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What I wished I’d known earlier as a small-firm owner
Here, Jennifer Tutty shares invaluable insights gathered from years of experience managing a boutique law firm – lessons she wishes she had learnt earlier in her legal career.
Grace Robbie
Speaking on a recent episode of The Boutique Lawyer Show, Jennifer Tutty, the principal and founder of Studio Legal, reveals the valuable insights and key lessons she has learnt as a legal leader that would greatly benefit aspiring leaders in the legal space.
“If you’ve never been in management or you’ve never led a team, I think I probably underestimated the complexities of management and leadership, and if you’re thinking about running your own firm or setting up a firm, I think early on in the piece, being trained in management and leadership is very important.
“As learning on the job can be quite stressful, and you do make mistakes because you just don’t have the knowledge, and as lawyers, we don’t really get taught that at law school,” she said.
A key lesson she learnt from her experience as a legal firm owner was the importance of cultivating a personal brand as a boutique firm owner, as it not only fosters stronger connections with clients but also highlights your firm’s unique identity.
“It’s really important as a boutique firm owner to have a personal brand and to be out there on social media.
“I’ve worked really hard at developing our Studio Legal social media presence, and within that, I’m often posting about what I’m doing, which could be if I’m DJing at a gig or out at some other event,” she said.
Tutty also emphasised the importance of legal leaders and lawyers immersing themselves in their client’s industries and sharing these experiences on social media. As it not only showcases their dedication to their work but also reinforces their client relationships.
“It’s really important that lawyers are out there in the industries that their clients are working in.
“Whether it’s an art gallery opening or going to a fitness expo, they should be out there being seen and sharing their experiences on social media. Just making it known to the public that they are passionate about this industry,” she said.
Given the demanding nature of the legal profession, Tutty stressed the significance of cultivating a supportive workplace culture and environment as a legal leader.
“I’m really big on creating a really supportive workplace culture as we come to work like 40-plus hours every week. It’s really important that lawyers love coming to work and love the type of work that they’re doing,” she said.
Tutty highlighted that legal leaders can achieve this by engaging in meaningful conversations about their values and goals with their team. This practice ensures that each individual’s journey enriches and aligns with their objectives.
“I feel like it’s very important for management to really have good chats with their team about what’s important to them and what journey they want to have as a lawyer.
“For example, in my team, I know pretty intimately what all of my lawyers’ dreams and goals are, and we try to develop their careers so that each thing they do is a step closer to where they want to go overall as a lawyer, so they have that kind of real purpose at work,” she said.
She acknowledged that while there will inevitably be challenging days, a key lesson she has learnt on her leadership journey is the importance of maintaining a supportive workforce and helping employees achieve their goals.
“I think when people feel like they have a purpose in their work, they feel happier. Obviously, there’s going to be days where it’s hard. Being alert can be very stressful, but if there’s a supportive workforce, and they feel like they’re reaching their goals, I feel like that’s the winning combination for management to kind of conquer,” she said.
Another crucial lesson Tutty imparted to aspiring legal leaders is the significance of being financially savvy and knowledgeable.
Tutty said: “Some people are really naturally good at that, and for other people, it’s not their strength, or they might not feel like that’s something they need to really focus on.
“But there [are] so many things that I’ve learnt maybe only in the last five years that I wish I’d learnt in the first five years about being lean, planning better, and just knowing my numbers more and how I can pull different levers to sort of achieve different financial results.”
Tutty shared that those wanting to establish their financial skills should seek mentors and build a solid financial advisory team.
“Getting mentors, getting a strong financial advisory team to help you. Yeah, I wish I’d learnt that earlier, too. It’s a big learning curve,” she said.
