Legal Career Development

Law alone is no longer enough. Clients today don’t just want a memo on risk. They want to know how that risk impacts their product launch, their valuation, and their compliance in a world driven by AI and global regulation. This is why multidisciplinary legal teams are emerging as winners. Lawyers who collaborate with economists, engineers, coders, and policy experts aren’t sidelined. They lead. They shape strategy, deliver clarity, and redefine value for clients. I’ve explored this shift in my latest column. Multidisciplinary Legal Teams Are Winning: Here’s Why (See below). Would love to hear your take. Are we ready to break away from traditional models and embrace hybrid teams? #Law #LegalInnovation #FutureOfWork #Leadership #LegalProfession #Strategy

As a junior lawyer, I got copied into client email threads and didn’t know what I should do besides waiting to be delegated tasks. Here are 5 things that I’ve learned to do to be more involved: 1️⃣ Project management Extract actions and proposed due dates from client correspondence. Bonus points if you have a project tracker that you can continually update. “Hi Jane, I’ve read through the 6 emails sent by [client] today and set out the action items below. I’ll keep updating this list as the day goes on.” 2️⃣ File management Save all correspondence and documents to the client / matter file. “Hi Jane, just letting you know I’ve saved these documents to [system]. Attached is the link to the [document] if you’d like to review it now.” 3️⃣ Offer to do the first draft of the document / task / email response “Hi Jane, [client] has asked us to amend the contract to reflect the agreed issues list by Friday (4 August). I can prepare a first draft for your review by Thursday morning if you’d like.” 4️⃣ Get familiar with the client Take note of their communication style, key contacts, approvals process, concerns, business drivers, preferred forms of documents, billing procedures, upload portals etc. Being aware of these things helps with providing a better personalised legal service. 5️⃣ Handle routine inquiries Simple and routine inquiries from clients can be handled by junior lawyers, freeing up the senior lawyer's time for more complex and strategic matters. Check with your supervisor about the types of things they would like you to handle. For those tasks, if not you’re not sure about your response, prepare a draft email for their review. “Hi Jane, I’ve prepared a draft response to [client] below but was not 100% sure about a few things. I’ve flagged my questions and proposed responses but would appreciate it if you could run your eye over it before we send it out.” Are these things that you do? Anything else you’d add? ------------- Btw, if you're a junior lawyer looking for practical career advice - check out the free how-to guides on my website. You can also stay updated by sending a connection / follow. #lawyers #lawstudents #legalprofession #lawschool

Law school taught me the law. But building a career? That’s a different story. Many years ago, I walked into my first day as a lawyer, armed with my 2nd Upper Degree, thinking I was ready. I WAS NOT. Here are 12 lessons I learnt the hard way: (I wish someone had shared with me before I started) 1️⃣ It’s Okay to Ask for Help Pretending to know everything? Rookie mistake. Ask questions. Get clarity. Even top-tier lawyers do. 2️⃣ Networking > Billable Hours Winning cases builds a reputation, but relationships build careers. That partner you avoid at events? Talk to them. 3️⃣ Reputation Is Currency Every email. Every call. They all shape how people see you. Guard your reputation like it’s your most valuable client. 4️⃣ Billing ≠ Just Hours Worked It’s not about grinding for numbers—it’s about delivering value. (And yes, padding your billables will get you noticed—for all the wrong reasons.) 5️⃣ Clients Crave More Than Advice They want trust, empathy, and someone who listens. Legal skills matter, but human connection wins clients for life. 6️⃣ The Best Lawyers Never Stop Evolving The law changes, and so should you. Stay curious. Stay sharp. Stay ahead. 7️⃣ Mentors = Secret Weapons Find someone who’s been where you want to go. The right mentor will save you years of trial and error. 8️⃣ Burnout Is the Silent Killer The late nights will come, but don’t make them your norm. Protect your energy—because no case is worth your health. 9️⃣ Pick Your Battles Not every fight is worth the courtroom. Strategic restraint is a superpower. 🔟 Mistakes Are Inevitable Here’s the secret: It’s not about never failing—it’s about how you bounce back. Own it, learn from it, and keep moving. 1️⃣1️⃣ It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint You don’t need to win every deal or impress every partner. Pacing yourself is how you last in this game. 1️⃣2️⃣ Never Lose Sight of Your WHY When the grind feels endless (and it will), your WHY will keep you grounded. Don’t let go of it—it’s your anchor. Law school taught you the law. But no one taught you how to build a career in it. Lawyers reading this, did I miss anything? What else would you add to my list? --- Repost this♻️ to help the juniors out there! ➕ Follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. To the trainees starting out: It’s okay to feel scared. P.P.S. The partners you’re intimidated by? They were once where you are. Everyone starts somewhere. You've got this!

