Building a better lawyer
Add another string to your bow with the QLS Practice Management Course
“Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.”
-attributed to Seneca the Younger, Roman Stoic philosopher 4 BC-65 AD)
My first foray into management (a long-term acting role) was the very definition of a deep-end learning experience, and we are not talking deep end of the next-door neighbour’s pool. We are talking Marianas Trench, metal-crushing pressure deep end.
I had taken over from an excellent and hard-working manager, who left big enough shoes to fill as it was. Combine that with the fact that two experienced senior legal officers had departed just before him, another left shortly after and the most senior person I had on the books went on maternity leave, and it was pretty hectic.
I was working from very early to very late, and on the weekends (both days mostly). Not really what one pictures when one thinks of government legal work!
Part of the problem, of course, was that I was given the role for the same reason most lawyers are given such roles: because I was the best lawyer on the team. Whatever management skills I possessed — and I suspect back then, they were few — did not factor into it. It was the only path to promotion available to me, and I am sure my then employers were more concerned about losing my skills as a lawyer than they were keen to see what kind of manager I was.
Luckily for me I had help at hand, in that my dad was an experienced and successful leader and manager and I was able to lean on him for guidance and advice. I also had good people in my team and good management above me, which isn’t to say I didn’t make a mistake or two along the way. I didn’t have a plan, nor much of a clue how to manage the day-to-day tasks of running what was essentially a busy and growing legal practice, albeit that it was for a government regulator.
It would have been a lot better if I had some training in the day-to-day management of legal teams, and I am pretty sure most lawyers thrust into similar positions would feel the same. This is especially the case given the pace of practice these days means senior lawyers struggle to make time for even rudimentary mentoring. If I had my time over again, I would have prepared for the opportunity earlier, and ensured that I had the necessary skills to take full advantage of the opportunity when it came.
Simply put, it was too late once I was in the thick of things to take time out to acquire some management skills. Any solicitors who think they might one day aspire to leadership roles, or believe the opportunity might come along, should prepare now so they are able to take advantage of any opportunities that arise. One good way of doing this is to undertake the QLS Practice Management Course.
In order to obtain your principal practising certificate, you are required to complete the PMC but the course also provides an excellent opportunity for young and not-so-young solicitors to acquire the skills necessary to take on leadership positions in both law firms and internal legal teams. The skills for running sole and small practices are especially consistent with those needed to run in-house units. The ability to enlist a group of colleagues in a common cause, create a positive workplace culture and manage staff conflict is essential in managing successful teams and firms. The courses cover a wide range of topics, including ethics, risk management and compliance.
Even if you are not currently in a leadership role, the skills learned in this course will be of use — and more importantly, you will be prepared to take such an opportunity if it comes along. Whether it is an acting role in government, a senior associate position in a law firm or leading an in-house team, completing the PMC will provide you with the skills to give you the edge on the competition.
