Dear Mentor:
I’m working at a big firm and seem to spend all my waking hours there – 12-hour days are typical, plus hours on the weekends “catching up.” I can’t find the time to go out with my friends or work out. My spare hours are spent running errands or trying to catch up on my sleep. What happens when I have kids? How will they fit in? Help! How do I get more “life” in my life?
Hello, New Lawyers! I am the first Chair of the new Section of the SDCBA, the Senior Advisors Section. This new section is meant to provide help for all lawyers who need it – because practicing law is challenging, and being a licensed attorney is not an intuitive undertaking. Besides a nuanced set of ethical obligations that defy simple explanation, lawyers, even new ones, are expected to know how to deal with “clients,” who are human beings with legal problems, which means they are full of hidden anxieties and life-issues that their lawyers know nothing about. I have yet to meet a seasoned lawyer who disagrees when I say that practicing law would be much better and easier if we didn’t have clients.
Solo practitioner and seasoned disability-rights advocate Matt Valenti has dedicated his legal career to transformative work shaped by his personal journey. Growing up with a heart condition and watching his brother face challenges due to Down syndrome, Valenti’s path to advocacy has been anything but predictable.
When Superior Court Judge Danna W. Nicholas addresses new lawyers her message blends rigor, practicality, and humanity. Appointed to the San Diego County Superior Court in 2023 after more than two decades in public defense, prosecution, municipal law, and civil litigation, she knows how lawyers can thrive before a judge and better serve their clients.
Summer is in full swing, and with it comes so many opportunities to step out of our offices, recharge, and reconnect with each other. Our New Lawyer Division has been buzzing with activity, and I could not be more excited about everything we have been building together.
Dear Friends,
As we embrace the inspiring spirit of San Diego’s diverse legal community, we are proud to share some highlights that showcase the New Lawyer Division’s commitment to inclusion, support, and authentic connection.
“Welcome to Department 501 of your San Diego Superior Court.” That’s how the Hon. Peter F. Murray starts every session, setting a tone of openness and order for all who enter his courtroom, presiding over the county’s unlawful detainer calendar in the Central Courthouse.
Dear Mentor:
I’m having trouble with billing and meeting my billable hour requirement. Why am I at the office for 12 hours but only have 7 hours written down? I’m a second-year attorney and it still takes me a much longer than I think it should to finish projects. I feel like I can’t record all my time because it takes too long, but then I can’t meet my minimum hours. Help!
Legal Life: The Trials, Tribulations, and Triumphs of the Everyday Attorney” is your monthly invitation to laugh, commiserate, and connect with the real stories behind life in the law.
If you’ve spent any time around a courthouse, you know lawyers have a name for everything. We love labels. “Associate.” “Partner.” “Of counsel.” “Rainmaker.” But when it comes to new attorneys, the nicknames get especially creative. My friend Harrison recently told me that new attorneys are called “baby rattlesnakes.” Why? Because, just like their reptilian counterparts, new lawyers can’t regulate their venom.
Each year, the SDCBA Leadership Academy cultivates a cohort of legal professionals through an immersive six-month curriculum rooted in values-based leadership, emotional intelligence, community impact, and cross-sector collaboration.