2023 marked two landmarks for me. I have been qualified for 10 years and have been with Fisher Jones Greenwood for a year. One of the (many) reasons I sought to join the firm was both the retention of their “home grown” talent, but also the fact that a number of them had progressed into senior roles within the firm as Associate and Partner. It stood out to me that they were doing something right with the future generation.
The reason this was so important to me is that I am genuinely passionate about playing a part in training and nurturing the future generation of solicitor. I will happily admit that my training experience was a tough one that sent me to difficult places mentally. I resolved at that point to ensure that junior or trainee solicitors that I was entrusted with would never have to go through my experience.
I want to develop, nurture and encourage the future generation so that they will be better than me. I am open about my own journey in the legal profession, so that they have the opportunity to learn from my mistakes. Of all my tips I pass on, however, one of them is a little left field.
Watch Legally Blonde.
Hear me out, there is logic to this madness.
Yes, I have seen Legally Blonde and, yes, it is certainly not on my “watch again” list. However, as I can testify from my own experiences, one of the biggest issues that any solicitor, whether new or experienced, can face can be a crippling one if not managed effectively – Imposter Syndrome. What you might be surprised to hear that this is a concept that Legally Blonde addresses brilliantly. I cannot take fully credit for drawing this distinction, as a journalist called Emma Tinson deserves this after she wrote a brilliant article about how well this film addresses this issue (which can be found at the following link if you are interested https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a39944047/legally-blonde-imposter-syndrome-my-mental-health/).
The lead character of the film, played by Reese Witherspoon, is regularly made to feel like a fraud and outcast amongst a peers and, instead of embracing who she really is, she starts to change to behave how they expect her to behave. To be like them and conform to how they expect her to be. Throughout the film, she shows academic excellence and, after initially being held back by her “imposter syndrome”, she soon demonstrates that, by being herself, she has every right to work within the legal system.
Even now, with over 16 years’ experience working in and studying law, I still get those “whispers” about being an imposter, a pretender. They are not as loud as they once were, but they do still remain. Thankfully, I have learnt to be better at listening to those voices reminding me that those traits, that I’m being told make me “a pretender”, are actually the traits that make me better at my job; my quirks, my personality, my sense of humour. I believe it is these, paired with a good knowledge of the law, that will help any solicitor thrive in this job.
If I could give one lesson to a junior or trainee lawyer, it would be to learn to incorporate who you are into how you deal with clients and interact with your team and find a firm, like I have been lucky enough to do, that encourages you to be yourself. Do not feel you need to “conform” to how you or others believe a solicitor should behave. I can say from first-hand experience, and based on what I have seen during my short time with FJG and having got to know my colleagues – it is this freedom to be who they truly are, paired with excellent training and a knowledge of the law that sets them apart.
It is this that can make an otherwise good solicitor a very good or great one.
If you have any questions about working with FJG, please contact [email protected].