What can you do to differentiate yourself from your colleagues in 2025 so you can advance in your career? How can you more effectively demonstrate the leadership capabilities that the law department and law firm management are looking for and the value you bring to the organisation? To help you climb that corporate ladder, here are 14 top tips for how to move up in law.
But wait…there’s more. While the start of a new year is the perfect time to reflect on where you want to take your legal career, it’s easy for these resolutions to get derailed despite our best intentions. Often because – we try to change too much too soon! So how do you keep your career resolutions on track? As well as our tips to advance your legal career this year, we also share practical tips on how to stick to them!
Advance your legal career with these 14 tips!
When thinking about how to move up in your law career, it’s important to think of your efforts as a marathon and not a sprint. It’s about the little things that you do consistently that will set you up for success, not short bursts of high performance.
1) Keep doing your work to the highest quality
The foundation for winning promotions and advancing in your career is to “always do good work and hit your numbers.” If you’re not accomplishing what your managers are asking you to do to the fullest, then this needs to be your top priority. Excel and shine at the work that you’ve been hired to do first and only then take on anything extra. Your partners will be looking at the chargeable time league tables, and you need to show that you are hitting your billable targets if you want to advance in your legal career.
2) If you’re struggling, ask for help
Strangely, one of the best ways to move up the ranks in law, and any profession for that matter, is to ask for help. Too many lawyers try to mask poor performance by spending time on non-core work when the best lawyers improve their execution of regularly assigned projects. So remember – you can only improve if you ask for help. No one has all the answers so this won’t reflect badly on you, it will actually show that you want to learn and grow within the firm.
3) Look for opportunities to take on extracurricular work
As we said previously, make sure you are doing exceptional work first before taking on anything extra! If you are sure that new work won’t affect the quality of your assigned projects, then look for additional responsibilities where you can earn positive recognition from senior leaders within the firm. Whether that’s volunteering to spearhead an office-sponsored community event, leading a pilot project to test out new software, or managing a team-building office activity, if it’s something that will contribute to the growth and profits of the firm, your name will be associated with value. (Something which will definitely help you advance your legal career!).
4) Develop your networking skills
When thinking about how to move up in law, an extensive network of contacts can help massively! Making contacts as early on as possible means that you have multiple people to turn to for advice, ideas or guidance on business-related issues. It also means that you are likely to be at an advantage when you want to move firms as there are many hidden positions you may be the first to hear about. As they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know.
5) Gain expertise in a variety of areas
One of the best ways to advance your legal career this year is to gain experience in as many different areas as possible. If you do so, you will open so many doors for your long-term career prospects! Look at different areas in the firm, are there any projects in different departments that you can get involved with and learn from? Ideally, you need to be looking at projects which will expand your ability in business development, commercial acumen and people leadership.
6) Hone your soft skills
Technical competence is not enough to get you ahead in your career; to progress through the ranks, you need to hone and develop your soft skills. By soft skills, we are talking about any interpersonal skills that allow you to build and sustain effective relationships inside and outside the law office environment. These are primarily communication, teamwork and collaboration, resourcefulness, flexibility, confidence, diplomacy, adaptability, self-initiative, time management, and conflict resolution. By demonstrating solid interpersonal expertise along with requisite legal knowledge and skills, legal professionals can readily distinguish themselves from their colleagues.
7) Find a mentor
Having someone who you can turn to when your job is at a critical juncture can provide tremendous benefits, it doesn’t just have to be one person though. You could have a couple of people who are older and more experienced than you who have different strengths.
Perhaps you need a mentor to help you with technical matters but another to offer advice and guidance on your career progression? I’ll be your mentor when you join Progress to Partner Academy
8) Keep up with the latest technology
Learning how to move up in law doesn’t end with graduating from law school. In fact, most of the learning happens after! To advance up the career ladder, you need to remain updated on new technology developments that are relevant to your area of work, your industry, and also your client’s industry. Machine learning, e-disclosure and AI are already starting to change how law is being done. How will it impact your area of the law? This, together with acquiring new skills and enhancing your existing expertise, will ensure you remain highly competitive.
9) Question your profession’s orthodoxies
If you want to know how to move up in law, sometimes not following the way things are usually done is the key. If you see any limitations to legal procedures or the way certain things are done, question them. Just highlighting issues are of value but if you also bring your own solution to the table, if it’s successful, you can be certain that you will be rewarded.
10) Learn to think (and act) like an entrepreneur
Every lawyer is in business for themselves, so if you can learn to think and act like an entrepreneur, you can greatly accelerate your career progression. The sooner you take responsibility for your own skills, growth, integrity, reputation, brand, service, and business development, the sooner you can start winning your own clients and building that all-important book of business.
11) Take control of your own career
To move up in law, first know what you want and then manage your career to get there! Do not attempt to excel in a position you dislike, instead find a career and job position that fits your personality, skills, and passion. This makes advocating yourself a lot easier as does seeking advice and guidance from the more experienced.
12) Ask for a promotion (at the right time)
Not many lawyers think of asking for a promotion when they think about how to move up in law, but if you don’t ask, you don’t get. If, and only if, you have a great reputation, you do high-quality work, you have a strong brand, a positive attitude, and you are a team player and a role model employee should you ask for a promotion! Just be prepared to give examples of your great work AND how it has directly contributed to the growth of the firm.
