Every day, I feel as though I need more and more hours to accomplish my goals. More time for family, more time for work, more time for clients. As young lawyers, we are often caught between many competing interests. When there is a battle, work, I find, often wins out. How do we find balance in our lives?

Competition is fierce in the legal profession. Billing more hours or bringing in more clients is often the only way to distinguish oneself from the pack. I do not believe there is a single solution to this problem. Rather, each young lawyer has to find the balance that best fits his/her life. Most of us are sworn in at a young age and life expectancies for the majority of the population (lawyers included) are increasing. For sheer longevity, we have to find a way to be happy in each of the roles we play on a daily basis. So, you might agree with my philosophy, but how, you ask, is one to achieve this "professional bliss?"

Getting involved in public service projects through the state or local bar associations is one way to gain perspective. There is more to life than billable hours. When you give your time to those who are less fortunate, whether it be through taking a pro bono case or volunteering to provide your legal knowledge through some other venue, you gain perspective. The Young Lawyers Section of the Louisiana State Bar Association has several projects that fall in this category: Barristers for Boards, the High School Mock Trial competition and, our newest program to be implemented this fall, Wills for Heroes. Take a moment to visit our Web site and find out how you can get involved: www.lsba.org/2007yls/index.asp.

For some of you, getting involved is simply not an option right now. You may be pressured from too many sources to "fit in" another obligation. I'm not advocating for you to change overnight. It takes time to figure out how to juggle many obligations and still enjoy life. I am an eternal optimist. I really believe we can have it all. If you have taken the time to read this column, then you are off to a good start.