So almost 6 months of being a newly qualified solicitor/lawyer have gone and to say it has been a learning curve, would be to undersell it. I. like to think that all newly qualified solicitors go through the same thing. A journey of discovery, self doubt, nervousness, overwhelming fear – to name but a few emotions. If I was to write down a few tips for my colleagues current and those of you to come to remember, these would be the top ones.
- Treat everyone with courtesy. Be that estate agents, brokers, assistants / secretaries. It’s a small world. You don’t know who you might come across again;
- A mistake is rarely a major problem if it is identified quickly and you take action to inform superiors. Trying to fix the mistake yourself, or concealing the mistake can very quickly lead you down the rabbit hole towards dishonesty. Never take this path. Own up, talk to someone whether your supervisor or senior solicitor, own it, fix it or limit the damage, learn from it and move on;
- You will have a complaint made about you at some point. Don’t take it personally. Take a step back and evaluate your conduct. Could you have prevented it ? Learn from it;
- Make friends out of the solicitors you deal with on a regular basis if in a field such as conveyancing which is tough, lonely & demanding. A good rapport will not only help you but will make for a better process. Off course, this is not always possible in litigation or other areas but good manners and courtesy cost nothing;
- Manage expectations. A large majority of complaints received by firms could be negated if the clients expectations are managed from the start of the process and regular contact is kept with them. Even if there is nothing to report, it does not hurt to send a quick email to touch base which reassures them that you are on the job;
- Network, network, network – something I am not good at but go to the professional development courses and meet your colleagues. Talk and connect – you never know what could come off it.
Hopefully, these will be off use to someone who reads this. Also, please feel free to connect with me:
Twitter – @LearingLawyer