There is a big difference between knowing the law and being a good lawyer
At university, success is largely about reaching the right legal analysis. In practice, I’ve realised that understanding the law is only the starting point - you also need to understand the client’s commercial objective, exercise judgement and communicate the answer in a useful way.
You are not expected to know everything, but you are expected to be curious
Starting your legal training can feel daunting because there is so much you do not know. I’ve learned that asking thoughtful questions, taking feedback on board and showing that you have tried to work something out yourself are often more important than immediately knowing the answer.
Feedback is one of the fastest ways to improve
At the beginning, corrections can feel like evidence that you got something wrong. I’ve increasingly come to see mark-ups and feedback as a window into how more experienced lawyers think, particularly when you compare their version with your own and work out why they made each change.
The people you work with shape your experience of the profession
Before starting, it is easy to think about a legal career mainly in terms of practice areas and types of work. I’ve realised that the teams you work with, the people you learn from and the relationships you build are just as important.
Progress is more incremental than I expected
There is rarely a moment when you suddenly feel like you “know how to be a lawyer”. Instead, confidence seems to build through lots of small experiences - recognising something you have seen before, drafting something more quickly, anticipating the next step, or needing less guidance than you did previously.