Legal Career Development

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫! “Fake it till you make it." I know because I used to believe in it. I smiled through doubts, nodded in meetings even when I wasn’t sure, and tried to act like I had it all figured out. But let me tell you—it didn’t work. Instead of building confidence, it left me feeling like an impostor in spaces I had already earned. The problem with “Fake it till you make it” is that it encourages you to mask your doubts and avoid asking questions. But in the corporate world, this mindset can backfire. Pretending to know everything won’t earn you respect. It’ll leave you stuck, missing out on growth opportunities, and potentially making costly mistakes. Over my 5+ years in Big 4s, startups, and a regulatory body, I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come from faking. It comes from showing up authentically. It comes from owning what you know, being honest about what you don’t, and actively seeking to learn and grow. If you’re still figuring out your career, here’s my advice: 📌Ask questions. It shows initiative, not weakness. 📌Admit when you need help—it builds trust. 📌Focus on learning and improving every day—that’s what truly sets you apart. 📌Don’t fake it. Build it. That’s how you create a lasting, successful corporate career. Have you ever felt the pressure to “fake it”? Have you faced this in your career, and how did you handle it? LinkedIn LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Life LinkedIn Guide to Networking #linkedin #growth #mindset #corporate #politics

Law school taught me the law. But building a career? That’s a different story. Many years ago, I walked into my first day as a lawyer, armed with my 2nd Upper Degree, thinking I was ready. I WAS NOT. Here are 12 lessons I learnt the hard way: (I wish someone had shared with me before I started) 1️⃣ It’s Okay to Ask for Help Pretending to know everything? Rookie mistake. Ask questions. Get clarity. Even top-tier lawyers do. 2️⃣ Networking > Billable Hours Winning cases builds a reputation, but relationships build careers. That partner you avoid at events? Talk to them. 3️⃣ Reputation Is Currency Every email. Every call. They all shape how people see you. Guard your reputation like it’s your most valuable client. 4️⃣ Billing ≠ Just Hours Worked It’s not about grinding for numbers—it’s about delivering value. (And yes, padding your billables will get you noticed—for all the wrong reasons.) 5️⃣ Clients Crave More Than Advice They want trust, empathy, and someone who listens. Legal skills matter, but human connection wins clients for life. 6️⃣ The Best Lawyers Never Stop Evolving The law changes, and so should you. Stay curious. Stay sharp. Stay ahead. 7️⃣ Mentors = Secret Weapons Find someone who’s been where you want to go. The right mentor will save you years of trial and error. 8️⃣ Burnout Is the Silent Killer The late nights will come, but don’t make them your norm. Protect your energy—because no case is worth your health. 9️⃣ Pick Your Battles Not every fight is worth the courtroom. Strategic restraint is a superpower. 🔟 Mistakes Are Inevitable Here’s the secret: It’s not about never failing—it’s about how you bounce back. Own it, learn from it, and keep moving. 1️⃣1️⃣ It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint You don’t need to win every deal or impress every partner. Pacing yourself is how you last in this game. 1️⃣2️⃣ Never Lose Sight of Your WHY When the grind feels endless (and it will), your WHY will keep you grounded. Don’t let go of it—it’s your anchor. Law school taught you the law. But no one taught you how to build a career in it. Lawyers reading this, did I miss anything? What else would you add to my list? --- Repost this♻️ to help the juniors out there! ➕ Follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. To the trainees starting out: It’s okay to feel scared. P.P.S. The partners you’re intimidated by? They were once where you are. Everyone starts somewhere. You've got this!

Last month, I shared my observations about lawyers who successfully transitioned to business roles. Many of you resonated with one of the points that I made: that these lawyers tend to be great at issue spotting, but "with an eye for opportunity—not risk." Today I’ll share four ways that have helped me calibrate my issue spotting skill for the business world: 1. Be aware of the bigger goals. Without knowing what my company’s goals were, I would always default to issue-spotting for risk. It’s just how lawyers are trained, I guess. Understanding our top priorities helped me also figure out what our CEO/execs needed, and where our company could find unexpected ways to achieve them. Seeing the bigger picture gave me a framework for understanding how to make tactical, day-to-day type of decisions. 2. Focus on how to “get lucky” instead of “being correct.” There was something comforting about pointing out risks because even if bad things didn’t end up happening, I felt like I was “correct” in warning my teammates about them. Eventually I started using my ability to process fact patterns to quickly visualize multiple unexpected paths to achieving company objectives. Leadership appreciates when you come up with new ways to help them hit their goals. 3. Recognize the hidden costs of the status quo. Your lawyer brain may scream “don’t sign that contract” but what are the consequences of not bringing on that customer? As a startup person, I eventually realized that if we didn’t hit certain revenue milestones in time, it would put fundraising at risk—which would lead to the company running out of money. It dawned upon me why the status quo was unacceptable—even if that path was safer from a legal perspective. 4. Get comfortable acting with incomplete information. Lawyers, especially those of us who come from the law firm world, are used to researching thoroughly before recommending a course of action. However in the business world, speed often matters just as much as accuracy. Which means you have to move quickly and adjust/iterate over time as you learn new information. This can be very uncomfortable for lawyers—but the good news is that it gets easier over time. Would love to hear your thoughts, especially if you’re a business person who works with ex-lawyers, or if you’re a lawyer who’s successfully made the transition! 

