Need to get an edge in your practice? Listen up and be culturally aware.

By Leah Cameron, Founder & Principal Solicitor at Marrawah Law

Listening may sound like something everyone does naturally, however you’d be surprised how many lawyers don’t listen enough, particularly to their clients and especially in the indigenous space or with minority groups.

It is not acceptable that we see people needing help being bamboozled into accepting advice from solicitors who don’t listen to their client and assume they know what’s best without giving the client the time and the opportunity to talk through the issue and make an informed decision.

It’s an ugly power dynamic that no client deserves. It is also a sure-fire way to lose clientele and tarnish your reputation.

For First Nations people listening skills are sharp because of its centrality to maintaining law and custom. It is something we can all learn from and improve upon in our practice of the law.

But what other skills should we adopt when working with First Nations people and businesses? Here are three top tips:

1. Recognise First Nations cultures are often collective (concerned with what is wanted/needed by the wider community or extended family) rather than individualistic (concerned with what is wanted/needed by the individual or immediate family). This means when you have a First Nations client be aware that they may have to consult with the community or leaders about important issues.
2. Gender is a big component of First Nations law and custom. Men’s and women’s business is strict. You may need to make arrangements for the knowledge to only be shared with people of the relevant gender (for example, if you yourself are of the ‘wrong’ gender, you might enlist another lawyer at your firm to handle that part of the matter).
3. Get off on the right foot. Be respectful. Acknowledge traditional owners and allow time for a welcome to country or in some cases prayer before your meeting kicks off.

Want to know more? Queensland Law Society is hosting a panel of First Nations lawyers at Symposium discussing the topic of ‘How to achieve the best results for your First Nations Clients’ at 1.00pm on 15 March 2019.