If you are a lawyer working in a prestigious firm with high billable hour requirements and steep billing rates, it can be hard to set limits with your partners and with your clients.
Some of that goes with the territory. Working in Biglaw can be very demanding.
But even in a demanding environment, you do not have to say yes to everything. Knowing your limits and understanding the business realities (what is truly important and what is truly urgent) is a learning process.
Of course you need to build your good will before you begin to ask if a deadline is real.
But in my observation of working with attorneys for over 30 years, not everything that seems urgent actually is urgent. The fatal mistake is not asking for clarification.
Knowing your boundaries extends way beyond managing your time. Are clients avoiding your invoices? Are you being asked to work on matters or do things that feel uncomfortable.
Learning to set appropriate boundaries is a crucial skill in life but it does get easier over time.
On the other hand, sometimes this is difficult, even for me. LoL.
I’m not always as strict as I could be with last minute client cancellations or with my invoicing. And below, is my guest dog for the weekend looking for his owner and standing on my couch (after I just got off the phone telling my friend Amy Levine that I don’t let dogs on my couches).