It’s stressful most of the time. When you’re starting out your career as a lawyer, everything is new and causes anxiety, stress, worry, frustration and sometimes anger. Here are just some of the things that might be new: 

• The workplace is new. That can include new colleagues, senior lawyers and staff . It’s also probably the first time you’ve had an assistant who works for you. This relationship is one that you’ll have to develop and manage. But, up to now, no one has probably taught you how to work with and manage an assistant. It’s something you have to figure out. Also, depending on how old you are when you graduate law school, you can often times be younger than your assistant. This can be a little awkward when you have to tell them what to do or give them constructive feedback. When I was a new lawyer, my assistant was 60+ years old, and she said that she was okay with taking directions from a young lawyer. But, I can tell you, she was not!
• The practice of law is new. Now is when you have real facts and real cases and you have to apply and analyze your cases based on the skills you’ve learned in law school. For instance, you learned that there is a book with the Rules of Court.  But now you have to find the rules that apply to the facts of your case, apply those rules to the facts of your case, manage your client, attend court and present your position to the Judge based on your interpretation of those rules. 
• The computer system and firm processes are new. Every law firm has its own operating software and way that it does things. You’ll have to learn these processes and remember them as you’re also learning to practice law. 
• It’s also likely the first time you’re wearing high heels and a suit to an office 5 days a week. Even though I noted above that less lawyers seem to be wearing a power suit everyday, I still wear a suit every day of the week. In law school, I was pretty much Sporty Spice – wearing athletic wear to class and the library (don’t judge, I sat a lot and studied and in turn, gained weight). But when I started articling, I was wearing high heels (to exude confidence and to look good in my suit) and I remember my feet just aching every night. I also remember sweating through my suit EVERY DAY because I was nervous and anxious! Just building up the courage to go talk about a file with a senior lawyer was terrifying. I’d sweat through my shirt just thinking about it. True story. Some days, Mr. OYP and I would compare who sweat more. Gross, I know, but we were both going through the same thing.