Tips for Lawyers Podcast

If you listened to the last episode then you’ll know that things are changing – in particular, I’m adding in a video element to the podcast – which kind of makes it not a podcast anymore. Therefore – welcome to the Tips for Lawyers show! In this episode we’re going to explore why so many […]

If you’ve been paying attention then you might have noticed that HUGE things are happening in the life of me. That said – you’re probably not that interested in my life, but those changes are going to affect you – hopefully in a good way. In this episode I explore some of the things that […]

Today we explore the unspoken myth – that when firms talk about “work/life” balance in their advertising material, they don’t necessarily mean what you think they mean. In another extract from Moving Beyond Law School Theory, uncle Andrew has a few choice words to say about just what work/life balance really means, and what that […]

There’s an ongoing debate between universities, firms, training groups, lawyers and students. It’s connected with the virtues, or otherwise, of practical legal training. Are graduates as prepared as they should be for legal practice? Are law firms pulling their weight in the training department? Should articles of clerkship come back? This podcast episode will take […]

It can be a nerve wracking process, settling in to a new law firm as a brand new employee lawyer. However, there are a number of things you can do to help you settle in, get to know people, and ultimately solidify your position in the firm. In this episode we explore what you can […]

It’s one of the most common discussion points that comes up – are there simply too many law students, and not enough jobs? But in reality, that’s not the main issue.  Most people don’t care how saturated the profession is as some fascinating intellectual discussion.  Rather, they care about one question: how can they get […]

Real lawyers communicate.  There’s no getting around it, you just have to be great. But it’s more than just speaking, writing, and getting your own opinions out there. Communication isn’t one way – it’s two-way. In reality you are a translator – you take information, consume it, and then put it out there for others […]

Some of the most obnoxious kinds of lawyers I know are those who simply refuse to acknowledge certain truths about themselves. But, far beyond just being annoying to others, a lack of self-awareness can be genuinely damaging to your legal career, your personal growth, and your ability to command a team of people. It impacts […]

It would be easy to suggest that lawyers have to be perfect in everything they do.  After all, being perfect normally avoids you getting sued for negligence. But life is rarely as simplistic as that, and for many lawyers they are hamstrung in their endeavours by a pathological need to tinker with everything until it’s […]

In this first podcast of my new series “Real Lawyers” I take a look at integrity. It is number 1 on the list for a variety of reasons, but at its core it is because everything else flows from a sense of integrity. But what does integrity look like? Does it look like Hilary Clinton […]

It comes up quite a lot.  Should young lawyers go beyond their Bachelor of Laws and expand into the heady world of a masters degree? Of course, there are (as always) a lot of factors to weigh up. So let’s take a look at this important question, before you go spending a bunch of time […]

Many young lawyers today go into the profession with no clear idea about what they can do to improve.  They rely entirely upon what I have decided to call the “hope” method. They Hope that: someone will assist them they’ll get better at their job over time their annual reviews will be positive and helpful […]

I just do not have the time.  Where do you find the time?  How could I do that? These and more like them come up pretty often once people learn that I have a young family, work full time, run 2.75 websites, have 2 youtube channels and a podcast. I also enjoy woodworking, gardening, reading […]

In the reality of legal practice, you will absolutely 100 percent guaranteed come to a period of extreme pressure. You know the times I mean. It is when the weight is bearing down on you from all directions.  You have a million things at work to do, a thousand priorities to juggle, your personal life […]

We have a lot of things to do as lawyers, but we are not always the best at managing what to do when. It takes a strategic approach to properly allocate our work, and sometimes that involves some tough decision making. In this podcast I explore the realities of time management for lawyers, and offer […]

Marketing and networking is absolutely essential for young lawyers who want to excel in their careers. However, it’s a bit of a large area – after all, what can you do as a young lawyer to expand your reach that doesn’t cost a fortune? Well, in this podcast I look at 5 absolutely essential strategies that […]

As part of my series on effective communication techniques. Keep your communications succinct Use the right mode of communication Strike the right tone Avoid repetition unless it’s helpful or necessary Know your client Resources related to this podcast on client communication techniques Client interviews and how to succeed with them Happy Lawering! As part of my series […]

There are some fundamentals that all lawyers need to embrace, and the starting point for all of them is a commitment to ongoing professional growth. That doesn’t mean you occasionally read a book on your holidays.  It doesn’t mean you bulk watch Suits on the weekend. It means that every day, you need to consistently […]

As lawyers, it is pretty much accepted that we are going to work long hours. But is that the only reality of legal practice? Is it necessary to work massive hours to get ahead in your legal career, or can you make a go of it while still making a conscious decision to avoid such […]

Patience is commonly extolled as a great virtue, and most of the time it is. However, as lawyers we are prone to deceiving ourselves – we say that we’re being patient, but in reality we are being something else. In this podcast I look at the question: when is patience not really a virtue? The […]

In the last two episodes I have looked at some fundamentals of persuasion, albeit perhaps in a way that’s different to what you might have thought. We have looked at how useful persuasion is in legal practice in episode 39, and then in episode 40 I considered some of the underlying issues that you need […]

In this second of my three part podcast series on persuasion for lawyers, I talk about the importance of the connection element when it comes to persuasion. Persuasion does not happen inside a vacuum.  Rather, it happens within the context of a relationship.  Whether or not you are aware of it, there is always an […]

Persuasion in the legal profession is unavoidable. You must be able to persuade someone of your point of view. But have you ever really delved into why you need to do that, and the opportunities to use persuasion within your legal practice? In the first episode on how to be persuasive I’ll be talking about […]

Integrity is an interesting discussion point for lawyers. Everyone, at some fundamental level, agrees with the concept that integrity is a necessary element for any lawyer in practice. But we seem to hone in on integrity as if it only exists within the “big” issues. Don’t steal from the client. Don’t break the law. Don’t […]

It’s a crucial question that all lawyers need to ask themselves, but many leave things a bit late – why is it that you do what you do? Is it money? Prestige? Power? Nerdishness? Desire to help? Problem solving? You’re not sure? Well let’s take a few minutes today to focus you on just that […]