9 Tips to make your life in law more enjoyable & rewarding

Law Institute Victoria

9 Tips to make your life in law more enjoyable & rewarding

Guest blogger: Young Lawyers’ Section Manager, Anna Alexander

Yesterday the LIV Young Lawyers’ Section ran the New Lawyers Orientation seminar as part its commitment to support new lawyers on their professional journey. Part of this seminar was a session titled ’45 tips in 45 minutes’ where a panel of experienced young lawyers provided practical, realistic tips on how to get your career in law off to a good start.

We decided that these tips were too good to keep to ourselves, so the blog below gives you some of the panel members ‘top tips’. Thanks very much to our wonderful panel members, you gave us some great tips that we can all incorporate into our professional lives.

Nick Cooper, Browne & Co

There isn’t a problem/mistake that can’t be resolved in the office. Don’t sit on it – the longer you do so, the worse a problem invariably gets. Be truthful transparent, honest and responsible.
Be prudent when dealing with senior lawyers, be extra prudent when dealing with barristers, and be OBSESSIVE when dealing with silk (SC’s and QC’s).
Remember that you will be representing your employer any time you are in public – remember this at Friday night drinks/the Christmas party/corporate lunches/etc.

Georgette Apostolopoulos, Department of Treasury and Finance

If you realise that you won’t be able to meet a deadline, let the lawyer who has allocated the task to you know. It will result in a better outcome if you negotiate a new deadline rather than letting someone down.
If your office has a Casual Friday policy, keep a suit jacket at work nonetheless. You never know when a last minute client meeting might be scheduled!
Mostly for the ladies – old, chipped nail polish looks really bad – and people do notice your hands. If it’s in bad condition, get rid of it.

Greg Protektor, King & Wood Mallesons

When sending out an email, always double (and triple) check your spelling and grammar as well as the name of the email recipient.
Take initiative. Don’t say you don’t know how to do a task before you properly try.
Get involved in non-billable work. Alerts and marketing initiatives are a great way to learn and lift your profile.

As career planning is one of our key priorities the next edition of the Young Lawyers Journal is a special edition focusing on ‘navigating your career’. This edition will be released in April – look out for your copy to receive information and advice on career management.

Thanks again to everyone who attended and made the event such a success. I hope that the practical information provided makes your life in law more enjoyable, stimulating and a little easier to navigate. If you are looking to get more involved in activities of the LIV Young Lawyer Section, we’d love to speak to you. Just send us an email at younglaw@liv.asn.au

Comments

	Donna Valentine
	Forget about the nail polish. Can someone please explain why so many male members of the profession turn up at COURT with two or three days stubble on their faces? Maybe its a statement of some sort, or maybe they just have trouble getting out of bed after a weekend's fishing expedition?
	9/01/2013 2:17:26 AM

	Edith Pringle
	I cringe when people refer to women as "ladies". It suggests they subscribe to certain behaviours deemed to be "lady like" (by whom?). Stick the term back on the public convenience where it belongs. Apart from that - great tips. Something to think about whilst I'm doing the ironing!
	23/11/2012 7:40:20 PM

	Daniel Robinson
	I'll also put in a vote of support for Sarah, for the same reason as Andreas. There's nothing objectionable about the tip itself, but anyone who remembers extracts of Amartya Sen from legal philosophy courses should know that the choice and selection of information communicated is just as meaningful as the content. It seems from reading the comments that the criticism would only apply to the blog post and not to the original presentation.
	25/07/2012 10:18:27 PM

	Andreas
	I'd like to put a vote of support in for Sarah. People seem to be missing her point and defending the tip itself, the merit of which was never questioned. What Sarah noted was that, in the context of entrenched sexism in the legal workplace, the LIV should not have chosen to publish a tip applying predominantly to the physical grooming and appearance of women (with no corresponding tip applying to men). This is epecially the case given that one of the numerous reasons why sexism has flourished in the workplace is that a far greater emphasis has been placed on women's physical appearance as compared to men's. The LIV, as our professional body, has a special duty to promote workplace gender equality; this emphasis on women's grooming is counter-productive.
	12/04/2012 5:41:10 PM

	Natalie
	Thanks for the fabulous tips. Wish I'd been able to make it on the night. With respect to grooming and appearance, Georgette - hear, hear! Professional appearance is imperative. I judge chipped nail polish, poorly manicured hands, unironed shirts, on colleagues (irrespective of gender); so you can only imagine what clients, barristers and those senior to you think when they see the remnants of your weekend. If Georgette had said 'Ladies MUST wear makeup, nail polish and 3-inch stilettos' then sexism may come into play; but if you want to be taken seriously, a $25 manicure (or DIY if you have the time) is a small price to pay.
	10/04/2012 12:43:06 PM

