Tips for Lawyers Podcast

We all want to do the job properly and comprehensively, but at what point should you draw the line when it comes to chasing down the answer to every thought you have in a given task?

It's a common issue for young lawyers - it just seems like everything takes much longer than it "should". So how can we be working towards more efficiency in our practice?

In "legal writing" (whatever that means) should we be using contractions? Some seem to be firmly against, and others much more casual about it all.

Many young lawyers come out of law school with a lot of knowledge and the ability to put together a sound legal opinion on a given topic. But when it comes to communicating that to the client... it all goes to hell in a handbasket.

During law school you developed some tactics, habits and strategies designed to work within the system and maximise your results. Some of them aren't going to translate well into legal practice. Listen to find out more!

Should you take advice from people who haven't themselves thrived in the legal profession?

I get it – bad things do happen in a legal career, and there are certainly some aspects that need “fixing”. But the truth is, even if we fix everything we can, a legal career is still going to be challenging at intellectual, emotional and spiritual levels. So if you’re not up for that, or […]

Your letters are too long. Time to fix it. Your letters are too long. Time to fix it.

And, more importantly, does it have to be that way? By applying a simple change in the way you perceive your decisions, you can start to ensure that you are working towards being a more valuable contributor to your firm every day. And, more importantly, does it have to be that way? By applying a […]

Audience, Purpose, Tone and Brevity – you’ve heard me say it before, and you probably will again. These are the key elements of excellent legal drafting. So how can we ensure that the purpose of our legal drafting is well defined, and that what we produce achieves that purpose? Let’s chat about that in this […]

Legal drafting isn’t just a way of throwing clever words on a page in a particular order. It’s about the right words, for the right situation, to achieve the desired purpose for the recipient. And a big part of that involves getting the right tone in your communication – if every piece of correspondence you […]

As lawyers we’re busy a lot, and some lawyers declare their busy-ness even when they’re not. But for young lawyers the first time they experience a period of relatively low workload can actually be a bit daunting. What should you be doing with that time if nobody has any work to give you? Do you […]

It’s 100% guaranteed to happen – you hit “that point” where you start wondering whether this is all that a legal career has to offer. The question is: what are you going to do with that feeling? It’s 100% guaranteed to happen – you hit “that point” where you start wondering whether this is all […]

Many young lawyers aspire to start their own firm. But beyond finances, business, marketing and legal knowledge there is one big question you need to tackle before you make the decision. Let’s talk about that. Many young lawyers aspire to start their own firm. But beyond finances, business, marketing and legal knowledge there is one […]

With all the advice, information and help available for young lawyers, it would be easy to try and suck up everything like an enormous sponge. I’m not totally convinced that’s a good idea. With all the advice, information and help available for young lawyers, it would be easy to try and suck up everything like […]

We need to be clear about something – we don’t work in a justice system, we work in a legal system. There are a few reasons I want to make that distinction… which you’ll find out in this episode. We need to be clear about something – we don’t work in a justice system, we work […]

Falling into a rut isn’t always a bad thing, unless you don’t know you’re in it. In this episode I talk about how you can decide if the rut is right for you, and some tips to help avoid a path leading to frustration and despair in your legal career. Falling into a rut isn’t always […]

With 30 days of legal skills in a row it would be easy to get overwhelmed by a massive “to do” list of things that you need to achieve instantly. But think back to where we started – that’s not how it works. In this last lesson for the series we talk about how to […]

Yes. Yes you can. But you probably want more details than that, right? Yes. Yes you can. But you probably want more details than that, right?

In this episode we’re going to have a chat about one of the things that clients hate the most – and yet, it’s one of the most common practises among lawyers. Mostly because we’re afraid of dealing with it. In this episode we’re going to have a chat about one of the things that clients hate […]

Much of what we do as lawyers involves managing expectations – both in terms of what assumptions are made, what’s communicated, and how we go about delivering on what’s been promised. And it’s not that easy.  Much of what we do as lawyers involves managing expectations – both in terms of what assumptions are made, […]

While clients might be the point, we also need to ensure that the role of our clients stays in perspective. We serve, and we serve to the best of our abilities. But there are times when clients shouldn’t really be at the top of your list. While clients might be the point, we also need to […]

I don’t count people as “skills” but let’s face it – clients are really the whole point of this legal career you’ve chosen, right? I don’t count people as “skills” but let’s face it – clients are really the whole point of this legal career you’ve chosen, right?

It can be hard to think that you’ve had a good year, unless you actually take the time to jot down the ways you’ve improved and your successes over time. You might be surprised to see just how far you’ve come. It can be hard to think that you’ve had a good year, unless you actually […]

Even as a young lawyer there are some very simple strategies you can use to help the business along… and hopefully stand out as a real contributor in the meantime. Even as a young lawyer there are some very simple strategies you can use to help the business along… and hopefully stand out as a real […]