13) Learn about how the firm works
A big part of career progression comes down to understanding how your law firm generates profits (as well as firm politics). If you understand this, you can learn to master one or two key areas to demonstrate to your firm’s senior partners that you want to and can help the firm grow and thrive.
14) Stop limiting your own career progression
The limits on the value we can deliver are often self-imposed so learn to think differently in 2025. Open your mind and aim to learn as much as you can about your law firm, the industry, the skills you need to develop, and your specific clients’ needs. When you do this, you can’t help but provide value where it’s needed the most!
How to actually keep your career resolutions
Now that you have a list of clear and attainable goals to advance your legal career, we are now going to look at how to actually stick to them. Here are our top five tips to help you stay committed to your New Year resolutions:
1. Follow up your good intentions with action
We all have good intentions at the start of a new year. The problem is, good intentions just aren’t enough. To achieve your resolutions and advance your legal career, you have to take action. Start by scheduling time to work specifically towards your goals. If this isn’t enough incentive, consider investing in new software, attending legal seminars, or hiring a coach to keep you on track. Remember, each actionable step brings you one step closer to achieving your goals.
2. Break your goals down into smaller steps
Setting new resolutions can feel daunting, especially if you want to make big changes this year. So how should you approach your larger goals? Break them down into smaller, manageable milestones. This way, you can focus on achieving one small milestone at a time and avoid becoming overwhelmed.
3. Make your resolutions specific
Many of us make New Year’s resolutions that are far too vague. You know the ones: eat healthier, exercise more, work fewer hours, get promoted. It’s all a bit unclear. To truly succeed and advance your legal career, you need to make your resolutions specific, measurable, and actionable. For example, if your goal is to expand your professional network, set a clear target. How many new contacts would you like to make? Is it five new connections at every event? The more specific your goals, the more likely you are to achieve them.
4. Share your resolutions and accept the support
All too often, when we keep a goal to ourselves, we let it slip by the wayside, after all, no one will know. So, if you want to know how to move up in law and achieve your New Year’s resolutions, start sharing. By discussing your career plans and aspirations with family, friends, and trusted colleagues, not only can they keep you accountable, but they can also support you throughout the process.
5. Understand why you are making this change
If you don’t have a strong emotional connection to your new resolution, chances are it will never happen. Why? Because without that driving force, you won’t have the motivation to overcome inertia and change your habits. So ask yourself: Why are you making this change? Is it because you truly want to, or because someone else expects it of you? Before committing to a New Year resolution, you must understand why you want to achieve your goal. This clarity will help you maintain focus and advance your legal career.
Bonus tips!
Some general tips to ensure long-term success:
Take care of yourself
Self-care is essential and it contributes significantly to overall success. Here’s how to support your body and mind so you can perform at your best:
- Sleep: Aim for 7-8 hours each night to allow your body and mind to recharge.
- Exercise: Physical activity boosts both your mental clarity and mood. Try to get outside at least once a day, even if it’s just for a quick walk.
- Diet: Fuel your body with nutritious foods. Avoid excess sugar and junk food, which can make you feel sluggish.
Free up your headspace
Allow yourself time to think about what you want from your career and where you want to go. If you don’t have the headspace to figure this out, you will struggle to set and achieve your goals. Schedule a regular time to unwind and allow your subconscious mind to process your aspirations. Some of our best ideas come when we’re relaxed, so don’t underestimate the power of downtime.
Remind yourself of your vision and values
Your values and vision are what give you purpose. They drive your decisions and motivate your actions, often subconsciously. Take time to clarify what your values are and where you see yourself in the future. Ask yourself: Where do I want to be in five years? When your long-term vision is clear, you can plan effectively and make resolutions that will genuinely help you advance your legal career.
Advance your legal career with a solid plan
When it comes to your career, remember, you are in the driver’s seat! It’s easy to feel overwhelmed at times, but it’s up to you to take action if you want to advance your legal career. To stay on track this year, keep these tips in mind:
- Play to your strengths
- Don’t compare yourself to others
- Set specific, measurable, and actionable goals
- Focus on achieving small milestones that build toward larger success
- Accept (and ask for) support
- Prioritise your mental and physical wellbeing
- Set goals that are meaningful to you.
Career planning can feel daunting, but with consistent small efforts, you can build a clear path to move up in law and achieve your professional aspirations this year.
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More help to progress your career in your law firm?
Remember that your job success isn’t determined by your technical knowledge alone! To advance in law and along that all-important partnership track, here are some essential resources:
- Download our free career action plan! This is everything you need to finally take your career in the direction that you want and to achieve what you set out to do.
- Sign up to my weekly tips packed full of advice and knowledge on how to progress your career in your professional service firm – click here!
We have a great course in Progress to Partneer Academy called “How to Truly Commit to Moving your Career Forward“. It’s a game-changer and will get you focussed and help you to create the time and space to work a little on your career plan every.single.week. Find out more about the How to Truly Commit to Moving your Career Forward course here
