Keeping-Tabs-Fall-2023

Q. Do you have any advice for young advocates who want to go out on their own?
A. It’s not as scary as it looks. And trust me, I know the fear. Years ago, I would look at young advocates
who went out on their own with envy – I thought they walked on water. I never thought it could be me.
Frankly, I never wanted it to be me – I was one of those people who said I’d never start my own firm. But
it has by far been the best decision of my career and I can’t imagine ever going back.
If you’re thinking about it – reach out to me or talk to other lawyers doing it (shameless plug - through
the TAS mentorship portal). I have found the small firm bar to be tremendously open, kind and interested
in lifting others up for success.
Q. What advice would you give young advocates who want to be their authentic selves?
A. Don’t listen to the explicit and implicit pressures to suppress who you are. Law has traditionally
been a more conservative industry, but it is changing. You will be more successful in your career when
you bring your whole self to your work, because your confidence will shoot through the roof, and your
passion will be infectious.
For me, being my authentic self in my practice includes not hiding parts of my life just because others
may not accept it. For example, I’m an out gay polyamorous man in a long-term three-person relationship.
Some have said I should check that part of my life at the door. But, in my experience, you connect
most with your clients when you engage on a personal level and so I am open about both of my partners
to my clients and colleagues, which makes it easier to show up as my authentic self.
Q. Speaking of which, you’ve been very involved in TAS’s new mentorship portal. Why do
you think mentorship is important for young advocates, particularly those from diverse
and equity-seeking communities?
A. I think the portal is such an important program, whether you’re at a big or a small firm, because it exposes
you to mentors with different perspectives who don’t have a direct stake in your career. Funnily
enough, our landlord for our firm office space is Megan Keenberg (of Keenberg & Co), who I initially met
through an Advocates’ Society mentorship session and Megan has become instrumental as an ongoing
mentor to me.
Mentorship is essential for those from diverse and equity-seeking communities because there isn’t a
level playing field. But it is equally important, in my view, to have mentorship from those in diverse and
equity-seeking communities. Young advocates need to see themselves represented in senior parts of
the bar and to see there is not one mold of what makes a good litigator.
Q. What can more experienced lawyers do to support those young advocates as mentors?
A. If you are also part of a diverse and equity-seeking community, don’t assume your experiences
are the same. If you are not, do the work to build cultural competency so you can properly support
your mentee. Be there to truly listen and hear your mentee to tailor your guidance to them, rather
than just assuming what worked for you will work for them.
Also, mentoring is more than just giving advice and guidance. For mentees in your firm, give
them opportunities. Give them the chance to interact directly with clients. Give them challenging
projects that will help them grow even if they aren’t quite ready. Let them be first chair. Be their
champion behind closed doors in the firm. Your biggest success as a lawyer is not the cases you’ve
won, but the positive impact you make on the next generation of lawyers.
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