I had just 30 minutes to prepare for a court hearing. Not a typo. Thirty minutes. No case file. No background. No second chance. The client had fired their previous advocate that very morning. They were desperate. I was brought in last-minute with nothing but the court number and the brief facts on WhatsApp. The other side? → Senior Counsel with a full legal team. → Pages of written submissions. → Well-rehearsed arguments. I was standing alone with a notepad. But I knew something they didn’t: In an courtroom, the judge is overworked, overloaded, and underwhelmed by drama. What they want is clarity. So while the other side quoted 7 judgments in 10 minutes… I did this: → Spoke in plain English. → Told the judge exactly what the issue was. → Gave 2 reasons why we deserved relief, nothing more. The judge leaned back and said: "Finally, someone is making sense." We won the hearing. Client folded hands in gratitude outside court. Here’s what I took away: → Your job isn’t to show off knowledge. It’s to solve a problem. → Simplicity is not weakness. It’s a strategy. → The best lawyers don’t confuse. They clarify. To every junior young lawyer: Don’t fall into the trap of over-explaining. Speak like you respect the judge’s time. That alone can set you apart.

Yesterday, a young CA from Bangalore, who had recently started his practice, approached me for guidance on building a career in Direct and Indirect Tax Litigation. Here’s what I advised him: 1. Starting a practice, especially as a first-generation professional, is financially challenging. Keep your expenses under strict control. When I began my practice in 1998 after leaving my job with the Aditya Birla Group, even affording travel to my rented office was difficult. I had to seek help from my mother before a guiding angel, CA R.K. Duggar, supported me financially, personally, and professionally. 2. The initial phase of practice often brings fewer assignments, but this is a blessing in disguise. Use this time to enhance your knowledge. Invest in good books, watch YouTube webinars on important topics, and listen to experts like Senior Advocate Arvind Datar. Subscribe to Taxmann, Taxguru, and TMI. 3. Idleness allows you to reflect and think critically. Read beyond tax laws—explore jurisprudence and judgments from other legal fields via platforms like LiveLaw and Bar & Bench. Follow interviews and articles of legal stalwarts to understand their approach to the profession. 4. Participate in physical seminars and become part of a study circle. This will not only expand your professional network but may also help you find a mentor who can guide you in work and even provide opportunities. 5. Visit tribunals and courts to observe how counsels argue and how the bench responds. Understanding courtroom dynamics will significantly enhance your litigation skills. 6. Writing articles forces you to conduct thorough research, thereby deepening your understanding of the subject. It also establishes you as a knowledgeable professional in your field. 7. Never judge a case by the quantum of demand or fee involved. A seemingly small case with intricate legal questions can provide more recognition than a high-profile matter. 8. Master the Facts of a Case from the Beginning such as during audits, search and seizure, or SCNs. 9. Always be honest and straightforward with your clients. Offer impartial advice but let them decide on their course of action when multiple strategies exist. Never step into your client’s shoes—your role is to guide, not to decide for them. 11. Avoid working for unreasonably low fees just because you have no other work. If you don’t respect your worth, no one else will. Set fees that reflect the value you bring to your clients. 12. Avoid Becoming a ‘Wheeler-Dealer’. Your role is to provide legal expertise, not to maneuver deals. 13. Growth in litigation practice is gradual. Do not lose hope. The learning process involves trial and error, and experience will teach you how to proceed. Remember, when you switch off the lights, the room initially turns dark, but over time, your eyes adjust, and you start seeing even in the darkness. Similarly, with persistence, clarity and opportunities will emerge.

