Precision, Persistence And Finding Your Voice In The Room

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.