Becoming a legal leader

Lawyers who want to be leaders in their legal practice should strive to set themselves apart early, according to a panel of four women lawyers from Irell & Manella LLP.

The women – who are standouts in various practice areas and the pro bono community – spoke to students Feb. 12 during a lunchtime panel hosted by the Women’s Law Association.

“What’s really important is that attorneys take charge of their careers from the beginning,” said Sandy S. Chung, a litigation associate who in three years has become one of the firm’s go-to women for trial-bound cases. “A lot of times, people think that attorneys at law firms are unhappy, but that’s not the case. For those who are unhappy, it’s often because they’re not in charge of their careers.”

Sandy Chung and Melissa McCormick

“It was sort of by chance that I realized I liked trials and I liked going to court,” said Laura Siegle, a partner in the firm’s litigation workgroup. “You need to leave yourselves open to what you might be comfortable with and what you might want to do with your careers.”

Elizabeth Camacho, a litigation associate, happened to be working on one land use case shortly after joining the firm when a similar case came up and her help was requested. She started to become known for land use issues, she said, and took advantage of the opportunity to do more of that type of work in the firm.

Chung is firmly establishing herself as a trial lawyer. In her three years in Irell & Manella’s L.A. office, she has gone to trial three times – handling a pro bono case by herself this summer – and helped prepare two additional cases. When she first started at the firm, Chung said she asked the attorneys there to offer names of people who would be good to work with.

On her first case, she took depositions. That led to working with the trial team, which opened the door to being a sought-after litigator.

Melissa McCormick, partner and co-chair of the firm’s hiring committee in Newport Beach, became a leader in the greater legal community while building her practice that focuses on business disputes and class-action defense. She is involved in many legal organizations, including the Orange County Bar Association, where she serves as a director.

Sometimes, she said, joining legal and community groups can lead to unexpected personal and professional benefits, such as finding new clients.

“But do not make decisions necessarily based on what you think will immediately help your career – find groups you’re interested in,” McCormick said. “Those are the areas where you’re going to want to spend time and where you’re going to find a lot of personal fulfillment.”