I got my license to practice law in October 2006. Here are the "Top 10" things I wish someone told me 17 years ago: 1. Work like hell in your 20's. This is how you set yourself up for doing something great in your 30's and 40's. If you show up to a job and just do the minimum to remain employed (which many people do) your career will not flourish later. 2. The money you make in years 1-5 after law school does not matter. You need enough to pay the bills. That is it. Don't worry about your friends making more money. The real money comes later. 3. If someone is willing to mentor you, accept it with open arms. You know next-to-nothing about practicing law when you graduate law school. I see way too many young lawyers who don't know how to accept advice and training. 4. Big law is a bad place to work. I know very few people who are fulfilled by a career in big law. There are so many other ways to make money as a lawyer in today's world. 5. If you remain in private practice, you must develop a book of business. A lawyer without a book of business is much easier to replace than a lawyer with a book of business. Start early. Write blogs. Post on social media (appropriately). Network as often as you can. Stay in touch with people from law school. All this will build on itself over time. 6. Your competence as a lawyer is ultimately judged by your performance as a lawyer. No one will care what school you went to or where you graduated in your class. I know a lot of smart people who are bad lawyers. 7. Being a good lawyer requires knowing much more than the law. Most of the time, you need to find practical solutions for clients (not legal ones). You need to develop your ability to see the big picture from the client's point of view and help them solve problems. 8. Clients want short actionable advice. No one cares about your 20 page memo. It is a waste of time and money. Your job as the lawyer is to take the 20 page memo and distill it to a few bullet points for your client. 9. Pick up the damn phone. You may not like calling people in your private life, but the human touch is critical to lawyering. Whether it is your client or opposing counsel, talking is critical so that things don't get lost in translation via email or text. 10. It's all about relationships. Your success as a lawyer is fully dependent on your relationships. If you are building strong relationships at every stage of your career, you will have more clients and more job opportunities as you get into your 40's. #lawyers #attorneys #lawstudents #lawschool

For decades, 'legal tech' meant one thing: building complex, expensive software to help big law firms bill more hours, more efficiently. The entire industry was built to serve the lawyer. That era is officially over. The real, multi-trillion dollar opportunity was never about making lawyers slightly more productive, it was about serving the millions of small businesses and individuals who couldn't afford them in the first place. A new wave of startup founders understands that the future isn't about selling software to law firms, but about delivering legal outcomes to everyone else. This shift is happening in real-time so when I met Andrew Guzman at OpenLaw, with a mission of making legal services accessible and on-demand, I was excited to get involved. Their momentum highlights a broader trend we're seeing. Devalued Currency: On-premise enterprise software sold in multi-year contracts to the top 200 law firms. New Currency: On-demand, transparently-priced legal services delivered through a marketplace that empowers both the client and the independent lawyer. Here’s how the next generation of legal tech founders are building: ✔️They Focus on the Client Experience, Not the Lawyer Workflow. The old guard built tools to optimize tasks within a law firm. The next gen are obsessed with the client's journey. They ask: "How can we get a small business a simple, fixed-fee contract review in 24 hours?" This client-centric obsession, rather than lawyer-centric optimization, is the single biggest mindset shift in the industry. ✔️ They Use AI for Access, Not Just Efficiency. First-gen legal tech used AI to help a $1k/hour lawyer find a document 10% faster. The new generation uses AI to automate routine tasks, enabling a marketplace of lawyers to offer services at a price point small businesses can actually afford. AI isn't a tool to enhance the old model, it's a weapon to unlock a completely new market. ✔️ They Sell Predictability First, Legal Services Second. The biggest barrier for a small business isn't a lack of legal documents, it's the paralyzing fear of surprise bills and hiring the wrong expert. Instead the new gen build products that offer fixed-fee packages, transparent reviews and clear project scopes, ensuring a customer knows the exact cost and deliverable upfront. They understand that what they’re really selling is predictability. The future of legal tech doesn't look like a piece of software. It looks like a simple, elegant experience that finally gives businesses and individuals the expert help they really need. A huge congrats to the OpenLaw team for closing $3.5M and leading the charge. Let's go! 🚀 🚀 🚀 The LegalTech Fund, Wisdom Ventures, Mindful Venture Capital, Flint Capital, Slauson & Co., Techstars, Everywhere Ventures

My student was very excited to secure a PPO to her dream lawfirm. She had just secured a PPO in December last year. Fast forward to today - It’s been just one month into the job. And she has already asked me, “Ma’am, am I eligible to move in-house already?” I paused. Not because I was surprised - I’m already accustomed to hearing this by now. But because I knew something had cracked early. So I asked her: “What happened?” Here’s what had happened at the Job: Despite 'her best efforts', she had been repeatedly hearing, “You don’t look serious for this job. Do better - or we’ll reconsider your hiring.” No guidance. No feedback. No roadmap on what "better" looked like. She told me what all freshers say, “I did exactly what I was told… why wasn’t that enough? Nobody told me what else should I have done. I am a first generation lawyer, this is my first job. I thought I would learn from my seniors. But here's the tough truth: Law firms don’t always tell you what’s missing. They don’t handhold. They expect you to figure it out, sometimes without saying a word. These comments aren’t just about the output. The Partners want you to take ownership. It is about you (not) taking Initiative. The ability to read between the lines, dig deeper, and do more than the bare minimum. Quitting lawfirm too early wondering if going in-house would be better - calmer, kinder, more structured? Maybe one day it will be the right move. But not yet - not before one learns the skill of decoding unspoken expectations in our profession. Not before she’s built the muscle of taking charge before being asked. Because whether you're in a law firm or in-house, nobody promotes “task-takers.” They promote problem-solvers. The trick is simple- You won’t be applauded for doing what you were told. You’ll be remembered for what you thought of, when no one asked. And no, it’s not fair. But it is real. Welcome to the profession. It won’t hold your hand, but it will build your backbone. Your Legal Career Coach (YLCC) Sammanika

