Early career lawyers were advised not to hide their mistakes at the inaugural Queensland Law Society Kickstart Business Breakfast for Young Lawyers in Brisbane yesterday.
Hosted by the Queensland Law Society Future Leaders Committee (FLC), about 80 practitioners received genuine and frank advice from Fisher Dore Lawyers Managing Principal Nick Dore, Resolve Estate Law Senior Associate Stephanie Duggan, and Travis Schultz, Managing Partner of Travis Schultz & Partners.
Junior lawyers were given lots of tips.
FLC member Caitlin Littleton, who facilitated the panel, asked them how junior lawyers should handle a situation where they made an error and tips on how to move forward.
Nick told the packed Aquila audience: “The most important thing with an error is don’t hide it. If you stuff something up, go and address it immediately. You actually get in more trouble if you hide it than you do for actually addressing it.
“We all make mistakes. One thing though – get rid of those auto emails because people send stuff to the wrong people all the time but in reality, just address it. There may be a consequence, and the consequence may be pretty significant, but you’ve just got address it and take it to your boss, your leader, whoever it is at the time.
“As soon as you discover it, take care of it.”
Travis agreed saying the consequences of hiding an error “and pretending it doesn’t exist” are “far greater” than being upfront about it.
“We’ve all made mistakes. We’re human. The lesson out of all that is – own it, talk it about, raise it, address it, and I can you tell that as a senior counsellor I get phone calls all the time from practitioners.
“I would get a call every week from a practitioner wanting advice on a professional, ethical similar issue. And I can tell the 99.9 per cent of times it’s okay. It’s fixed. It wasn’t the big problem that they thought and we as professionals are perfectionists as a general rule and worry about our professional obligations.
“We have a tendency to catastrophise and we all see and we all do it, but when it comes to professional mistakes I can tell you at a practical level – 99.9 per cent of times it’s fixable.”
Stephanie advised young practitioners to decompress by doing “normal things”, “relax” and “talk positively” to themselves.
“It is important to switch off,” she said, to take care of themselves and their clients.
All three panellists spoke of the importance of good, polite communication and networking within the profession.
“Remember we are all in the same boat,” Stephanie. “We are all lawyers even though we might practise in different areas. Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone. Always be professional, don’t be afraid to be collegiate.
“You can achieve a lot by doing that. You can also build respect and relationships. After that matter is finished, you may have a matter where you need to work together.”
Travis told the audience, “like it or not, you are developing a reputation”.
“It’s unavoidable. You may not realise this but every interaction that you have with a stakeholder in the profession is going to be forming a view of you. Be deliberate. Be strategic. Have a view about what personal brand you want to have out there in the profession.
“You only get one chance to develop that. You just can’t risk that one mistake that defines you in a way that you don’t want to be seen.”
Members of the FLC attended the inaugural event.
The panellists also spoke about the benefits of finding a mentor.
Clarifying that it might “sound a little weird”, Nick advised: “Don’t try too hard to grab a mentor. Usually in the work environment, a mentor will find you – through your hard work, through resilience and just by being a good person and a hard worker.”
FLC President Helen Driscoll said the panel inspired and motivated the audience and that the success of the inaugural event augured well for another one next year.
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