From the Yld President
| Publication year | 2023 |
| Pages | 0010 |
A Journey to Finding Your Practice Area Niche
BRITTANIE D. BROWNING YLD President State Bar of Georgia brittanie.browning@akerman.com
For this article, I asked young lawyers what types of articles they would like to read in the Georgia Bar Journal. The topic that emerged repeatedly was finding your niche or passion. As a new lawyer, we all experience a steep learning curve putting into practice everything we learned in law school. It can seem daunting but not insurmountable. Finding a passion and area of practice is something achievable for each lawyer. Some lawyers know exactly what area they want to focus on as a practitioner either by a prior career or a lifelong passion. If young lawyers do not yet know their passion, it is something that can be found. If you work in a law firm, it can be as simple as asking to help on a case that is in an area of interest. It is important to learn the basics of any practice area for example, civil procedure or criminal procedure—those are foundational for litigators.
I began my journey working for the Georgia Attorney General's Office, which taught me the foundational aspects that I built upon when I transitioned to private practice. My journey to develop a litigation practice after government practice was a transition in adaptability and versatility of those foundational skills. My experience made me want to ask those in different practices to provide insights into their journeys that may be beneficial to young lawyers who are contemplating what their niche will be as they continue practicing law.
This article will highlight the journey of three practitioners: two associate-level attorneys and a partner share their journey to finding a practice area niche. YLD Board of Directors Member Megan Wyss is an associate practicing family law in Atlanta, Georgia. YLD Board of Directors Member Kelsey Kicklighter is an associate practicing plaintiff's side civil litigation in Springfield, Georgia. Jason S. Lichtstein is a partner practicing environmental law in Atlanta, Georgia.
Did you start out in your practice area or find it along the way?
Megan Wyss: I knew I wanted to do family law when I went to law school. My background in seeing the impact of divorce on families drove me to work in this area of law. However, upon graduation, I worked in plaintiff s personal injury before securing a position in family law.
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