The secret to finding joy in law again

Reflecting on her own journey, Tran acknowledged that achieving a sense of balance and joy in her work has involved “a lot of trial and error” and hasn’t always gone smoothly.

“There’s been a lot of trial and error. I tend not to think when something hasn’t worked, I just kind of move on, I guess, and learn from it,” she said.

She emphasised that lawyers – particularly younger ones – should avoid being too rigid in their approach to work/life balance, steering clear of strict routines or idealised schedules that don’t match the realities of legal practice.

“I guess one thing I would say is for lawyers who are trying to get that balance, particularly young lawyers, you can’t be too dogmatic about it, actually,” she said.

“You need to have that flexibility and understand that in this very moment, you’re not going to be able to get to your sports event every single week because it’s just, there’s a lot on.”

VIEW ALL

Instead, Tran encouraged lawyers to focus on flexibility, taking opportunities to recharge when possible and recognising that striving for perfect balance each week can quickly become unworkable and isn’t realistic in day-to-day practice.

“There’s a lot on. But find those moments where you can get into a bit of a trough again, and then you can do that,” she said.

“So I think it’s about being really flexible, knowing that you can’t always have it all perfectly balanced. That’s OK, just as long as over a longish duration, you are overall balanced.”

A key part of maintaining that balance, Tran added, is encouraging lawyers to have open, honest conversations with their leaders about personal needs and boundaries, explaining how this kind of dialogue can play a crucial role in protecting work/life balance and avoiding unnecessary scheduling conflicts.

“Then lastly, it’s just communicating really clearly with your leaders. I hope that you’re in an environment where you can have those friendly conversations with your leaders who can help you achieve that balance,” she said.

“For example, I’ve got a team member who’s just come back from mat leave. He’s just had his first baby, and I said to him, what are your non-negotiables? Like, do you need to be there for dinner time and bath time? What is it?

“So you let me know because then we’ll try not to have meetings in that period or client calls in that period to make sure he can still participate.”

Through implementing these practical strategies herself and approaching work with greater balance, Tran shared how it has helped shape not only how she approaches work but also the kind of lawyer and leader she wants to be.

“I do find that I come to work being a lot more patient. I’m not as fazed about things that happen during the day … [and] I do bring that playfulness to work,” she said.