PRACTICAL ADVICE FOR NEW LAW SCHOOL GRADUATES

* Fees are not earned until you've actually earned them. Don't take a client's money out of your trust account until you actually have the right to do so. Whether you have the right to the funds can vary according to the terms of your fee agreement, the nature of the work, the length and status of the project, and the rules of your state bar association. Don't work in gray areas when it comes to your trust account. Determine when you are entitled to bill against the trust account and then do so at the appropriate time. * Don't steal trust account funds. This may seem so obvious that it wouldn't need to be mentioned. However, the unfortunate reality is that many lawyers have looted client trust accounts, sometimes for millions of dollars before being caught. Often it is the result of an attorney developing a substance abuse problem or a gambling addiction. Other times it is driven by pure greed and a willingness to exploit people. Don't end your legal career by going to prison. * Eat the frog. Mark Twain wrote, "if you eat a frog first thing in the morning, the rest of your day will be wonderful." He also wrote, "if you have to eat a frog, don't look at it for too long." This idea forms the central theme to Brian Tracy's time management book Eat That Frog!, where he advises that you should decide each day which is the worst task you have to do -and then do that task first. Once it is done, you'll feel as if a burden has been lifted from your shoulders, and it will be easier to get through the rest of the things you need to do. * Avoid unnecessary interruptions. Multi-tasking is a nice term for being unfocused and inefficient. Learn to focus on one thing at a time. When you are working on an unpleasant task or on something that requires concentration, don't allow yourself to be interrupted without good cause. Block off times during the day when you are not to be disturbed so that you can actually get your work done, and schedule other periods of time during the day for meeting with clients, returning phone calls, and doing other tasks of that nature. Don't take phone calls, don't answer e-mails, and stay far away from Facebook and other social media systems during the work periods. When you are able to focus on one task at a time without interruptions, you will find your productivity goes up dramatically.