How to perform at a higher level as litigation attorney

Why some are the best at what they do with less than a decade of experience

We call it the practice of law but very few people actually take the kind of deliberate practice required to become the best. If you’re just starting out, you should take comfort that of those who project confidence based on having years of experience really live in fear, because all those years of work hide mediocre performance.

Most lawyers don’t get to practice

One reason most lawyers are average is because they require practice but don’t get a chance to practice in a deliberate manner. Doctors do residencies and fellowships, and work ungodly hours in the course of this work, to gain exposure and case experience with real feedback — often in life and death situations. Lawyers don’t get that kind of training unless they deliberately seek a job that offers it or luck out on it on their own.

When we ask why some people are so good at what they do, we tend to chalk it up to talents and “gifts” without realizing that exposure and training form a big part of the equation. We also sometimes believe that once people learn how to do things a certain way, their brains are hard-wired, when in reality, adult brains can rewire and new neurons can grow. In reality, talent is really just a person who has had opportunities to grow, possessed the motivation to take those opportunities, and was willing to…