Learning to Advocate for Yourself in the Workplace

Working in litigation, one of the hardest parts of the job is dealing with adversarial interactions that may involve advising clients, negotiating with opposing counsel, examining witnesses, or arguing before the court, but sometimes those adversarial moments can involve your very own supervisors. Whether you are a lawyer, legal staff, or in a different profession entirely, speaking up for yourself with respect to how supervisors perceive the quality of your work and how those perceptions can affect your opportunities for growth (e.g., salary increases/bonuses, promotions, etc.) is a necessary skill for career advancement.

Qualifications and results are important, but getting hired and promoted in the workplace is often impacted by affinity bias.

Affinity bias, also known as similarity bias or the “similar-to-me” effect, is an unconscious bias in which people gravitate toward individuals who are similar to them....In the workplace, this often presents as decision-makers (e.g., hiring managers, executives, and team leads) favoring candidates or employees who share their educational background, hobbies, communication style, etc., without realizing they are doing so. [1]

A workplace where decision-makers let their biases control their choices with respect to hiring, performance evaluations, promotions, etc. can hurt workers, especially in professions (like law) in which the majority of the decision-makers (e.g., white and/or male supervisors and partners) likely have less in common with their direct reports (e.g., associates and staff) who are women and people of color. [2] Advocating for yourself in the workplace is a necessary skill to optimize your professional success, especially when you or your work is perceived less favorably due to a lack of shared interests, background, or experiences with the decision-makers.

An example from my career involves a trial for which I found a document that was never exchanged with the parties during the discovery phase of litigation. I exchanged the document with counsels for plaintiff and co-defendant as soon as I found it, which happened to be “the eve of trial.” Understandably, they were displeased with the late discovery and moved for sanctions against my client and other relief against each other. I opposed the motion against my client, and during oral argument, I didn’t have much to say because it was clear the judge was on my side. The court ruled in my client's favor and issued an order incorporating arguments and case law I had presented in opposition. When plaintiff’s counsel appealed the decision, the appellate court affirmed and adopted the same analysis. The head trial supervisor at my office congratulated and thanked me for my work. My direct supervisors, instead, criticized me for submitting my papers for review the morning it was due, despite there being no edits to my work or delay with meeting the court deadline, and otherwise dismissed my strategy to wait until the other parties submitted all their papers so I could efficiently cut through the noise of the irrelevant facts and issues. My supervisors' choice (among other times) to frame my work negatively demonstrated to me that they did not see me or my work as good enough, which overtime impacted my performance evaluations, opportunities for growth, and overall job satisfaction on that team. In contrast, I observed colleagues who had more in common with those supervisors, but also missed deadlines or did not achieve significant favorable results or handle similar volume or complexity of matters receive higher pay increases, promotions, and accolades.

Working among decision-makers who do not see you or your work as good enough will stifle your professional and financial growth. When you’re in the right workplace, you shouldn’t have to fight to prove your worth. Sometimes the best way to advocate for yourself is knowing when to walk away and shift your energy into finding a team that will value you.

Even in the best environments with the best leaders, it’s important to have the skills to speak up for yourself to optimize your career advancement. Here are some tips to help you shine!

Talk Quantity to Show Quality

Direct supervisors usually report to other supervisors and those supervisors report to other supervisors and so on and so forth. When aiming for professional or financial growth opportunities (e.g., promotion, salary increase, etc.) or otherwise protecting your professional reputation/brand, think about what matters most to the supervisor(s) furthest away from you, such as equity partners or hiring managers...

Dollars and sense! Typically, your direct supervisor sees your work and results every day; however, the further away a decision-maker is from your day-to-day efforts, they will likely be more focused on your metrics, such as volume of matters, percentage and number of favorable outcomes (e.g., affirmative motion wins, favorable trial verdicts/settlements, contracts closed), growth in book of business, etc. Your direct supervisor needs those metrics to justify their decisions and recommendations to the higher-ups. Metrics (indicators of productivity and efficiency) translate to dollars and sense. As such, keeping a log of your matters including outcomes, amounts, and percentages is a practical method to help you track and organize the information you need to best present the value you add to your team. Also, metrics may help offset unfair or biased feedback by requiring a supervisor's subjective evaluation to match with your objective performance metrics.

