NLJ: The Changing Work Habits of Young Lawyers

Interesting article in this week's National law Journal:  Gen Y at Work: The Changing Landscape, by Amy J. McMaster:

The ability to multitask is only one of many skills that seem inherent to young lawyers. Largely desensitized to virtual distractions, it is not uncommon to witness a young lawyer working diligently on a brief, streaming online music, and running an IM program in the background, all at the same time.

Law firms, and at least one federal judge I am aware of, who attempt to reduce these perceived distractions — by blocking access to websites, IM programs and the like — send an ill-received "Big Brother"-type message, and simply encourage some 15-year-old computer genius out in California to design a better program. After all, there's a reason that the term Generation Y is used interchangeably with The Internet Generation.

In talking with our summer associates about their experiences so far, my fellow coordinator and I inquired whether they were using their secretaries to type letters, make edits to briefs, enter time, etc. The response we got was not unexpected. Why would they give work to somebody else when they could do it just as fast, if not faster, themselves? The reduction in support staff at many firms and businesses throughout America is a testament to the fact that new lawyers are increasingly easing the workload of secretaries, paralegals and onsite I.T., not to mention decreasing lost time in transitioning projects back and forth. They stay abreast of the latest changes in computer technology and online resources, which often leads to increased job efficiency. Who knew that there was a $50 website subscription that could alleviate most, if not all of a lawyer's blue-booking woes?

While young lawyers cannot continuously expect feedback or seek reassurances from those around them in order to validate their sense of self, increasing awareness among supervisors and managers of the need for periodic, constructive feedback is also not beyond the pale.