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Understanding the path from law student to qualified lawyer
The road to admission in your state or territory’s Supreme Court, to swear your oath, is somewhat unknown territory. Hours and hours of study, exams and the juggle is just the beginning of what will be a rewarding career in law, if you can find your path, writes Karena Nicholls.
Karena Nicholls
Now, if you have worked in a law firm leading up to this event, you may know what to expect. If you haven’t, well, you’re about to experience a whole new world of good and bad, depending on how you face the challenge.
In 2006, I was admitted as a lawyer. That person is vastly different from the one before you now due to what I call “weathering”. It has taken hard work and resilience to get through the journey of law. I started exactly where you are, and now find myself the proud owner of Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers, alongside partners Adriana Care and Luisa Gaetani.
I tell this story often to our team of 50 – that I had to look up volumes of law reports, attend the State Library to do research and did not have the resources that are available now in terms of Google Search and digital research – what a momentous change!
One thing I have learnt is law isn’t for everyone and can be a pressure cooker waiting to happen. Take some notes from here:
- Do not select law just because you were preselected or you got the marks; choose it because you are passionate about law and justice.
- You cannot control everything; as a lawyer, you work to a deadline, and that may mean working late, weekends or whatever it takes to get the work done. You will have difficult days, and then such rewarding days that remind you of why you got into law in the first place. Law is a test of resilience. You are solving problems all day every day, and this can take its toll if you cannot lean in and be self-aware.
What do I mean by self-aware? Well, we all know when we are not our best selves, identifying that and managing it is key. This is why, since COVID-19 especially, there has been a focus on self-care and work/life balance, particularly within law. I don’t necessarily agree that you can have a work/life balance working in law, but rather, you have the opportunity to be aware of what you can and cannot achieve each day. You must give yourself permission to build in small changes to assist and support your working life, such as going to the gym, walking your dog, spending time with friends and family, and spending time alone. Whatever it is that helps you to fill your cup and give you balance, find it. The profession has changed a lot. If you are about to embark on this crazy ride as a lawyer, in my view, a few key factors are:
Find a mentor
Everyone underestimates the value of a mentor. Someone you can talk to about everything going on, who provides perspective, support, and professional development. It is beyond valuable, and it’s deeply necessary to ensure you succeed in this industry.
Resilience
Be prepared to learn lessons, especially at the beginning. No one expects you to know everything, but they do expect you to take responsibility and accountability for your actions. You can help yourself by investing in further education, particularly things like listening to podcasts, reading articles, and researching cases.
Understand your place in the firm
You may be a lawyer, but many of the lawyers around you have been at it for a while. It should not be a competition, but you should be trying to be the absolute best junior you can be – not at the expense of others but rather good old-fashioned hard work. What comes with that is trust and better work. Do not be entitled; frankly, you are not entitled to anything.
Communication
When your world is hard, that is normal – everyone’s world is hard at one point in time, even mine. The thing to learn is that your hard day or hard period is not your client’s problem or your employer’s problem. Come up with solutions rather than continuing to rehash and chew on problems, and you will see your world change. If you need a resource or training or something and you sit in silence, don’t ask for help or tell anyone what’s going on, then you cannot blame anyone but yourself.
Remember WHY you choose law
Your WHY for law is what will get you through the tough days and drive you to do the absolute best for your client in each and every case. For me, I love arguing my point, right or wrong. I love the challenge of building an argument and backing myself to get results. That’s what gets me out of bed in the mornings, and to survive in an industry like law, you need to find yours. Some of my clients refer to me as “Karena, the loophole lawyer” – that’s just because I have a talent for finding the hole in the argument, the hole in the contract, the little areas where an organisation or a business hasn’t covered themselves, and I can use that to my clients’ advantage.
I am fortunate to have partners in my firm who have a similar outlook on their careers – they want to do their best every day for their clients and are as passionate about law as I am. Surround yourself with people who are passionate about their work or the law, and you will go a long way to being a great lawyer and being in law for a long time.
All the best on your journey. Stay humble.
Karena Nicholls is a partner at Coutts Lawyers & Conveyancers.
