“True change happens when you align your heart, truths, and energy.”

- Elizabeth Hamilton-Guarino

Do you ever feel unfulfilled by your practice? Do you struggle with the belief that you are inauthentic in your practice? Do you ever suffer from burnout?

So many of us have. Often, the problem is that our practice needs to be aligned with our values. What if you truly felt your profession was in synergy with your values? What if you were delighted with your practice? What if you started your day feeling motivated and energized? We can create tremendous success and genuine personal freedom by aligning our practice with our values. How do we do that?

In this Newsletter, we embark on a profound exploration of why it is essential and morally imperative for lawyers to align their practice with their most cherished values. We'll unravel the intricacies of this alignment, examining how it not only elevates the legal profession but also transforms lawyers into architects of a more just and compassionate world.  We will explain the problems we encounter when misaligned. We detail exactly how to determine our professional values and the gifts from aligning our practice with our values. Finally, we outline a  process for creating a practice aligned with your values. 

What happens if our values do not align with our practice?

When we do not align our practices with our values, we suffer some significant consequences, including:

Lack of fulfillment. When we do not align with our values, we often feel unfulfilled and dissatisfied with our work, reducing motivation and satisfaction.

Inauthenticity: If we are not true to our values, we often feel like we are living a double life or not being true to ourselves. That can lead to a sense of inauthenticity and disconnection from our work. I struggled with that a lot in my earlier career.

Ethical Concerns: If our practice is inconsistent with our values, we may make decisions that conflict with our personal or professional values, leading to ethical concerns and a potential loss of credibility.

Difficulty Building Trust: When our actions conflict with our beliefs, we may find it challenging to build trust with clients and other attorneys, negatively impacting our reputation and ability to succeed. 

Burnout: When misaligned, we often experience burnout or other adverse health consequences due to stress, dissatisfaction, or lack of fulfillment.

That is a pretty daunting list, isn’t it? 

How do we determine our important values?

So, what do we do if we want to align our practice with our professional values? Determining our most essential beliefs is a personal and introspective process that requires introspection and self-awareness. Here are steps we can take to align our most essential values:

Identify Priorities: Start by identifying the areas of life most important to you, such as family, career, health, spirituality, or community. These priorities guide the identification of values most important to you.

Reflect on Life Experiences: Reflect on past experiences that have been meaningful to you, such as times when you felt proud or fulfilled. Consider what those experiences demonstrated about your values.

Brainstorm Values: Brainstorm a list of values you believe are essential, such as honesty, compassion, justice, fairness, service, or innovation.

Narrow Down the List: Narrow down the list of values to the ones that resonate most deeply with you. Then, consider which principles you are willing to sacrifice and which are non-negotiable.

Prioritize Values: Prioritize the values you have identified by ranking them in order of importance. Consider the values most central to your identity and define who you are as a lawyer. You may find that specific values take precedence over others.

Revisit Regularly: Revisit and reassess your values regularly to ensure they remain aligned with your priorities and goals.

Adjust and Evolve: Values can evolve. Your priorities and values may change as you gain more experience and encounter different situations. Be open to reevaluating and adjusting your values as needed.

These are some questions you can ask yourself:

What ethical concerns are non-negotiable?

Who do I want to represent?

What kind of person do I want to work with?

How much money do I want and need to make?

What do I want my work schedule to be?

How important is the time I spend with family?

Do I want to work virtually or in an office?

How vital are prestige and title?

What size firm do I want to work in?

Or do I want to work for the government or in-house?

How much do I care about independence and autonomy?

Am I entrepreneurial and want to chart my own course?

Am I interested in serving the public?

Is social justice an essential value for me?

Where do I want to live and work?

By asking these questions (and others) and taking these steps, we deepen our understanding of our values and determine what is truly important to us.

Why is it so important to align our practice with our values?

Aligning our practice with our critical beliefs and  goals fosters greater personal freedom in these ways:

Fulfillment: When aligned, we have a true sense of purpose in what we do, which helps us enjoy greater satisfaction in our work. 

Authenticity: There is little more important than being true to ourselves. We enjoy greater realism and a stronger sense of self. That has been an essential area of growth for me. 

Client relationships: We represent who we want. We strive for the results that fulfill us. As a result, we build stronger relationships with clients because we communicate our values and beliefs more clearly and authentically.

Motivation: We are more excited about our work and driven to succeed. Our motivation skyrockets because we work towards goals aligned with our fundamental beliefs.

Ethics: Ethical quandaries are less likely to arise when we act according to our personal and professional values; when they do, the solution is more transparent.

Enhanced Job Satisfaction: When our work aligns with our values, we experience greater career fulfillment and purpose. This satisfaction can lead to increased motivation and enthusiasm in our daily work.

Improved Mental and Emotional Well-being: Practicing in harmony with one's values can reduce the stress and inner conflict that may arise when facing ethical dilemmas or engaging in work that feels morally conflicting. This can contribute to better mental and emotional health.

We enjoy greater personal freedom when this alignment creates greater fulfillment, authenticity, motivation, better client relationships, and tremendous success. 

How do we align our practice with our values?

We all want those gifts, don’t we? So how do we do it? Here are six steps to create the alignment we all need between our practice and our values:

1. Determine your critical values. Go through the described process to identify your most important core beliefs and values.

2. Evaluate Current Practice: Evaluate your current legal practice and determine areas where values are not aligned. For example, if you crave work-life balance but consistently work long hours, you may need to make changes to align your practice with your values better. If independence and autonomy are critical, but you work in a law firm where that is not an option, you should consider an alternative.

3. Make Changes: Take action to make changes to create synergy between your values and your practice. This may include changes to work habits, such as setting boundaries around working hours or taking regular breaks, or changes to the types of clients or cases taken. Or, you may need to look for a different firm or type of legal endeavor. 

4. Communicate Values: Communicate your critical values to your colleagues, clients, and associates. As a result, you will build trust and establish a reputation for ethical behavior when you transparently communicate your beliefs.

5. Seek Guidance from Mentors: Connect with experienced mentors or colleagues who share your values or have successfully aligned their practice with their principles. They can provide valuable guidance and insights.

6. Seek Support: Seek support from colleagues, mentors, or coaches to help make changes and stay aligned with values. Support can provide accountability, guidance, and encouragement.

7. Re-evaluate Regularly: Re-evaluate your values and your practice regularly to ensure that it remains aligned with values. Reflect on cases, decisions, and interactions that challenged your principles, and consider how you can better align your actions with your values moving forward. This will identify areas for improvement and ensure that you stay on track with your goals and values.

Remember that aligning your legal practice with your values is an ongoing journey. It may involve making tough choices and navigating ethical gray areas, but it is essential for maintaining professional integrity and personal fulfillment as a lawyer. Ultimately, your values should serve as a guiding compass in your legal career, helping you make decisions that resonate with your core principles.

Conclusion

In conclusion, aligning your law practice with your values is an ethical and strategic choice. This alignment is an aspiration and a profound commitment to the principles that define you. It can help you build stronger client relationships, enhance your reputation, and increase your job satisfaction. But most importantly, it allows you to make a meaningful contribution to the legal profession and society. You become a powerful force for positive change when you stand up for your beliefs and act by your values. So, if you haven't already, take some time to reflect on your values and how they can inform your legal practice. Your clients, colleagues, and conscience will thank you for it. As you navigate your legal journey, may your values be the North Star that guides you toward a successful, deeply meaningful, and ethically resplendent practice.