1. HOME
2.  » NEWS
3.  » eNews Archive
4.  » 2013 eNews Archive
5.  » February 2013
6.  » Editor's Column

Editor's Column

What next?
By:  Leif Olson, eNews Editor-in-Chief 

No matter how time seems to fly, the question always remains: What next? The calendar seems to have barely turned to 2013. What next? Planning for the kids’ break on MLK Day. What next? Already we have passed Fat Tuesday and Ash Wednesday. What next? My wife has been planning how I will spend the children’s Spring Break for weeks. What next? Briefing and scheduling-order deadlines keep arriving with the regularity of an Outlook calendar reminder (of which I have set more than my share).

What next? For many of us young (and prospective) lawyers,  that question applies not just to the next task, but to the next step in life. The February bar exam is comfortably behind us—but what next? The practice that seemed such a good fit two years ago has been chafing against a stress center for the past year. What next? The allure of the Big City that pulled so strongly into a downtown highrise has faded into traffic jams and city pressures; the refreshing bucolity of a more-rural practice leaves a longing for the thriving urban energy of earlier days. What next?

You’re in luck—TYLA and the State Bar have resources to help you not just right now, but in planning for what’s next. For those looking to launch their own practice, TYLA’s Office in a Flash and Hangin’ Out Your Shingle offer tips on starting your successful small business and hints on avoiding common pitfalls. For those inspecting the greenness of the grass on the other side, TYLA’s Career Center and the State Bar’s Job Flash give insight into the opportunities that are available. If you are stepping out of law school, TYLA’s Survival Guide and the State Bar’s After the Bar Exam program can help you with the nuts and bolts of your new life as a lawyer, including advice on student loans, maintaining your license, and managing the stresses inherent in our profession. And for those who have been left by pressures—whether internal or external, whether professional or personal—with the feeling that they simply cannot go on as they are going on, TYLA’s Breaking the Silence and the State Bar’s Texas Lawyers Assistance Program, including its Practicing From the Shadows presentation, are here to show you that you are not alone.

No matter what’s next, TYLA and the State Bar are here to help. Enjoy this issue of eNews—we hope that seeing what’s happened this last month will help you decide what’s next for you.