Sullivan & Cromwell Co-Chair Robert Giuffra Jr. joined Evan Chesler, the former Presiding Partner at Cravath, Swaine & Moore, for a conversation about life in a large law firm and advice for young lawyers on the ABA Journal’s Asked & Answered podcast.
Both partners discussed their firms’ shared values, especially prioritizing the institution and a collaborative culture. For young lawyers, Bob stressed the importance of choosing the right mentors who will not just teach the craft, but pass on their love of practicing law. Young lawyers also need to learn not to get derailed by setbacks or frustrations and keep pressing forward. “You don’t control everything when you’re a lawyer. You don’t control your clients, you don’t control judges, you don’t control facts, you don’t control the law. The one thing you can do is try to make the best of the hand you’ve been dealt.”
Bob noted that while the pandemic may have made some lasting positive changes in the workplace, S&C’s institutional culture still requires personal interactions that are necessary for effective mentoring and the creation of lasting professional bonds. “The ability to walk down the hall and actually ask someone for their opinion on how to handle something in that collaborative culture, which is something that Sullivan & Cromwell and Cravath have, is so important.”