Each year across the country, the bar exam is administered in February and July. Afterward, there is an anxiety-filled period that doesn’t go away until after the bar results come out several months later and you find out that you passed.

After breathing a sigh of relief, you still have to think about what you want to do next. Unless you have a job lined up or another plan that will pay your bills and make money, the anxiety will soon set in again.

Here are three things that new attorneys can do now to jumpstart their legal careers.

Hang Out Your Shingle. You have a brand new law license, student loans and bills to pay, and law to practice. Might as well make money doing it, right? There has never been an easier time to start your own law practice than now. Marketing has become easier (see here, here, and here), you can get an office in a nice building without paying office-in-nice-building prices, access to lawyer mentorships, and you can get new clients fast.

Observe courtroom proceedings. If you want to be a litigator, you have to litigate right? If you can't litigate right now, you can use your time wisely by observing other litigators. There are lawyers in court every day arguing motions, giving opening and closing arguments to judges and juries, and conducting evidentiary hearings. Court proceedings are generally open to the public, which means that you can pop in at any time to observe the process.

Volunteer. This may be the least attractive option on its face, but volunteering has a lot of upsides if you think outside of the box and are willing to forego immediate gratification. Depending on the organization you volunteer for, you can get valuable legal experience, a job, or a few clients out of the experience. For a list of ABA-approved volunteer opportunities, click here.

An idle mind is the devil’s workshop. Rather than letting anxiety return along with its cousins fear and worry, stay active by being proactive with your legal career, create a plan, and take action.

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This article is intended to convey generally useful information only and does not constitute legal advice. Any opinions expressed are solely those of the author, not LawChamps.