The importance of embracing opportunities as an emerging senior lawyer

As the profession continues to evolve, with AI and new technologies paving the way for how firms are operating, lawyers are constantly being challenged to broaden their experience, build stronger client relationships, and develop a sense of commercial judgement.

Senior associates like Stacey and Duff encourage young lawyers to embrace every opportunity to learn and grow as lawyers and people in general.

Through secondments, mentoring, networking, professional development, and experimenting with emerging technology, young lawyers can take several avenues to enhance their knowledge of their profession.

Industry professionals often urge aspiring lawyers to step away from the office and attend events such as law breakfasts to build connections, gain practical insights, and learn from experienced practitioners.

The experiences of senior lawyers Stacey and Duff highlight how taking a proactive approach to career development can help lawyers not only adapt to a changing profession but also position themselves to be very successful within it.

Embracing opportunities to expand your legal career

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For lawyers progressing through the ranks, career development is no longer just about becoming technically stronger.

Both Stacey and Duff stress the significance of taking initiative, pushing beyond personal boundaries, and fully leveraging every opening – whether structured or informal – to expand one’s legal career.

From Duff’s perspective, it starts with being willing to put one’s self in circumstances that will initially feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable.

“I think it’s about really getting out there and doing things that make you uncomfortable. Attending events, maybe running professional development sessions and really having an ear to the ground on the commercial implications of these things to be able to best advise and build trust with your clients,” Duff said.

Similarly, Stacey alludes to the value of looking beyond just your required legal role and getting involved across the firm more widely.

“Taking on opportunities, both sort of legal-related and even, you know, among the social committees and other committees within the firm, [has] meant that I’ve met so many people and also I’ve got a really holistic understanding of the work that we do,” Stacey said.

A mindset of continuous development ultimately means recognising that learning opportunities can come in various ways, according to Duff.

“The key with development is not being scared to do things that kind of make you a bit uncomfortable,” Duff said.

“It can involve so many things; it could involve hosting a professional development session at work, going to an industry networking event, and meeting new people.”

While formal opportunities are integral, Stacey highlighted the role that solid professional relationships and mentors can play throughout one’s legal career.

“I’ve been so lucky to have a few people who’ve been really invested in me in my career,” Stacey said.

“I think I tend to approach my work with a whole lot of enthusiasm, and hopefully, that means I draw people into wanting to bounce off ideas with me as well. I can’t speak highly of it enough.”

Becoming a trusted adviser in the age of AI

With technology reshaping the legal profession, the role of a senior associate continues to evolve as well.

Rather than simply being relied upon for sophisticated legal expertise, lawyers are increasingly expected to understand their clients and become trusted advisers, with AI adding another element to the transition from a lawyer to more senior roles.

“It’s not enough at this level to be a good lawyer; you need to be a good leader,” Stacey said.

“You need to be a good assistant to the partners in some way, to be a good client manager.”

On a similar scale, Duff sees seniority as bringing a greater emphasis on judgement, relationships, and the ability to take responsibility for client outcomes.

“As you get to senior associate level, the kind of ambit of your role shifts from just being good at what you do in terms of the technical legal skills, and you’re kind of heading into a realm of taking on a lot more responsibility from a client management perspective, relationship management, and really exercising judgement,” Duff said.

For Stacey, such a transition is more about moving beyond simply explaining the law and assisting clients in determining how to actually execute the information.

“The key to being a good lawyer is not answering the question, ‘What does the law say?’ You’re answering the question for the client, ‘What do I do next? And how do I get to where I want to be?’

“You can’t do that without really understanding the commercial drivers of the client’s business,” she said.

While AI may be changing how lawyers work, Duff recognised that the technology ultimately strengthens rather than replaces the necessity of human judgement and trusted advice.

“AI is a great tool; it really drives efficiency and means that we can do a whole lot more at the same time, which is great for us,” Duff said.

“But it’s about really understanding that the clients, with all this information out there, they really want to know, ‘What do we do next?’ And really relying on your judgement.”