	David M
	Brilliant tips. They might seem common sense, but common sense isn't always that common. With regard to the mini furor that the nail polish tip appears to have created. I don't see the harm. If you are going to wear nail polish, it should be perfect. It's such a small detail that can have a large impact. Thanks for posting.
	2/04/2012 1:12:10 PM

	Kim
	Ladies apart of our grooming is having lovely filed nails. I always ensure my nails represent my personality and match my outfits. furthermore, when taking instructions your clients always look at your nails so boys and girls take this tip because chipped nails on both male and females is not becoming.
	2/04/2012 9:49:36 AM

	Michelle
	Hi all, Just wanted to say I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this thread! So true that lawyers love a good debate!
	29/03/2012 10:54:24 AM

	Georgette
	It is great to see lots of people weighing in on a discussion about useful tips for young lawyers entering the profession (and indeed, the tips don't stop being useful just because you have a few years as a lawyer under your belt!). To clarify, in relation to my tip about nail polish which started with "Mostly for the ladies...", I was in fact reflecting that men often don't wear nail polish. That said, manicures are becoming more and more common among both genders, although men often opt for no polish (or a clear one). This isn't a matter of sexism, but rather a statement reflecting current trends in hand grooming. Ultimately, my tip, while couched in humour, is much more blunt than the humour suggests, as recognised by many that have posted comments. Presentation is important. For Men. For Women. For all positions in the hierarchy. From Monday to Friday (casual day or no casual day). On weekends for those of you who have the unfortunate pleasure of being in the office beyond Friday. Presentation is important because people will assess your credibility based not only on your expertise and your advice, but also on your ability to take care of yourself. Part of your ability to take care of yourself is to take care of your personal presentation. A client will feel more confident that you can take care of them if you can demonstrate that you can take care of yourself. For those offended by the specific reference to women and nail polish, take comfort in the fact that the comment reflects a little bit of the personality that I choose to bring to the law. I take my clients very seriously, but in doing so, I try not to take myself too seriously. That way, I am always open to feedback and to enjoying my work that little bit more! I appreciate the feedback. And for those of you wondering – yes, I do have a bottle of nail polish on my desk ;)
	28/03/2012 2:58:12 PM

	Lee
	Hi folks, long time reader, first time poster. Great article and even more interesting comments thread. I certainly agree that professional grooming is important for both men and women in a professional workplace, but there is more to it than that. One of the first posts addressed the prioritisation of women's grooming tips published in this article at the expense of more substantial items while not suggesting Men's grooming tips. While there nay have been an even balance at the conference, this medium is not the conference, and I read it as lacking balance. To avoid perpetuating destructive sexist stereotypes, the inclusion of one grooming tip for males and females each, or the exclusion of all grooming tips would produce a more balanced view. The article as it stands reads a little lop-sided to me. "I didn't run as a woman, I ran again as a seasoned politician and experienced legislator. " - Nancy Pelosi
	28/03/2012 11:54:35 AM

	Cam
	Nick, Georgette and Greg gave a fantastic presentation in my estimation. It was very entertaining and the tips were fantastic (very practical)!
	28/03/2012 8:01:16 AM

	Sarah
	It was good to read the different comments posted and, as I mentioned earlier, most of these tips are very useful and I can see that this would have been a valuable seminar to attend. However, I think that those who responded to my comments – particularly Anna and Amanda – have missed my main point. I do not automatically object to the importance of grooming being highlighted – I acknowledge that presentation is important in our profession. However, I questioned whether this was the most useful tip provided at this seminar for young female lawyers. I did not personally attend the seminar, but I assume there was more valuable advice than this provided, given the quality of the other tips published in this article. I also commented earlier that it was sexist to provide grooming advice which was only directed at women. I agree with Annabelle that men would not be looked favourably upon if they had long nails or a poorly shaved face. I also agree with Amanda that men should keep their shoes shined and their ties straight, and that both men and women should ensure they don’t have bad breath. But this was not the advice provided. My point remains that it is inappropriate for the LIV to highlight gendered grooming advice directed solely at women. This is sexist because it emphasises the importance of a female lawyer’s appearance over that of her male counterparts. Had the advice been directed at both male and female lawyers, I would not have felt the need to make any comment.
	27/03/2012 5:21:31 PM

	Nick
	The comment about nail polish was light hearted and should not be taken out of proportion. As to the other comments I think they are good. I think junior lawyers should consult and ask a lot of questions, that's the way to learn, learn by doing.
	27/03/2012 4:13:52 PM

