In this article, Aditya Shrivastava, Content Marketing Manager at iPleaders talks about what are the 3 challenges that every lawyer faces and what can they do about it.
Isn’t it always easy to assume that someone else is progressing when you are not? Or someone’s path is way easier than yours? The friend who got placed through an easy internship? Or the one who got through a big law firm because her dad’s friend was a partner at the firm?
It is convenient to perceive that someone else’s journey is much easier than yours. Isn’t it? We have all had these thoughts. It is very natural to have them too. We all go through these notions that everyone is taking smarter steps, their plans were in place well in advance, their continuous effort (or presumably no effort) is taking them where they are, while we are still stuck at:
- Marching forward and then taking a step back
- Taking breaks due to confusion
- Forgetting why we embarked on the journey in the first place
A lawyer’s life can often feel like that. It is not restricted to the courtroom blunders in litigation or missing out on the big clients in corporate law firms. It is about constantly reminding oneself that success does not necessarily come from wise, ultra-productive and well-planned decisions.
When I was opting for the law as a career, my relatives kept telling me that it is a constant struggle. You will have to keep reading and keep yourself abreast with the latest law (which wasn’t an effort, thanks to courses like these).
Law is a constant trying-to-figure-out-what-the-hell-is-going-on kind of situation. And this is exactly what makes it so brilliant. It cannot be pre-planned. Yes, you can make conscious choices and increase your chances of getting desirable outcomes, however, that won’t necessarily grant you immunity from challenges, hurdles, and hardships.
For example, getting a placement through my law school was a task. I was struggling very hard. It was then that I took up this course. It made my life better as thanks to the practical insights I got here, I managed a pre-placement offer in a law firm. In spite of getting the job, like what I was doing was a different struggle.
Try to think it through, “sometimes challenges are exactly what we need for understanding our priorities and making the right choice.”
When I was working at an MNC, my life was pretty easy. Same job, same processes, same rigmarole, same humdrum. The minute I took the decision of following my passion for writing, life seemed miserable in the beginning. I had to move from a comfortable lifestyle in a city to a humble life in a small town in Goa. Writing was not as easy as I presumed it would be. I took it as a challenge. Today, facing those challenges has been given me returns. Think of challenges as long-term investments. They make you come closer to success, thereby giving you returns.
To remind us that we are working towards a goal and a mission of making ourselves better, life throws massive challenges at us. These challenges, if passed, are the ones which mean that we are coming closer to success or progress. Here are few signs:
1. When you hear no more than once
You could be a lawyer who is supposedly absolutely brilliant with your work. Be it the area of law or be it arguments, you are amazing at it. However, there could be a time when a judge or your senior could simply reject your line of thought in a certain case. It could happen over a period of time, over and over again.
The first time I approached a top law firm my application was rejected. It was maybe because I had applied too late and they didn’t have an opening. The next time I made sure I applied months in advance. I got the internship, and as I was rejected once, I gave it my best shot. I took up this course in advance to get a strong-hold on business laws. Consequently, I was offered another internship there and ultimately a job. The original ‘no’ actually pushed me a little closer to where I wanted to be!
“No” is generally an indicator that you need to try a bit harder, push your limits and wait for the magic to happen. I wouldn’t probably have worked so hard to make it happen if it wasn’t for the rejection.
2. You have “wasted” your time on a client or a case
In the legal profession, there are times when lawyers are expected to work very hard for a client or a case and it does not turn out to be as fruitful as expected. Either the case does not turn out in their favor or they feel that those were undue prolonged work hours with no returns.
For example, during my internship at the very same law firm I was asked to work on a project related to a corporate restructuring deal. A pharmaceutical company in Tamil Nadu was restructuring and I was asked to check the transferability of 56 licenses under various Tamil Nadu legislations at 8 o’clock in the evening. I sat down for the whole night to do my bit of research and finally sent the report at 7 am in the morning. Later that day, my senior told me that she had forgotten to tell me that the deal was canceled. I felt disappointed. “What a waste!” was my first thought.
What I gradually learnt was investing time in research or such tasks may not pay off immediately but they are always helpful later at some point in time. It is never useless.
3. Your work or workplace makes you uncomfortable
Being uncomfortable at work isn’t a very good feeling. There may be times when you might feel out of the place or too dumb as compared to your colleagues. In a law firm or a company for that matter, there is always a constant war to figure who is better! Who will make partner this year? Who will be assigned to the new client? Who gets to work with the senior partner on a new project?
Have you ever wondered why do you feel inferior while surviving through such tough competition?
It is probably because of 2 reasons: a) either you have not showcased your true potential; b) you or your work come across as a threat to others.
Would you like to give in to such situations?
No, I hope. Remember a famous Bollywood movie once said, “If people are making it hard for you to survive, you are progressing.”
Keep striving towards betterment and know that you are doing well. It perhaps might not be the best time, but it surely will get better.
Wait till the clouds to show you the silver lining.
