I said and thought a lot of stuff while I was practicing law. I believed every single bit of it. Over time I figured out that some of it was kind of dumb. Here are some of those gems:
1. If an applicant cannot be bothered to make their application letter and resume perfect, they cannot be trusted to be careful in their work either. Never hire anyone who has a mistake in their application documents.
2. Every email, letter, and agreement that you draft must be perfect. A typo reflects poorly on your professionalism.
3. The first few years of your practice is the time to work as hard as you can, sacrifice everything else and learn your craft. You will have time to learn to market your practice and enjoy life later.
4. The lawyers at the big firms are smarter than the rest of us.
5. It makes sense to respond in detail to every letter opposing counsel sends you, refuting every point. Your brilliance will convince them that you are right and they are wrong.
6. Law firms will reward you for being a great lawyer, even if you do not have a client base.
7. We are foremost a profession and only secondarily a business.
8. If only I get this urgent matter done, I will be relaxed and happy.
9. That beautiful young associate will never leave her husband for me.