	Anna Alexander
	Sarah – the reason I am personally fond of this tip and believe it to be so helpful, is because when considering our presentation I feel we overlook simple things such as ensuring our bold red nail polish (in my case) from the weekend is not chipped and looking worse for wear by Monday morning. When this tip was raised it was interesting to see members of the audience (men and woman alike) look at their hands. I am assuming they were inspecting their hands generally as our hands are always on display.
	27/03/2012 4:10:55 PM

	Stephanie
	I agree about checking emails - I've found it very useful not to type in the recipient's address until the very end - after I've proofread and added attachments. As for grooming - I don't think this is a superficial matter. Grooming is one way we demonstrate our attitude to our work, and our attitude to our clients. It is as important as all the other social graces that will make our professional lives easier: good manners, punctuality, etc. In Iain Morley's 'The Devil's Advocate: a short polemic on how to be seriously good in court', one of his first and most important tips to male barristers is 'wear expensive shoes' and make sure they are perfectly polished! These things, 'superficial' as they might seem, all help to get us the results we want.
	27/03/2012 3:20:09 PM

	Amanda Storey, 2012 President of the Young Lawyers Section
	Thank you for sharing your views Sarah but I respectfully disagree. I don't see how recommending that ladies remove old or chipped nail polish can be interpreted as sexist. It is a gendered form of grooming which is expected of women in a professional environment, not just a legal environment. In the same way that men should ensure their shoes are shined and their ties are straight. The same way that both men and women should ensure they don't have bad breath (you get the drift). Don't like being treated differently for your nails? Don't wear nail polish. But returning to the session as a whole, I think the tips were fantastic and very pragmatic when viewed in their totality. I especially like the one of making your legal secretary your best friend - they can make or break your relationship with your partner and I have definitely relied on mine when I have been running late to work from time to time.
	27/03/2012 2:34:34 PM

	Claire
	I attended this session and thought all the tips were great, especially given the three speakers were so diverse in terms of both experience and place/type of employment. The 45 (or by the end of it around 48) tips that were discussed were really great – especially given we should know this, but so much of this information is overlooked.
	27/03/2012 12:51:58 PM

	Michelle
	Great blog post. These tips are useful to all young lawyers - not just new ones! Especially the tip in relation to triple-checking your emails and email recipients. It amazes me how common it is for lawyers to send emails to the wrong people! Oh and re the grooming/nail polish debate - the fact is, looking the part is just as important as acting the part. Give the impression of success, that you are on top of everything - this is what I was once told in my first year out. As much as we might not like to be judged on superficial matters when we would prefer to be judged solely on our smarts and work performance, this is just the way the cookie crumbles. And in my experience, the importance of perception does not change.
	27/03/2012 12:29:18 PM

	Nick
	Sarah - good link, and thanks for your feedback. It was a great session to be part of - there were some really useful issues raised and some great questions from the audience. Looking forward to more of the same!
	27/03/2012 10:49:25 AM

	Vicki
	I am sure it was one of the tips - however the importance of file notes cannot go unmentioned in the comments section.
	27/03/2012 10:41:28 AM

	Annabelle
	I completely disagree with Sarah, the importance of having manicured nails (or at least not chipped ones) cannot be stressed enough. Grooming and pride in presentation reflect the pride you take in yourself and your work. If a man shaved half his face or had such long nails they dug in to the hand of a person receiving a handshake it would not be looked highly upon either.
	26/03/2012 3:56:48 PM

	Sarah
	Thanks for your response Anna. I understand that these tips were part of a bigger seminar, but I question the decision to include this particular tip on the website. It isn't particularly helpful, and appears sexist in the absence of a corresponding tip regarding male grooming.
	23/03/2012 1:31:44 PM

	Anna Alexander
	Thanks for the feedback Sarah. The tip that you refer to was a small part of a much larger presentation, which was received with humour by those in the room. The discussion also included a focus on grooming for men in particular, about the importance of ensuring they are cleanly shaven. We believe that good grooming is important for all young lawyers. It’s also worth noting that Georgette also made several great suggestions about efficient work practices at the event.
	23/03/2012 11:05:54 AM

	Sarah
	Most of these tips are very useful, but out of the 45 tips provided at the seminar, why did the LIV feel the need to highlight a tip about "ladies" not wearing chipped nail polish? Surely there were other speakers who had less superficial and more substantial tips for young female lawyers? How about practical tips for young women on how to bridge the entrenched gender pay gap in the law? http://bit.ly/GIPKAF Somehow, I don't think nicely made up hands will cut it!
	22/03/2012 3:44:25 PM