Non-legally, I’d recommend therapy either one on one or group. Hell, if that’s too much subscribe to adhd groups on social media. The pertinent reason being there are THOUSANDS of things that an adhd addled “neurodivergent” brain does that is different than “neurotypical” brains. The more you learn the more power you have to offset the negative effects and leverage the positive effects.
@author: I’m intrigued on this explanation as to why I can’t put my laundry away 👀 def makes sense it’s my ADHD , but how do I fight against it? 😅
Also, just wanted to share, I’ve found a few resources for ADHD coaches for lawyers and ADHD coaches for white-collar professionals. I had an interview with one and it was pretty insightful. I def plan on hiring someone soon. Found them online and on IG. Feel free to DM if you want some names :)
I like to make a big, messy to do list that I add to throughout the week when I get emails and calls and also a clean, priority list every day. When my executive functioning is really bad, I number the small list and use a random number generator to give me a task to start with.
Haha this is the worst advice oh wow dont follow it.
But i have PERSONALLY FOUND that jumping into the fastest turnaround highest stress never pausing adrenaline practice really helps me always hit my work in the doing things zone not the do it in a month zone.
A1, I legit came here to say just this. I thought this was me until you said transactional. Face-paced commercial lit on this end. I am not productive at all without an urgent deadline. I try to occasionally fake myself out with an earlier arbitrary internal deadline, but, rarely works. It’s not for everyone and not ideal to most, but procrastination is my friend, in many ways😅 Partners routinely tell me I work great under pressure and my best work products are from fire drills. This is the reason. If I have too much time, I go in circles and get no where.
You have to find what works for you. I went from high volume litigation practice to transactional work and have had a very hard time adapting. For me having a huge pile of facts to go through put together helps me Hyper focus. Also court deadlines are like built in time management planning
On litigation I deliberately handicapped myself by having my boss implement artificial deadlines for filings 2 days beforehand (it wasn’t related to adhd, but when I started the job we discussed protocols and policies and how the boss review would work and wrote it down, and I guaranteed that 2 working day pre-deadline)
Get your medication right. Dosage and med. I have had success with Focalin. Too little doesn’t work obviously, but too much doesn’t either (though it can be euphoric).
Eliminate all distractions you can. Build habits for timekeeping. Beware of accidentally going down research rabbit holes.
Being in biglaw was good for me for two years but it did mentally wreck me in a way I didn’t realize as it was happening lol but now I’m at a boutique and I have an easier time managing my time without a sense of urgency?
The important thing is not to think of it one job at a time. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for opportunities to succeed long term. Biglaw looks impressive, but if you can’t handle it, you have to leave so if you want to go back later, you can!
I too have ADD and ADHD. Recently started taking meds for it. It didn’t hinder me through law school, but definitely struggling to maintain focus enough to hit biglaw billables.
I find that 3-things have really helped: (1) Try to get staffed on short-turn around assignments. The lingering deadline and amount of work that must get done by then usually keeps me engaged because I know I can’t put it off at all. The next couple are Apple-dependent haha so, apologies if there’s no android counterpart (though I assume there is): (2) Setting the Focus setting on my phone during work hours. It’s a new feature for iOS15 where you can set only certain apps and people to trigger notifications on your phone. Mine sets automatically when I’m at the office. It keeps my phone from giving me all them tinder noties that I can’t wait to look at as soon as they come across, while still allowing all my work contacts to get to me through my cellphone, and obviously, office phone; and (3) is AirPods (or any noise cancelling headphones, really). I find that with noise cancelling and music playing, it’s a lot easier to not get distracted by being back in the office — e.g., secretaries talking outside, people walking by, other computers pinging, printers, etc.
Had a really hard time as a law firm associate. I was a first year leaving for a clerkship at the beginning of the pandemic so it was easy to skate by with little work and drop the ball on what work I did have. I ended up going to public interest work earlier than expected. The worklife balance allows me to be implement checklists and other strategies to manage my executive dysfunction. I have time to get 8 hours of sleep and workout. Actually caring about my work helps with focus. I still feel a bit bummed that I couldn’t hack it as a law firm associate, but I’m working on self-compassion.
I’m about to make the move from big law transactional to in house and this is my fear. I know it’s going to be all good for a couple months when everything is new and stimulating but once I start getting comfortable it’s going to be missed deadline city over here. I just need a break from the overwhelming shifts between insane hyper focus where I ignore everything/everyone in life besides work when things are busy to utter exhaustion and guilt when they let up. Trying to work on balance and hoping that in-house gives me a better opportunity to put in place good systems but my god it’s difficult when everyday feels like a choose your own adventure book with 10000 possibilities
The phone is the bane of my working existence. I take breaks every 45-90 and that’s when I get 5 min of screen time. Otherwise the vibration, noise, light will steal my focus
Thank you for the response - Same here. I always have the urge to grab my phone. Once something is in my head, it is extremely hard to do anything else until I do that thing. Limiting phone interaction may help with that.
I’ve found it’s an asset to me in general corporate practice at a large firm. I get really bored easily on one project, so it’s good for me to have my hands on multiple projects. The hours I’m in “the zone” also aren’t necessarily typical working hours, so the unpredictable schedule works for me. I was so unproductive working in-house in an office…
There’s a podcast on Spotify called JDHD and another one called ADHD for Badass Women…both are lawyers with ADHD and I listen to those in the morning before work
Non-legally, I’d recommend therapy either one on one or group. Hell, if that’s too much subscribe to adhd groups on social media. The pertinent reason being there are THOUSANDS of things that an adhd addled “neurodivergent” brain does that is different than “neurotypical” brains. The more you learn the more power you have to offset the negative effects and leverage the positive effects.
