enjoyable to do, bringing some balance to the billable work.

You can and should experiment, pick what you love, and leave the rest.

✌🏻♥️🔥