What’s In My Work Bag?

Curious about what a lawyer totes around with her every day? I’m here to tell you everything I keep in my work bag, and maybe even give you some ideas for your own bag!

A natural follow-up to my previous post about mini emergency kits was what else I keep in my work bag. I found most of these items on Amazon, and I linked them for your convenience. If you make a purchase through the links in this post, I may earn a small commission. This is at no additional cost to you, and it helps support this blog.

I’m in-house counsel for a major company, and a lot of my work is done remotely. However, I actually have an office within our outside counsel’s firm that I work out of 5 days per week. I bring my work bag with me every day, and this is everything I keep in it:

The Bag Itself

Any lawyer can expect to have to carry around a laptop, client files, or other large items on the daily. It’s important to have a bag that can hold everything you need while looking professional. I highly recommend a tote bag; they’re wide enough that they can fit the necessities while still leaving room for other important items you’ll want to keep with you. Your bag will be tossed around, kicked under tables, and on the ground most of its life, so it’s worth splurging on a good bag. My parents got me the Tory Burch Robinson Large Zip-Top tote bag as an undergrad graduation present, and it still looks impeccable! I’ve actually had it for so long that it’s gone out of stock! If you’re interested in a similar bag, try this one, this one, or this one.

My Work Laptop and Phone

Having company-issued devices on you at all times is a must! Truly the epicenter of my work life, my work laptop is the number one thing I keep in my work bag. Some offices use desktop computers, but since my company’s legal team is scattered across the US, being able to work from anywhere is a requirement. If your job requires you to use a laptop, make sure your bag is able to hold it safely. One thing I love about my bag is that it has a few different compartments so I can keep my laptop separate from the other things I carry. This gives me peace of mind that nothing will spill on my laptop or damage it.

I also have my company cell phone in my bag. When I’m in the office, I usually get calls on my office phone. However, if I’m traveling or working remotely, my company cell is how people get in touch with me. I always make sure I keep it in my bag incase I get an important call.

My Wristlet (Personal Phone, Wallet, and Keys)

One thing I SWEAR by is a wristlet. I’m not sure if I started using these instead of purses out of paranoia of having someone steal my purse or if it was just a convenient way to make sure I always had my important things on me, but they’re really fantastic. I keep all my keys on the keying, and it holds my license, credit cards, bar card, insurance cards, gift cards, and my phone. My work bag is solely used for work, so using a wristlet outside of work prevents me from having to shuffle things from bag to bag and possibly forgetting something. I use a black wristlet so it doesn’t clash with whatever I’m wearing on any given day, but they come in tons of fun colors and patterns!

Chargers

All of my work is done on my company laptop, so it needs to be charged. Most of my work calls go through my company phone as well, so that also needs to stay charged. I also like to make sure my personal phone stays charged incase of emergencies or if there’s somewhere I’m going immediately afterwards. Naturally, all my devices have different chargers, so it helps to have a bag that’s big enough for all of them. I also keep a small all-in-one charger in my bag incase anything happens to the individual chargers. It only works for my phones, but in a pinch, it can be a lifesaver!

Padfolio

Lawyers take a lot of notes. I personally love using a padfolio because I feel like they look more professional than just scribbling onto a legal pad. I bought myself this one in law school, and it ended up being the perfect size to fit in my work bag. Most padfolios have loops that you can hook a pen onto as well as different size pockets you can keep documents or business cards inside of. Some can even have pockets for phones or tablets! Sometimes I’ll even use it to stick loose papers into so they don’t fold or crease from being shoved into my bag along with everything else. You can find some super fancy padfolios, but even the fairly cheap ones (like mine!) look nice.

Pens

Along with the pen I keep in my padfolio, I keep a stash of extra pens in my bag. I learned early on to ALWAYS have an extra pen incase mine died during something important. It’s also a great way to stand out when you’re the junior-most person in attendance and hand your supervisor pen if theirs dies in an emergency. I keep a blue pen, a black pen, and red pen on hand for different purposes. Fun fact: lawyers sign things in blue so you can tell if a document is a scan vs an original. I also like to rotate colors to differentiate notes from one meeting to another and prevent one pen from dying quicker.

Lawyers love to talk about which pen is best, and the general consensus seems to be the Pilot G-2 pen. I also like these pens for personal use since they come in so many fun colors!

Mini Emergency Kit

In my last post, I talked about how I kept a mini emergency kit in my bag since college. I wasn’t kidding! These are great to make sure you don’t get caught off guard when you’re least expecting it. If I ever get called into a last-minute meeting, I can just grab my bag and know that I’ll be covered in case anything comes up! Check out the post to see what I recommend keeping in the kit!

EpiPen

I’m allergic to tree nuts, which happen to be in A LOT of foods. I’ve only had to use these a handful of times in my life, but I never want to be caught without one in an emergency. I keep one of these in my work bag, my car, my fiancé’s car, and in our bathroom at home.

Mini Umbrella

Unexpected rain always seems to coincide with the days I park as far away from my building as possible. I keep a small umbrella in my bag so I don’t walk into important meetings drenched. It’s always a pleasant surprise when I remember I have this in my bag when storm clouds roll in. The thing I love about these is that you can absolutely choose a fun color or pattern. No matter what, you’ll look prepared, and you’ll look way more professional than the person who doesn’t have an umbrella. Of course, you can always use a neutral-colored umbrella if that’s your preference.

Mask

Even if COVID requirements are loosening up in your area, It’s still wise to keep a mask with you. Some places may require them to enter, and l’d never want to run into someone I report to who asked for masks to be worn only to find out I don’t have one. It’s also just a polite thing to do it anyone is concerned.

Headphones

I usually use my AirPods when I’m listening to something on my phone. However, it’s not always possible to connect them. They give annoying feedback during a call on occasion. As a result, I also keep a pair of headphones with a cord on hand. I think it’s also a practical idea to have a pair of these on hand if my AirPods die.

Lipstick

Finally, I keep a lipstick in my bag. I usually toss whatever lipstick I’m wearing for the day into my bag as I’m on the way out the door. I also like to keep a neutral-colored lipstick in my bag for emergencies, whether that’s due to me leaving my lipstick on the counter or if I’m running late in the morning. That way I know it’ll match whatever I’m wearing. My current favorite neutral lippie is Stila’s Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick in Promessa. I also like Euro Trash by NYX.

That’s everything I keep in my work bag! What do you have in yours?