CHOO CHOO TRAIN

The reality for the individual performer in the law firm is that even quite talented and motivated people can only improve the practice as much as its work processes can allow; there is a reason governments are seen as slow, bureaucratic and stifling of initiatives. For the system to work the individual lawyer must work with the team for good or for ill and this can lead to only encouraging thinking, ideas and initiatives that can fit along the tracks laid down in the law firm. This is the same in many other businesses so what are you to do as an individual talented lawyer?

You first have to manage your boss by asking, finding out and observing; how can you work to support your boss, what does she expect from you and then, what must you never do. Once you have this covered then you pay attention to cultivating independent thought and come up with initiatives you can put into play that can help your law firm especially if it is outside your job description.
You've got to be thinking wider, making contributions above processing the work and you cannot keep your head down doing just what you are told. If you are in a role where trying this out is impossible or it gets you whacked, then this strategy will not work and you need to move. But if you are managing your boss and coming up with ways to put your initiatives into play, your practice will be open to at least hearing you out.
Another important step is hooking up with fellow employees up and down the ladder as they will have meaningful input and support and projects you can help them with. You can even look at wilderness projects which no one cares about or which no one wants to touch. If you are able to make something of it then you have some elbow room and more importantly, you can test your skills which you think you possess and build confidence out there in the wilderness.
All this comes from the reality that ineffective systems bind potentially effective people and if you put a potentially effective person against an effective system, the system will win every time.
Trains only run where there are train tracks.