Frame Your Achievements

Metrics or quantifiable information about your work is only one part of the story. Numbers do not capture everything and it is important to know how to enhance your brand by identifying and framing your accomplishments. One way is to highlight positive feedback you received from supervisors, clients, judges/neutrals, etc. Get into the habit of saving hard or electronic copies of communications or creating something like a journal to memorialize positive feedback. Also, in collaboration with using metrics, remember to fill in the blanks. For example, metrics may show the number of trials an attorney has prepped, taken to verdict, settled, etc., but details like nature of cases, types of witnesses, including expert witnesses, novelty of legal issues, and other unique information can demonstrate your unique skill set and knowledge base and the complexity and rigor of your work that numbers simply don't show. By framing your achievements in a cohesive way, you can create and present a more vivid narrative of your capabilities and value to the team.

Know Your Audience

Remember to frame your skills, knowledge, and experience through the lens of your current or prospective team/employer's mission and goals. Decision-makers will be more willing to support your career growth if your interests and their interests are aligned. To achieve your goals, specify how your contributions (e.g., unique skill set, expertise, client or institutional knowledge, etc. ) can add value to the team or employer's mission.

Be Confident

Talking about ourselves can feel awkward and some people worry they may come across as entitled or arrogant when talking about their work and accomplishments in the context of career growth opportunities, including salary increases, bonuses, promotions, more leadership responsibilities, client autonomy, etc. Typically, employers do not volunteer these growth opportunities unless the individual worker expresses interest. Walking into a room with confidence to discuss your future is imperative to your success. Preparation is key to building confidence. For example, identifying accurate and complete metrics and persuasively framing your accomplishments will help you prepare a strong case for your career advancement. Also, practicing how you will present key information and topics will ease any worry and help you become a strong advocate for yourself in the workplace.

Work with a Trusted Mentor or Recruiter

To further build your confidence, work with a trusted mentor who can advise you on how best to present your information and goals. A mentor can offer guidance on how to navigate self-advocacy in the workplace, including advice about how to initiate a one-on-one meeting with a supervisor, how to persuasively highlight career achievements, whether it's best to explore lateral opportunities, and help you practice your pitch. Moreover, if you and the trusted mentor have a mutual employer or team, they may be willing to shift into a sponsorship role by using their own position and influence to help advocate on your behalf. Navigating work conflict or career change is rarely easy. You shouldn't have to do it alone. Developing a relationship with a trusted and experienced mentor or sponsor can be beneficial.

Similarly, if you have decided your current role is no longer the right fit for you (or you are otherwise open to exploring other options in pursuit of an ideal role), consider working with a trusted and experienced recruiter. My best job in litigation was with a team and partner I had the opportunity of meeting through an experienced legal recruiter. I would show up for work and simply perform my job and that was enough to prove my value to the team. I truly wish the same ease to every professional because everyone deserves to work in a role where they can thrive and be respected and valued.

Knowing how to advocate for yourself by presenting your metrics and other facts/skills to demonstrate why you should get a certain bonus, pay increase, work independence, complexity of assignments, promotion, etc. is a necessary skill even in the best work environment. No matter what stage you are in your career, learning to advocate for yourself will only benefit you throughout your entire career.

Sources:

[1] Affinity bias, Paylocity (March 16, 2026), https://www.paylocity.com/resources/glossary/affinity-bias/.

[2] See e.g., Shanice Naidu-Jimenez, Unique Issues Facing Women in the Legal Industry and the Importance of Having the Right People in Your Corner, Zerega Consulting (March 25, 2026), https://www.zeregaconsulting.com/post/unique-issues-facing-women-in-the-legal-industry-and-the-importance-of-having-the-right-people-in-yo.