Biggest Challenges Faced By An Associate Attorney At King And Spalding
Christopher's biggest challenge as a senior associate at King & Spalding is balancing "working in the business" with "working on the business," a struggle inherent in aspiring to partnership while managing the demands of a growing family, as illustrated by the recent arrival of their first child. This necessitates difficult prioritization decisions among competing demands.
Work-Life Balance, Career Progression, Time Management, Leadership Development, Professional Growth
Advizer Information
Name
Job Title
Company
Undergrad
Grad Programs
Majors
Industries
Job Functions
Traits
Christopher Jew
Associate (lawyer)
King & Spalding, LLP
University of California, Davis
USC Gould School of Law, J.D.; UCLA Anderson School of Management, MBA
Economics
Healthcare, Medical & Wellness, Law
Legal
Worked 20+ Hours in School, Veteran
Video Highlights
1. Balancing day-to-day work with business development is a significant challenge, especially as seniority increases.
2. The demands on lawyers transition from practicing law to managing and growing the business as they progress in their careers.
3. Work-life integration is a key challenge, particularly when family responsibilities increase, requiring prioritization and decision-making among competing demands
Transcript
What is your biggest challenge in your current role?
The biggest challenge in my current role is balancing the day-to-day work of operating the business with the challenges of working *on* the business. I'm relatively senior as an associate in a law firm.
If I stay here, to progress, I'll need to become a partner. The demands on a partner are very different from those on an associate. You effectively have to practice law and also manage the practice.
Extrapolating that to bigger aspects, the challenges I'm facing are the same ones people face when they have to keep the business going daily while also working to grow it. This is a challenge, especially as family life is often growing at the same time.
My wife and I welcomed our first child four months ago, so time is scarce. Overall, that's the biggest challenge: balancing everything and making decisions to prioritize between competing demands.