In
the
fast-paced
world
of
law,
we
often
find
ourselves
adhering
to
a
well-trodden
path:
graduate
from
a
top
law
school,
land
a
position
at
a
prestigious
firm,
climb
the
ladder,
and
maybe
—
just
maybe
—
become
a
partner.
But
what
if
I
told
you
that
the
traditional
route
is
just
one
way
to
achieve
success
in
our
field?
What
if
there
are
unconventional
strategies
that
could
propel
your
career
in
ways
you
hadn’t
considered?
Recently,
I
had
the
opportunity
to
sit
down
with
Brittany
Becker,
an
in-house
product
and
marketing
lawyer
who
shared
her
unique
perspectives
on
how
to
approach
a
legal
career
differently.
Brittany’s
insights
stem
from
her
diverse
experience
as
a
first-generation
college
student,
a
public
defender,
and
now
a
product
lawyer
in
a
dynamic
industry.
Her
journey
has
been
anything
but
linear,
and
her
advice
offers
fresh,
actionable
strategies
that
can
help
anyone
looking
to
innovate
their
path
in
law.
Here
are
three
of
her
most
compelling
insights.
1.
Treat
Your
Career
Like
A
Product
Development
Cycle
Most
lawyers
think
of
their
careers
linearly:
you
start
as
an
associate,
then
move
to
senior
associate,
then
partner,
and
so
on.
But
what
if
we
borrowed
a
concept
from
the
world
of
technology
and
treated
our
careers
like
a
product
development
cycle?
Brittany
suggests
approaching
your
career
as
if
you
were
launching
a
product.
Think
about
it:
products
are
launched,
tested,
iterated
upon,
and
relaunched
in
better
versions.
Why
not
apply
this
to
your
career?
Start
by
launching
“Version
1.0”
of
yourself.
This
could
mean
experimenting
with
a
niche
area
of
law,
taking
on
a
unique
project,
or
developing
a
new
skill
set
that
isn’t
traditionally
associated
with
your
current
role.
Here’s
the
actionable
part:
every
six
months,
review
your
“product.”
What’s
working?
What
isn’t?
Collect
feedback
from
mentors,
peers,
and
even
clients,
just
as
you
would
gather
customer
feedback
for
a
product.
Then,
make
adjustments.
This
iterative
approach
allows
you
to
continuously
improve,
adapt
to
market
demands,
and
stay
ahead
of
the
curve.
2.
Network
Horizontally,
Not
Just
Vertically
We’ve
all
heard
the
advice
to
network
with
people
above
us:
partners,
senior
counsel,
judges,
and
the
like.
While
that’s
important,
Brittany
emphasizes
the
importance
of
networking
horizontally
with
your
peers
and
even
those
who
are
junior
to
you.
Why?
Because
these
are
the
people
who
will
grow
with
you,
move
into
key
positions
across
the
industry,
and
potentially
become
your
greatest
allies
and
collaborators.
The
key
is
to
see
networking
not
as
a
transaction
but
as
an
opportunity
to
build
genuine,
mutually
beneficial
relationships.
Brittany
recommends
taking
time
to
understand
what
drives
your
peers,
what
challenges
they
face,
and
how
you
can
help.
By
building
these
horizontal
networks,
you
create
a
support
system
that
can
provide
insights,
referrals,
and
collaborations
that
you
won’t
find
by
only
looking
up.
Actionable
insight:
Set
a
goal
to
reach
out
to
at
least
one
peer
and
one
junior
colleague
each
month.
Offer
them
support,
share
resources,
or
simply
have
a
candid
conversation
about
the
challenges
you’re
both
facing.
Over
time,
these
connections
will
become
a
rich
tapestry
of
support
that
can
provide
unexpected
career
opportunities.
3.
Practice
Reverse
Mentorship
We
often
think
of
mentorship
as
a
one-way
street:
experienced
professionals
passing
down
wisdom
to
those
coming
up
the
ranks.
But
Brittany
advocates
for
the
value
of
reverse
mentorship,
where
the
learning
dynamic
is
flipped.
Reverse
mentorship
involves
learning
from
those
who
are
younger,
less
experienced,
or
from
entirely
different
fields.
Younger
colleagues
or
professionals
from
different
industries
bring
fresh
perspectives
that
can
challenge
your
thinking
and
expose
you
to
new
ideas
and
technologies.
In
today’s
rapidly
evolving
legal
landscape,
understanding
trends
like
artificial
intelligence,
blockchain,
and
data
privacy
isn’t
optional
—
it’s
essential.
Here’s
how
you
can
start:
Brittany
suggests
identifying
a
junior
colleague
or
someone
from
a
different
industry
whose
skills
or
knowledge
you
admire.
Reach
out
and
propose
a
mutual
learning
relationship.
You
might
offer
them
insights
into
navigating
complex
legal
frameworks,
while
they
can
introduce
you
to
the
latest
tech
tools
or
social
media
trends.
The
actionable
takeaway
here
is
to
have
at
least
one
reverse
mentoring
session
per
quarter.
This
could
be
a
lunch,
a
coffee
chat,
or
even
a
Zoom
call.
The
goal
is
to
stay
curious
and
open
to
learning
from
anyone,
regardless
of
their
age
or
experience
level.
Conclusion
The
legal
profession
is
changing
rapidly,
and
with
it,
the
definition
of
a
successful
career.
By
thinking
like
a
product
developer,
building
horizontal
networks,
and
engaging
in
reverse
mentorship,
you
can
innovate
your
path
and
find
unique
ways
to
stand
out
and
thrive.
Brittany
Becker’s
journey
is
a
testament
to
the
power
of
embracing
nontraditional
career
strategies.
By
being
adaptable,
open
to
new
experiences,
and
willing
to
redefine
what
a
successful
legal
career
looks
like,
you
can
chart
a
path
that
is
both
fulfilling
and
uniquely
your
own.
So
go
ahead
—
launch
Version
2.0
of
your
career
today.
Who
knows
what
incredible
opportunities
lie
ahead
when
you
dare
to
think
differently?
Olga
V.
Mack
is
a
Fellow
at
CodeX,
The
Stanford
Center
for
Legal
Informatics,
and
a
Generative
AI
Editor
at
law.MIT.
Olga
embraces
legal
innovation
and
had
dedicated
her
career
to
improving
and
shaping
the
future
of
law.
She
is
convinced
that
the
legal
profession
will
emerge
even
stronger,
more
resilient,
and
more
inclusive
than
before
by
embracing
technology.
Olga
is
also
an
award-winning
general
counsel,
operations
professional,
startup
advisor,
public
speaker,
adjunct
professor,
and
entrepreneur.
She
authored Get
on
Board:
Earning
Your
Ticket
to
a
Corporate
Board
Seat, Fundamentals
of
Smart
Contract
Security,
and Blockchain
Value:
Transforming
Business
Models,
Society,
and
Communities. She
is
working
on
three
books:
Visual
IQ
for
Lawyers
(ABA
2024), The
Rise
of
Product
Lawyers:
An
Analytical
Framework
to
Systematically
Advise
Your
Clients
Throughout
the
Product
Lifecycle
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024),
and
Legal
Operations
in
the
Age
of
AI
and
Data
(Globe
Law
and
Business
2024).
You
can
follow
Olga
on
LinkedIn
and
Twitter
@olgavmack.