5 Ways Lawyers Can Continue Professional Development

With the constant change and progression of the legal industry, it's more important than ever that lawyers become lifelong learners. If you don't, well, you're sure to be left in the dust as your peers continuously push forward in this ever-competitive job market. In addition to learning on-the-job and through mandatory CLE requirements, professional development for lawyers can extend to other aspects of life as well. With that said, we have a few ideas that will be sure to help inspire you to master a new skill, freshen up old skills, or just keep yourself on your toes!

Read, re-read, and read some more.

The best way to constantly expand your mind? Never stop reading. Not only does it broaden your knowledge of the world around you, but it keeps your brain hard at work, helps hone critical skills like improved memory and critical thinking, and is helpful for both inspiring and teaching new skills. The best part about reading? It's [mostly] free (especially with all of the great online resources available)! From online newspaper articles to blogs to LinkedIn, Twitter, and more, there's no shortage of great content to quickly and easily consume. With tools like feedly and Google Alerts, it's easy to aggregate your favorite web pages for fast and efficient reading on a daily basis.

As important as it is to stay current on mainstream media and industry news, don't forget to take the time to read something fun as well. Download a book or two onto your tablet, listen to an audiobook (free when you use the Overdrive App with your public library card!), and set a goal for yourself. Taking even 15 minutes every day to read before bed or while sipping your morning coffee is sure to help you reduce stress and start/end your day on the right foot.

Attend a workshop, webinar, or class at local community college.

You may have successfully graduated from Law school and passed the Bar, but that doesn't mean your days in the classroom should be over. There are so many resources in your local community: there are workshops and seminars in essentially every field you can think of. Whether you want to brush up on your writing skills, learn to code, or just explore a new facet of law that you may have found less-than-interesting during school, there's something out there for everyone.

If you can't physically find a course locally, or would simply rather work at your own pace, don't forget to check out online webinars or classes. Through websites such as Coursera, top-ranked institutions provide free, open courses for you to learn at your own pace.

Listen to a podcast or watch a TED talk.

When your schedule is jam-packed, it's easy to think that you don't have time for anything else -- we understand. Nonetheless, we all have a few minutes that end up wasted by daily must-do tasks such as cooking, commuting, cleaning, and beyond. Taking advantage of this "free" time is easy: all you have to do is turn on one of your favorite Podcasts (we're currently loving HubSpot's The Growth Show) or an NPR broadcast while you do what you've got to do. (With Podcasts, it's easy to add a bit of fun to your run while learning new information at the same time!)

Volunteer your time to the community or take on some freelance work.

Spending some of your time giving back to a cause that you are extremely passionate about is a surefire way to relieve stress and experience personal growth. If you haven't already, find a cause that you care about and take the time to volunteer -- it's a great way to learn about yourself and your community in an experiential way. Donating your time doesn't even have to occupy a ton of your resources: microvolunteering, through websites such as SkillsForChange, allows you to use your skillset to do some good in under an hour online.

Networking is not dead.

Feeling stuck in your current job? There's no better way to get out of a rut than through networking! Chances are, there are free networking mixers and events happening in a city near you all the time. If you find yourself  the effort to attend an event at least once a month -- you never know when you'll meet an inspiring professional that might just change your career for the better.

Give it a try! What's one thing you can do to rekindle your love of learning?

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This blog post was written by Michelle Zhang, member of the marketing team at MerusCase.