Because they don't spend much time at home, a lawyer's office is a lawyer's castle—or cottage, as the case may be. And whether a lawyer's office is a castle or a cottage depends largely on how it is decorated. A lawyer who properly furnishes her office is a lawyer likely to go far at The Firm. The lawyer who works in an office that looks like it is only temporary quarters, however, is likely to be at The Firm only temporarily.
Is proper decor really that important to a lawyer's career? You can answer this question yourself. Think about the individual offices at your firm. Isn't it true that the power partners and others firmly entrenched are the ones with the most elaborately decorated offices? All available space is filled with furniture, prints on the wall, piles of documents and other souvenirs from the practice of law.
Isn't it also true that the offices of those struggling to survive at The Firm are far more Spartan with blank white walls and few personal effects? It is those lawyers who put little or no effort into decorating their offices who always seem to be the ones who are fired or otherwise forced out of The Firm. The theory behind this, one assumes, is that it's much easier to move someone out of an office if that person doesn't have much to take with them. The only logical conclusion that can be drawn from this is that the more elaborate your office decor, the better lawyer you are and the more job security you have.
Before hiring an interior decorator to redo your office, there are a few law decorating guidelines that need to be followed.
Office Walls. Loser lawyers see their office as four blank walls. Smart lawyers see the walls of their office as four billboards available for self-promotion. If you graduated from a top college and law school, this is the place to advertise these facts. On your office walls, between the prints of scenes from fox hunts and naval battles, hang your Ivy League college and top-ten law school diplomas. This is also an excellent place to display your Phi Beta Kappa key. (For those of you who can't immediately locate these items, a local stationery shop and jewelry store should be able to whip them up for you.)
Office walls are also an excellent place to display photographs of famous clients. Most effective are shots of you and celebrity clients who either beat the rap or who now walk free due to slick legal maneuvering. A photograph of a smiling you shaking hands with well-regarded clients will impress clients and partners alike.
Mementoes of Past Glories. Open space in your office should be filled with items memorializing achievements completed before you gave up all outside interests to become a lawyer. Items like an old basketball jersey, a debate trophy, a newspaper clipping recounting how you won a big game, or an article from the “Legal News” explaining how you won a big case will do the trick.
Badges of Courage. The successful lawyer's office also includes a number of props strategically placed to show just how damn busy they are. Chinese food cartons and pizza boxes, while not aesthetically pleasing, are essential in making this point. A sleeping bag and a pillow in one corner of the office say so much.
Trophy Case. While an actual trophy case might be a bit ostentatious, even for a lawyer, many attorneys use bookshelves to display important items. Here is the place to show off awards from moot court competitions or an acknowledgment from a local charity for all the time and effort you put into writing a check. You can also score some points by prominently displaying “tombstones” commemorating major transactions in which you have participated. Like the Harvard diploma and Phi Beta Kappa key, the tombstones can be purchased if they haven't been earned.
Photographs of Loved Ones. Many power partners have at least one photograph of their family displayed somewhere in the office. This is fine but such photos really don't impress anyone. What will make an impression is a picture of a boat, a cabin or a racehorse. (For many lawyers, these are their true "loved ones".) You don't actually have to own these items but pictures will make the implication quite nicely.
Once these items are in place, you can sit back and enjoy your office. You'll also enjoy your job much more. You will no longer have to depend on your legal skills and work product to make it at The Firm. Your office decor will speak for you.
See the following articles for more information:
- How Much Does It Pay?
- Lawyers and Money
- Why Lawyers Should Always Start Out in General Counsel Positions
- How to Create a Five Year Career Plan
