How to become a good lawyer?

Becoming a lawyer seems fairly straightforward, finishing a five-year degree and obtaining a master's degree.

Is that all there is to it?

Unfortunately, no.

When I chose this course, I realised that there would be a lot of learning and I would constantly have to further my education.

However, no one can tell you how to further your education.

Some people choose the academic route - attending conferences, writing articles for journals, taking part in training courses.

And some choose practice - working in courts, law firms, corporate legal teams or corporations.

In my opinion, it is best to combine both, as you will get a broader perspective. Theory can be too far from reality, and practice can miss the theory. It takes a lot of perseverance and quite flexible work to reconcile these issues.

I am very grateful to the lecturers for encouraging students to explore as many areas of law as possible and to choose the one that will interest us.

However, I would broaden this recommendation.

In my experience, it is worthwhile to change jobs.

Changing positions allows not only to get to know each other better, but also to understand the specificities of different environments. I have noticed that it is easy for lawyers to criticise the courts for not taking action in time. And I know that in a certain locality, in the department where payment orders are heard, there are 3 registrars for more than 300,000 cases a year. This means that each of them has over 100,000 cases every year, and this is in a small town. In larger cities, a legal secretary can have up to 3 times as many. With that being said, I don't think I will ever understand why lawyers have to keep calling the courts to find out if an order is final. As if no better way could be devised. Such conclusions can be drawn by a trainee who has worked in several places.

A good lawyer should be well-read, observant and humble. It is common and easy to overlook a detail of a case, such as a limitation period or overstepping the scope of a power of attorney. A good lawyer should read his or her writing at least five times before sending it. This also means that he or she should organise his or her work well so that deadlines are met.

It is also a good idea to know the area around where you are working. Know where the nearest post office, paper shop or good restaurant is.

Finally, it is worth taking risks. Try and learn new things. Don't be afraid of taking on a new job or changing jobs.

For example, I've started learning Chinese and I'm having a lot of fun learning about a new culture.

I am still a long way from being a good lawyer, but I intend to become one :)

Therefore, for the sake of memory, I would like to write down and share the above advice. I hope you find them helpful.

Good luck and until the next post,

Aleksandra