Last month, I shared my observations about lawyers who successfully transitioned to business roles. Many of you resonated with one of the points that I made: that these lawyers tend to be great at issue spotting, but "with an eye for opportunity—not risk." Today I’ll share four ways that have helped me calibrate my issue spotting skill for the business world: 1. Be aware of the bigger goals. Without knowing what my company’s goals were, I would always default to issue-spotting for risk. It’s just how lawyers are trained, I guess. Understanding our top priorities helped me also figure out what our CEO/execs needed, and where our company could find unexpected ways to achieve them. Seeing the bigger picture gave me a framework for understanding how to make tactical, day-to-day type of decisions. 2. Focus on how to “get lucky” instead of “being correct.” There was something comforting about pointing out risks because even if bad things didn’t end up happening, I felt like I was “correct” in warning my teammates about them. Eventually I started using my ability to process fact patterns to quickly visualize multiple unexpected paths to achieving company objectives. Leadership appreciates when you come up with new ways to help them hit their goals. 3. Recognize the hidden costs of the status quo. Your lawyer brain may scream “don’t sign that contract” but what are the consequences of not bringing on that customer? As a startup person, I eventually realized that if we didn’t hit certain revenue milestones in time, it would put fundraising at risk—which would lead to the company running out of money. It dawned upon me why the status quo was unacceptable—even if that path was safer from a legal perspective. 4. Get comfortable acting with incomplete information. Lawyers, especially those of us who come from the law firm world, are used to researching thoroughly before recommending a course of action. However in the business world, speed often matters just as much as accuracy. Which means you have to move quickly and adjust/iterate over time as you learn new information. This can be very uncomfortable for lawyers—but the good news is that it gets easier over time. Would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’re a business person who works with ex-lawyers, or if you’re a lawyer who’s successfully made the transition! 

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫! “Fake it till you make it." I know because I used to believe in it. I smiled through doubts, nodded in meetings even when I wasn’t sure, and tried to act like I had it all figured out. But let me tell you—it didn’t work. Instead of building confidence, it left me feeling like an impostor in spaces I had already earned. The problem with “Fake it till you make it” is that it encourages you to mask your doubts and avoid asking questions. But in the corporate world, this mindset can backfire. Pretending to know everything won’t earn you respect. It’ll leave you stuck, missing out on growth opportunities, and potentially making costly mistakes. Over my 5+ years in Big 4s, startups, and a regulatory body, I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come from faking. It comes from showing up authentically. It comes from owning what you know, being honest about what you don’t, and actively seeking to learn and grow. If you’re still figuring out your career, here’s my advice: 📌Ask questions. It shows initiative, not weakness. 📌Admit when you need help—it builds trust. 📌Focus on learning and improving every day—that’s what truly sets you apart. 📌Don’t fake it. Build it. That’s how you create a lasting, successful corporate career. Have you ever felt the pressure to “fake it”? Have you faced this in your career, and how did you handle it? LinkedIn LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Life LinkedIn Guide to Networking #linkedin #growth #mindset #corporate #politics

