“ What you observe in a person’s body language, the emotion in their voice, their eye movements and other tendencies can be even more revealing than what they say.”
Marcus V. Brown Executive Vice President and General Counsel ENTERGY CORPORATION
An integrated energy company, Entergy Corporation is engaged primarily in electric power production and retail distribution operations. With more than 2.8 million utility customers in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas, Entergy has annual revenues of more than $11 bil- lion and approximately 14,000 employees.
B
MCCA.COM
E A GOOD LISTENER: IN ADDITION TO HAVING strong basic skills like legal researching, legal writing and legal reasoning, there are a few other things I believe are valuable for young lawyers. Of particular importance is learning
to be a good listener. Too many young lawyers are eager to disclose how much they know but sometimes they end up demonstrating just how much they don’t know instead. Listening well is fundamental to being able to get the information you need to best help your client. Listen with your eyes and ears. What you observe in a person’s body language, the emotion in their voice, their eye movements and other tendencies can be even more revealing than what they say. Further, when others provide feedback about your work, don’t be defensive, but listen fully and seize the opportunity to improve. Treat People with Respect: Young lawyers in particular should be sure to treat with respect not only other lawyers
and judges, but also the administrative professionals and other support people whom they work with and encounter. Many times these individuals have worked in an environ- ment much longer than the new lawyer and their knowl- edge about procedures, preferences, and styles of the more senior lawyers and judges can be invaluable. Unfortunately, the new lawyer who thinks he or she “outranks” the staff and is therefore dismissive of their input may miss out on very valuable knowledge. Act with Integrity, Always: Finally, practice with integ-
rity. Your reputation is your most valuable asset. Younger lawyers sometimes don’t realize how small the legal com- munity can be in a city, town or state. Compromising your integrity for a short-term win or gain is hardly ever worth it. You may encounter the situation again and the shoe may be on the other foot or, worse yet, you may develop a reputation for not having much integrity—something that can be extremely diffi cult to overcome.
JULY/AUGUST 2014 DIVERSITY & THE BAR®
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