Griffin O’Gara: Commit to engagement to start and enjoy your legal career

For new lawyers, the early years of practice are often framed in extremes. On one side is the traditional expectation to fully invest in the profession. On the other is a growing sentiment, reflected in ideas like “quiet quitting,” “bare minimum Mondays” and the broader pushback against burnout that work should be kept at arm’s length. There is real value in setting boundaries. But there is also a strong case to be made that engagement, not detachment, leads to a more enjoyable and sustainable career.

This shift toward disengagement is part of a broader generational change in how work is viewed. With projections that Gen Z will make up 30% of the workforce by 2030, and with many new law school graduates being a part of that generation, newer lawyers are likely to encounter these ideas regularly, both in practice and in the professional culture surrounding them.

Where the disengagement movement falls short is in its assumption that the primary benefit of engagement is professional advancement and that engagement itself is a source of stress. In reality, particularly in law, engagement often enhances the day-to-day experience of practice by fostering connection, community, and a greater sense of purpose.

The disengagement trap

In the period immediately following law school and through the first few years of practice, it is easy to feel isolated. Part of that isolation is structural. Preparing for the bar exam can separate you from classmates, family and friends. Starting your first job often means entering an environment where colleagues already have established relationships and demanding schedules.

At the same time, your law school classmates are beginning to move in different directions. Some relocate. Others change jobs or practice areas. Milestones outside of work begin to take shape. Without intentional effort, those shared connections can fade more quickly than expected.

The result: If you are not deliberate about staying engaged, your professional world can narrow at the exact moment it should be expanding. You may lose touch with classmates, miss opportunities to build relationships in your workplace and fall into routines that limit your exposure to the broader legal community.

Why you should be engaged

Engagement makes the practice of law more enjoyable. Staying in touch with your law school classmates turns what might otherwise feel like a closed chapter into something ongoing. You celebrate new jobs, hear about new apartments and houses, and keep up with personal milestones. These are not networking interactions. They are conversations that remind you why you liked the people you went to school with in the first place. Over time, they become one of the more rewarding parts of staying connected to the profession.

Within your workplace, the impact is just as clear. The colleagues you grab lunch with or meet for a quick drink after a long day are not just co-workers. They become part of how you experience your career. Those moments break up the intensity of the work and make the day feel more balanced. They also create a level of familiarity that carries over into how you work together, making collaboration more natural and communication more comfortable.

When the work becomes demanding, those relationships matter even more. The people you have gotten to know are the ones who will check in, offer help, or simply understand what you are dealing with. That kind of support does not happen automatically. It comes from showing up, engaging, and investing in the people around you early in your career.

How to be engaged

One of the easiest ways is to start with the people you already know. Staying in touch with law school classmates does not need to be complicated. It can be as simple as grabbing coffee or lunch a few times a year to stay connected. Those conversations often lead to more organic opportunities to spend time together, whether that is putting together a trivia team, attending local bar association events or celebrating milestones like birthdays, weddings and new families. What starts as a small effort to stay in touch becomes a meaningful and lasting set of relationships.

Engagement also happens on a more immediate level in your workplace. Making an effort to participate in workplace activities, whether that is attending a happy hour, joining a firm event or playing on a company softball or basketball team, creates opportunities to build relationships outside of assignments and deadlines. In many cases, the most valuable moments are not the formal events. They are the quick trips to grab coffee, the walk to pick up lunch,\ or a short break in the middle of the day to talk through what is going on. These small interactions make it easier to connect, share perspective and approach your work with a clearer mindset.

None of this requires a dramatic shift in how you approach your career. Stay in touch with your classmates. Attend a few events. Join an organization that interests you. Say “yes” to the occasional opportunity to spend time with your colleagues.

These choices are small, but their impact is cumulative. In a field that can be demanding, choosing to engage within your workplace and in the broader legal community is one of the most reliable ways to build not just a successful career, but one that you actually enjoy.•

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O’Gara is an associate with Krieg DeVault.