Over 60% of professionals with career gaps say they’ve felt judged during hiring without ever being heard. That number should concern us. Because behind every “gap” is a real story. I recently spoke to a candidate who took a year off to care for her mother after a medical emergency. She said, “I hesitated to apply because I thought my break would be seen as a weakness.” Not once did she mention how much she had grown in resilience, patience, and emotional strength during that time. She didn’t think it counted. And that’s the problem. We’ve made continuous work the standard of worth and anything else feels like failure. At The People Company - A Creative Personal Branding Agency, we’ve made a conscious change. When we see a gap in a resume, we don’t rush to question it. Instead, we ask: “What did that time teach you?” That one sentence changes the tone from judgement to curiosity. It opens up a conversation, not a defense. Because a break doesn’t mean they forgot how to work. It means life asked them to pause and they listened. And in a world that glorifies non-stop hustle, choosing to pause is not weakness. It’s wisdom. Let’s stop punishing people for being human. 🔔 Follow Archana Singh - HR 🎯 for more. #HR #employee #jobs

To Every Young Lawyer (or Professional) Who Feels Like a Fraud—Read This When I started practicing, I felt a pit in my stomach every single day for the first four years. You know the feeling—the part where you’re just faking it, hoping you’ll make it? Exactly. Every matter was unfamiliar. Every client brought something I hadn’t seen. And every time I got a question I couldn’t answer, I questioned whether I belonged. If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You’re not an imposter—you’re just new. And you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is the fear that everyone else knows what they’re doing—and you don’t. But here’s what helped me move past it: 1. I learned that every lawyer—even the most seasoned—encounters problems they’ve never seen before. The law evolves. The facts shift. The people involved are never the same. You don’t stop facing the unknown. You just get better at working through it. 2. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from knowing how to find the answer—and who to call when you can’t. When you run into an issue outside your subject matter, find someone who knows it well. Listen. Learn. And take notes for next time. Build a network of problem-solvers. Get a mentor. Know lawyers in other fields. Build relationships with expert witnesses. Their insight will elevate your thinking and your practice. You’ll know your network is strong when you’re two phone calls away from any answer you need. Be the kind of professional others respect and want to support. And return the favor when your phone rings. You don’t outgrow imposter syndrome—you outsmart it.

How I Cut My Legal Research Time in Half (Without Lowering Quality) In law school, I used to spend hours researching cases, scrolling through long judgments, and struggling to find the right precedent. Then, I discovered something—technology can do half the work for you. Here’s how I started using tech to improve my legal research efficiency (and how you can too): ➡ I stopped relying only on Google and SCC At first, I used SCC and Google like everyone else. But then I explored AI-powered tools like CaseMine, Manupatra’s AI assist, and LexisNexis search filters. These tools don’t just show cases—they analyze patterns, suggest related cases, and even highlight the most relevant paragraphs. ➡ I used AI tools to summarize long judgments Instead of reading 100+ pages of a judgment, I used AI tools like Judgment Summarizer (Judi.AI), ChatGPT, and Casetext’s CARA to get quick summaries. I still cross-checked the key paragraphs, but this saved me hours of skimming through irrelevant sections. ➡ I automated citations instead of doing them manually I used to format citations manually (which was painfully slow). Then I found tools like Zotero, Refworks LLC, and EndNote, which automatically generate and format case citations in Bluebook, OSCOLA, or any other style. ➡ I learned how to use Boolean search effectively Most students waste time searching with plain keywords. I learned Boolean operators (like AND, OR, NOT, NEAR) to refine my searches. Instead of searching "arbitration clause invalid enforcement India", I used: 📌 “arbitration clause” AND (“invalid” OR “unenforceable”) AND India This pulled up precise, relevant results—faster and with less junk. ➡ I created a personal case law database Instead of searching for the same cases repeatedly, I started saving and tagging judgments using Notion, Microsoft OneNote, or Evernote. Whenever I found an important case, I stored it with key takeaways, so I never had to research it again. ➡ I used contract analysis software for drafting research For contract-related research, I used tools like Kira Systems and Lawgeex. These platforms analyze contracts and highlight risky clauses, giving me a head start before I even begin drafting. ➡ I practiced speed reading with tech tools Reading long judgments was slowing me down. So, I used speed-reading tools like Spritz Reader and Reedy to improve my reading efficiency, helping me absorb legal texts faster. ➡ I set up alerts for legal updates Instead of manually checking for new laws, I set up alerts on LexisNexis, SCC Online, and Google Alerts to notify me whenever new judgments or amendments were published in my areas of interest. The result? Faster research, more accurate results, and more time for actual analysis instead of just searching. If you’re still researching the old-school way, start using technology. Lawyers who use tech don’t just work faster—they work smarter.

