'To thine own self be true' says Law Society President
Law Society President Michelle N铆 Long谩in has urged trainee solicitors to be true to themselves in their future careers.
鈥淒on鈥檛 forget to be yourself. That鈥檚 the most vital thing to say.
鈥淎 lot of people think they have to play the part of the lawyer, and fit into a mould. I don鈥檛 think that works,鈥 she said.
Speaking to the trainees at a Law Society psychological service event entitled Leading with Purpose, hosted by Blackhall Place psychotherapist Antoinette Moriarty (19 January), N铆 Long谩in said she was fortunate in not having to change who she was to progress in her career.
鈥淚鈥檝e really valued that,鈥 she added. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to be myself.鈥
She urged the trainees to really think about their careers, and the lives they want, in the way that they use the solicitor qualification they work so hard to get.
鈥淚t鈥檚 worth investing in your future,鈥 she said.
Soft skills
N铆 Long谩in also spoke about the importance of really listening to clients, and the so-called 鈥渟oft skills鈥.
鈥淏e somebody your clients want to come and talk to,鈥 N铆 Long谩in advised.
Interested in justice from a young age, her parents described Michelle as the house advocate, because she spoke up for siblings about any perceived unfairness.
As a law student at Queen鈥檚, N铆 Long谩in spent time with marginalised people, and that experience has stayed with her throughout her career.
鈥淚 did learn from that the importance of respecting the people to whom you were giving advice,鈥 she said.
Be careful of your demeanour, she advised the trainees, and never leave a client waiting.
She learnt that a lawyer should bring both emotional intelligence and respect to their work.
As a young lawyer, N铆 Long谩in did a lot of employment law representation and she realised that trade unions were very particular about the culture of the firms which they engaged.
Culture of service
鈥淭hey were very demanding, and I think rightly so, about the style of service and the culture of service that was delivered to their members,鈥 she recalled.
Such qualities are absorbed from those around you, the Law Society President said.
A lawyer can be seen as a 鈥榙istress purchase鈥 in that clients are there in times of need she said, but cautioned against remarking that clients have an 鈥渋nteresting鈥 problem.
That makes the matter too abstract and not about the individual client.
Recognise that your client has a priority, which may not be the same as yours, she added.
N铆 Long谩in eventually moved to the employer side of employment law, because she felt such work would steer longer-term outcomes.
Anxiety
The Law Society President said she had been able to channel work anxiety and adrenaline to her advantage, but that recovery time is important from such stress peaks, and not 鈥渞attling on from one thing to the next鈥.
鈥淚 remember coming back after a day's hearing and finding my chair was piled up with files to above my head, all of which were marked 鈥榲ery urgent鈥.
鈥淎nd I thought, well I can鈥檛 choose between those 鈥榲ery urgents鈥, and that was very difficult," she recalled.
That situation required stepping back to pause, reflect, and compose oneself, and to recognise an impossible task, and ask for help, the president said.
It鈥檚 important to challenge unhealthy work practices, and there is more openness to doing so now, she added.
The two-year pandemic has made everyone rawer and more vulnerable, but there is more acknowledgment of these difficulties, she continued.
鈥淭here are conversations that weren鈥檛 happening before,鈥 the president noted.
Psychotherapist Antoinette Moriarty pointed out that lots of people thrived during the pandemic, through different ways of working, because they were up close with their growing children.
鈥淚ncreasingly, I鈥檓 working with young men who want more access to their children,鈥 she said.
N铆 Long谩in described how her family life has worked well with her husband full-time at home, minding their two children.
Not hung up on status
Her husband was not hung up on status, she said.
鈥淲e thought it would work better for us if one of us were at home. I appreciate that that鈥檚 very privileged, and we didn鈥檛 go abroad for many years on our holidays, and still don鈥檛 really.
鈥淲e weren鈥檛 making the better financial decision, but it was the better decision for us to survive,鈥 she added, despite tough times during the recession.
Moriarty said that such successful negotiation of family and work life would be encouraging to young people at the beginning of their careers and faced with the same decisions.
鈥淲e are never just employees or partners in an organisation 鈥 we have a whole other world around us,鈥 the psychotherapist said.