“I don’t know what motivated you to join the legal profession. But what I do know is that a lot of my peers got into this profession to help people. I hope that the same calling will drive you to help others as well.” – C. Barrett Thomas, TYLA president-elect

More than 100 young lawyers learned useful information regarding networking, client development, and the importance of pro bono work, and heard advice from judges and experienced courtroom advocates, during a CLE program Friday in Austin.

TexasBarCLE and the Texas Young Lawyers Association hosted “Building Your Career: A Guide for New Lawyers” at the Texas Law Center and also offered the event as a live webcast. Legal professionals devoted their time to share key skills and advice they learned to propel their careers.

“The best advice that I have received from a mentor was to 1.) be excellent in all that you do, 2.) meet as many people as you can, and 3.) give thanks,” Adán D. Briones of Boardwalk Pipeline Partners in Houston said.
 

Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht discussed “the noble profession” of law and the importance of civility, the jury, and professionalism.

“The general public does not see the sacrifice of lawyers, but sacrifice is an important element of this noble profession,” Hecht said.

Other topics included State Bar resources, tips for successful legal writing, negotiation techniques, and practical considerations for starting and building a law practice. According to State Bar statistics, 28 percent of active Texas attorneys are age 36 or younger or in their first five years of practice.

“I don’t know what motivated you to join the legal profession,” C. Barrett Thomas, president-elect of TYLA, said. “But what I do know is that a lot of my peers got into this profession to help people. I hope that the same calling will drive you to help others as well.”

The class will be made available in the TexasBarCLE Online Classroom in May. For more information on upcoming TexasBarCLE events, visit texasbarcle.com.

Pictured: Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice Nathan Hecht speaks during “Building Your Career: A Guide for New Lawyers” in Austin.