@author: I’m intrigued on this explanation as to why I can’t put my laundry away 👀 def makes sense it’s my ADHD , but how do I fight against it? 😅
Also, just wanted to share, I’ve found a few resources for ADHD coaches for lawyers and ADHD coaches for white-collar professionals. I had an interview with one and it was pretty insightful. I def plan on hiring someone soon. Found them online and on IG. Feel free to DM if you want some names :)
I like to make a big, messy to do list that I add to throughout the week when I get emails and calls and also a clean, priority list every day. When my executive functioning is really bad, I number the small list and use a random number generator to give me a task to start with.
Great idea! Thanks!
Haha this is the worst advice oh wow dont follow it.
But i have PERSONALLY FOUND that jumping into the fastest turnaround highest stress never pausing adrenaline practice really helps me always hit my work in the doing things zone not the do it in a month zone.
And a hand written scribbled to do list.
A1, I legit came here to say just this. I thought this was me until you said transactional. Face-paced commercial lit on this end. I am not productive at all without an urgent deadline. I try to occasionally fake myself out with an earlier arbitrary internal deadline, but, rarely works. It’s not for everyone and not ideal to most, but procrastination is my friend, in many ways😅 Partners routinely tell me I work great under pressure and my best work products are from fire drills. This is the reason. If I have too much time, I go in circles and get no where.
https://thejdhd.com/adhd-resources/
Thank you!
You have to find what works for you. I went from high volume litigation practice to transactional work and have had a very hard time adapting. For me having a huge pile of facts to go through put together helps me
Hyper focus. Also court deadlines are like built in time management planning
On litigation I deliberately handicapped myself by having my boss implement artificial deadlines for filings 2 days beforehand (it wasn’t related to adhd, but when I started the job we discussed protocols and policies and how the boss review would work and wrote it down, and I guaranteed that 2 working day pre-deadline)
Ayoooooo
Get your medication right. Dosage and med. I have had success with Focalin. Too little doesn’t work obviously, but too much doesn’t either (though it can be euphoric).
Eliminate all distractions you can. Build habits for timekeeping. Beware of accidentally going down research rabbit holes.
Welcome to the club!
Feel free to check out this bowl as well: https://joinfishbowl.com/bowl_xkfqvyg7xx
Thank you!
Being in biglaw was good for me for two years but it did mentally wreck me in a way I didn’t realize as it was happening lol but now I’m at a boutique and I have an easier time managing my time without a sense of urgency?
The important thing is not to think of it one job at a time. Make sure you’re setting yourself up for opportunities to succeed long term. Biglaw looks impressive, but if you can’t handle it, you have to leave so if you want to go back later, you can!
I too have ADD and ADHD. Recently started taking meds for it. It didn’t hinder me through law school, but definitely struggling to maintain focus enough to hit biglaw billables.
I find that 3-things have really helped: (1) Try to get staffed on short-turn around assignments. The lingering deadline and amount of work that must get done by then usually keeps me engaged because I know I can’t put it off at all. The next couple are Apple-dependent haha so, apologies if there’s no android counterpart (though I assume there is): (2) Setting the Focus setting on my phone during work hours. It’s a new feature for iOS15 where you can set only certain apps and people to trigger notifications on your phone. Mine sets automatically when I’m at the office. It keeps my phone from giving me all them tinder noties that I can’t wait to look at as soon as they come across, while still allowing all my work contacts to get to me through my cellphone, and obviously, office phone; and (3) is AirPods (or any noise cancelling headphones, really). I find that with noise cancelling and music playing, it’s a lot easier to not get distracted by being back in the office — e.g., secretaries talking outside, people walking by, other computers pinging, printers, etc.
Hope some of this helps, mate.
That helps, thank you! I am very easily distracted by my phone so that will help me out. I appreciate your insight.
Had a really hard time as a law firm associate. I was a first year leaving for a clerkship at the beginning of the pandemic so it was easy to skate by with little work and drop the ball on what work I did have. I ended up going to public interest work earlier than expected. The worklife balance allows me to be implement checklists and other strategies to manage my executive dysfunction. I have time to get 8 hours of sleep and workout. Actually caring about my work helps with focus. I still feel a bit bummed that I couldn’t hack it as a law firm associate, but I’m working on self-compassion.
I struggle more In-house tbh
I’m about to make the move from big law transactional to in house and this is my fear. I know it’s going to be all good for a couple months when everything is new and stimulating but once I start getting comfortable it’s going to be missed deadline city over here. I just need a break from the overwhelming shifts between insane hyper focus where I ignore everything/everyone in life besides work when things are busy to utter exhaustion and guilt when they let up. Trying to work on balance and hoping that in-house gives me a better opportunity to put in place good systems but my god it’s difficult when everyday feels like a choose your own adventure book with 10000 possibilities
Check out the ADHD Law Bowl !
Will do, thank you!!
The phone is the bane of my working existence. I take breaks every 45-90 and that’s when I get 5 min of screen time. Otherwise the vibration, noise, light will steal my focus
Thank you for the response - Same here. I always have the urge to grab my phone. Once something is in my head, it is extremely hard to do anything else until I do that thing. Limiting phone interaction may help with that.
I’ve found it’s an asset to me in general corporate practice at a large firm. I get really bored easily on one project, so it’s good for me to have my hands on multiple projects. The hours I’m in “the zone” also aren’t necessarily typical working hours, so the unpredictable schedule works for me. I was so unproductive working in-house in an office…
There’s a podcast on Spotify called JDHD and another one called ADHD for Badass Women…both are lawyers with ADHD and I listen to those in the morning before work
https://joinfishbowl.com/bowl_24nyo1qacr