Today is National Boss’s Day. If you’re in law school right now or are headed in that direction, you’re probably wondering what type of boss you’ll have when you secure a job after graduation. I’m sure you’ve heard horror stories about overbearing bosses who work their associates’ fingers to the bone (hey, all those briefs requires a lot of keystrokes), but in talking with my peers, that’s almost never the case.

The fact is, your job (for the most part) is to make your bosses look good. If you do your job well, you likely have little to fear. Most bosses seem to understand that having their employees cower in their presence is not conducive to peak productivity. Bosses want you to ask questions (unless they’ve already been answered). If you ask your boss questions, then your boss gets his/her project done the way he/she wants. If the project is done the right way, your boss’s job is easier, which makes your job easier as well.

There is no good reason I can find that a boss in the legal context should be any different than a boss in any other context. A boss’s motivation is to run a tight ship and make money for his/her superiors (or him/herself). This is, after all, a business. Be efficient. Be inquisitive. Be on time, and try not to surprise the person you work for (unless it’s a surprise party, because who doesn’t love that?).

If you do these things, you probably won’t be micromanaged. You probably won’t have to fear for your job (or your life). You probably won’t have to worry about living in the shadow of a tyrant on a daily basis. Besides, if your boss is an a**hole, you can always sue for reckless infliction of emotional distress.

You will be a lawyer after all.