I got my license to practice law in October 2006. Here are the "Top 10" things I wish someone told me 17 years ago: 1. Work like hell in your 20's. This is how you set yourself up for doing something great in your 30's and 40's. If you show up to a job and just do the minimum to remain employed (which many people do) your career will not flourish later. 2. The money you make in years 1-5 after law school does not matter. You need enough to pay the bills. That is it. Don't worry about your friends making more money. The real money comes later. 3. If someone is willing to mentor you, accept it with open arms. You know next-to-nothing about practicing law when you graduate law school. I see way too many young lawyers who don't know how to accept advice and training. 4. Big law is a bad place to work. I know very few people who are fulfilled by a career in big law. There are so many other ways to make money as a lawyer in today's world. 5. If you remain in private practice, you must develop a book of business. A lawyer without a book of business is much easier to replace than a lawyer with a book of business. Start early. Write blogs. Post on social media (appropriately). Network as often as you can. Stay in touch with people from law school. All this will build on itself over time. 6. Your competence as a lawyer is ultimately judged by your performance as a lawyer. No one will care what school you went to or where you graduated in your class. I know a lot of smart people who are bad lawyers. 7. Being a good lawyer requires knowing much more than the law. Most of the time, you need to find practical solutions for clients (not legal ones). You need to develop your ability to see the big picture from the client's point of view and help them solve problems. 8. Clients want short actionable advice. No one cares about your 20 page memo. It is a waste of time and money. Your job as the lawyer is to take the 20 page memo and distill it to a few bullet points for your client. 9. Pick up the damn phone. You may not like calling people in your private life, but the human touch is critical to lawyering. Whether it is your client or opposing counsel, talking is critical so that things don't get lost in translation via email or text. 10. It's all about relationships. Your success as a lawyer is fully dependent on your relationships. If you are building strong relationships at every stage of your career, you will have more clients and more job opportunities as you get into your 40's. #lawyers #attorneys #lawstudents #lawschool

I had just 30 minutes to prepare for a court hearing. Not a typo. Thirty minutes. No case file. No background. No second chance. The client had fired their previous advocate that very morning. They were desperate. I was brought in last-minute with nothing but the court number and the brief facts on WhatsApp. The other side? → Senior Counsel with a full legal team. → Pages of written submissions. → Well-rehearsed arguments. I was standing alone with a notepad. But I knew something they didn’t: In an courtroom, the judge is overworked, overloaded, and underwhelmed by drama. What they want is clarity. So while the other side quoted 7 judgments in 10 minutes… I did this: → Spoke in plain English. → Told the judge exactly what the issue was. → Gave 2 reasons why we deserved relief, nothing more. The judge leaned back and said: "Finally, someone is making sense." We won the hearing. Client folded hands in gratitude outside court. Here’s what I took away: → Your job isn’t to show off knowledge. It’s to solve a problem. → Simplicity is not weakness. It’s a strategy. → The best lawyers don’t confuse. They clarify. To every junior young lawyer: Don’t fall into the trap of over-explaining. Speak like you respect the judge’s time. That alone can set you apart.