Bailey & Galyen’s Managing Attorney Talks About Strategies for Succeeding in a Law Practice
James Bridge, Bailey & Galyen’s chief operating officer and the firm’s managing attorney, spoke recently with Keith Spencer of The Legal Hour, sharing his experience and insights regarding how attorneys can thrive in the practice of law. A 1988 graduate of the Texas Wesleyan University School of Law, James had a successful practice as a plaintiff’s attorney before moving into law firm management, obtaining settlements and verdicts in excess of $100 million for his clients.
As chief operating officer and managing attorney at Bailey & Galyen, James channels his efforts into helping members of the firm develop the tools and gain the necessary experience to maximize their professional success.
In his discussions with Keith Spencer, James identified what he believes are the keys to success in the profession:
- Learn how to effectively manage yourself—According to James, if you can’t manage yourself, you’ll have difficulty managing a case. Managing yourself involves knowing how much time and effort to devote to a particular issue or case. He admitted that some of this comes from experience but also stressed that mentors can be helpful in learning these skills.
- Understand the importance of professional detachment—When you're representing a client, the issues involved will be unique to the client but should be routine to you. Be careful not to let yourself get caught up in the emotions that your client experiences. Your client needs you to be objective.
- Recognize that part of being an attorney is being a counselor—Your client will always look to you as the expert. It’s important that you tell them what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. It’s also critical that you speak to them in terms they can understand.
- Don’t practice a type of law if you don’t enjoy it—You’ll always do a better job if you like what you do. If you’re asked to do something, but you find it distasteful, tell someone, so that you don’t spend a big chunk of your career doing something you hate.
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