10 Lessons to advance your career in law (From a Law Partner and CEO) Growing your career has many harsh lessons. Often learnt the hard way over time. But the fastest way to get ahead, is to learn from those who already walked the path. That’s why I collaborated with a Law Partner and CEO to build this list. Peter Jackson is a lawyer with 43 years experience at Hill Dickenson LLP. He was promoted first to partner,  then Managing Partner,  before becoming Chief Executive officer for over 7 years. If you want to progress faster, this is your roadmap. 1/ Take ownership ↳ Decide for yourself whether you want a job or a career. ↳ Set your own learning goals and build your own roadmap. 2/ Be proactive ↳ Do what it takes to be recognised as proactive. ↳ Put your hand up, ask for work, say yes, take secondments. 3/ Power of observation ↳ Use observation to constantly learn from those around you. ↳ Listen to your principal’s conversations; watch their behaviours; shadow them at meetings. 4/ Study the law ↳ There is no substitute for knowing the law and how to apply it. ↳ Whether as a trainee or paralegal, focus hard on studying the law. 5/ Don’t specialise too early ↳ Gain exposure to as many legal disciplines as possible. ↳ The aim is to become a rounded lawyer before you specialise.   6/ Be in-person ↳ Unpopular opinion - but to achieve 2 and 3, you need to be in-person. ↳ Get in the office. It's 10X easier to be noticed and build relationships. 7/ Put time into people ↳ Make 10% more effort to build relationships with people. ↳ Organize calls, follow-up, meet people in-person, offer your help. 8/ Understand your client’s business ↳ Immerse yourself in their sectors and understand their business model. ↳ Clients want advice relevant to the commercial reality, not just the law in black and white. 9/ Connections are currency ↳ Stay connected to clients, intermediaries, mutual connections. Start early.  ↳ Your network opens doors faster than résumés. Right people, right rooms, right conversations. 10/ Match yourself to a culture ↳ Find a firm whose culture suits you. You need an environment that gets the best out of you. ↳ Great people, mentors, but also the standards and training opportunities that push you on. ♻ Repost this if it resonated with you. ✅ Follow Alec Rickard and Peter Jackson for strategies to grow your career faster.

Entry-level jobs now demand 3 years of experience! Internships are unpaid! And salaries? They won’t even cover your rent in a metro city. For years, we’ve been told, "Get a degree, and you’ll land a good job.” But the reality? It’s nothing like we imagined. 📌 41% of freshers earn less than ₹8L/year 📌 3% of freshers earn more than ₹30L annually 📌 Many freshers work 60-70 hours per week, far beyond legal limits A decade ago, companies hired freshers and trained them from scratch. They invested in their learning, skill-building, and career growth. But today? They expect freshers to be job-ready from day one. No training, no handholding; just work. Why is this happening? 1. Over-Supply of Talent: Millions of graduates enter the job market every year, but there aren’t enough jobs to absorb them all. Companies take advantage of this by offering low pay and demanding free work. 2. Skill Gaps: What colleges teach ≠ what companies need. Freshers are often underprepared for real-world work, forcing them to take unpaid internships just to gain basic experience. 3. Cost-Cutting by Companies: Hiring freshers, training them, and paying them fairly costs money. Instead, many companies look for ready-made talent, often at the lowest possible salary. 4. Changing Job Market: AI, automation, and tech shifts have made companies prioritise experienced professionals over training fresh grads. So, what can you do? 🚀Build skills beyond your degree: Certifications, side projects, and internships can make you stand out. 🚀Work on your online presence: A solid LinkedIn profile, portfolio, or even content can help you attract better opportunities. 🚀Network strategically: The hidden job market is real. Many good jobs are never even posted online. 🚀Don’t settle too fast: Negotiate your salary. Research market trends. Your first job sets the foundation for your career. No one is coming to train you from scratch anymore. If you want better opportunities, you have to create them. Thoughts?💡