Early in my career, I thought confidence in lawyering came from having the right answer— and having it quickly. I watched seasoned litigators rattle off key holdings from memory, negotiate effortlessly with opposing counsel, and speak with authority that seemed innate. I assumed confidence was something you either had or didn't, and that my job as a young lawyer was to quietly absorb as much as possible until one day I magically crossed some invisible threshold.
What I didn't understand then is that confidence is built, not inherited—and that two traits matter far more early on than bravado: precision and persistence.
Precision is not perfection
As a junior lawyer, precision was drilled into me relentlessly. Every defined term mattered. Every footnote mattered. Every word choice could shift the meaning of an argument. At times, it felt paralyzing. I worried constantly about getting something wrong, about missing an issue, about speaking up too early.
But precision is not the same thing as perfection. Precision is about care. It's about respecting the work, the client and the process enough to slow down and get it right. In litigation—particularly in complex, high-stakes matters—precision is credibility. It's how you earn trust with senior lawyers, judges and clients alike.
One of the most valuable lessons I learned early on was that being precise didn't mean knowing everything. It meant knowing exactly what I knew, what I didn't and being clear about the difference. "I don't know yet, but I'll find out" turned out to be far more powerful than trying to bluff my way through uncertainty.
Persistence is a skill, not a personality trait
If precision is about care, persistence is about courage. Persistence shows up when you ask the follow-up question you're worried might sound obvious. When you flag an issue for the third time because it still doesn't sit right. When you keep pushing on an argument that hasn't quite landed yet but you believe matters.
Early in my career, I sometimes mistook persistence for pestering. I worried about being perceived as difficult or inexperienced. But over time, I realized that persistence—done thoughtfully—is one of the most valuable contributions a junior lawyer can make. Senior litigators are juggling enormous amounts of information and responsibility. They want associates who are paying attention, who are thinking critically, and who are willing to speak up when something doesn't add up. Persistence is often how gaps are identified, strategies refined and mistakes avoided.
And, importantly, persistence is learnable. It's not about being the loudest voice in the room. It's about being consistently engaged, prepared and willing to follow an issue through to its conclusion.
Learning to speak in rooms you didn't build
One of the most intimidating aspects of early practice is working alongside lawyers who have been doing this longer than you've been alive. They've seen every trick, every argument, every judge. It's easy to feel like you don't belong in those rooms yet.
What helped me was reframing my role. I wasn't there to compete with seasoned litigators—I was there to complement them. My value came from preparation, from fresh eyes, from being close enough to the details to spot things others might miss. Confidence didn't come from pretending I was their peer. It came from understanding my lane and owning it.
That meant knowing the record cold. Anticipating questions before they were asked. Being ready with a clean, precise answer when one was needed. Over time, those moments of quiet competence added up—and the confidence followed.
Confidence is a byproduct, not a prerequisite
One of the biggest myths young lawyers believe is that confidence must come first. In reality, confidence is almost always a byproduct of repetition, preparation and reliance.
You build confidence by doing the work. By making mistakes and correcting them. By surviving uncomfortable moments and realizing they didn't end you. By showing up again the next day a little more prepared than the day before.
I've learned that even the most seasoned litigators still question themselves. The difference is that they've learned how to move forward anyway. They trust their process because they've tested it over time.
Advice I wish I'd learned earlier
If I could offer a few lessons to young lawyers navigating those early years, they would be these:
- Be precise before you try to be persuasive. Credibility comes first.
- Ask the question. If you're thinking it, someone else probably is too.
- Follow issues through. Persistence is how you add value.
- Don't confuse silence with insignificance. Listening is part of learning.
- Confidence will come—just not on your timeline.
The legal profession has a way of making young lawyers feel like they're perpetually behind. But the truth is no one starts out knowing how to do this well. We all learn by doing, by watching and by slowly finding our own voice.
Precision and persistence won't just help you survive those early years— they'll shape the kind of lawyer you become. And in time, you'll look around one of those rooms and realize you belong there too.
Originally published by ABA Journal, 28 January 2026
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
