Legal Career Development

Law school taught me the law. But building a career? That’s a different story. Many years ago, I walked into my first day as a lawyer, armed with my 2nd Upper Degree, thinking I was ready. I WAS NOT. Here are 12 lessons I learnt the hard way: (I wish someone had shared with me before I started) 1️⃣ It’s Okay to Ask for Help Pretending to know everything? Rookie mistake. Ask questions. Get clarity. Even top-tier lawyers do. 2️⃣ Networking > Billable Hours Winning cases builds a reputation, but relationships build careers. That partner you avoid at events? Talk to them. 3️⃣ Reputation Is Currency Every email. Every call. They all shape how people see you. Guard your reputation like it’s your most valuable client. 4️⃣ Billing ≠ Just Hours Worked It’s not about grinding for numbers—it’s about delivering value. (And yes, padding your billables will get you noticed—for all the wrong reasons.) 5️⃣ Clients Crave More Than Advice They want trust, empathy, and someone who listens. Legal skills matter, but human connection wins clients for life. 6️⃣ The Best Lawyers Never Stop Evolving The law changes, and so should you. Stay curious. Stay sharp. Stay ahead. 7️⃣ Mentors = Secret Weapons Find someone who’s been where you want to go. The right mentor will save you years of trial and error. 8️⃣ Burnout Is the Silent Killer The late nights will come, but don’t make them your norm. Protect your energy—because no case is worth your health. 9️⃣ Pick Your Battles Not every fight is worth the courtroom. Strategic restraint is a superpower. 🔟 Mistakes Are Inevitable Here’s the secret: It’s not about never failing—it’s about how you bounce back. Own it, learn from it, and keep moving. 1️⃣1️⃣ It’s a Marathon, Not a Sprint You don’t need to win every deal or impress every partner. Pacing yourself is how you last in this game. 1️⃣2️⃣ Never Lose Sight of Your WHY When the grind feels endless (and it will), your WHY will keep you grounded. Don’t let go of it—it’s your anchor. Law school taught you the law. But no one taught you how to build a career in it. Lawyers reading this, did I miss anything? What else would you add to my list? --- Repost this♻️ to help the juniors out there! ➕ Follow Shulin Lee for more. P.S. To the trainees starting out: It’s okay to feel scared. P.P.S. The partners you’re intimidated by? They were once where you are. Everyone starts somewhere. You've got this!

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫! “Fake it till you make it." I know because I used to believe in it. I smiled through doubts, nodded in meetings even when I wasn’t sure, and tried to act like I had it all figured out. But let me tell you—it didn’t work. Instead of building confidence, it left me feeling like an impostor in spaces I had already earned. The problem with “Fake it till you make it” is that it encourages you to mask your doubts and avoid asking questions. But in the corporate world, this mindset can backfire. Pretending to know everything won’t earn you respect. It’ll leave you stuck, missing out on growth opportunities, and potentially making costly mistakes. Over my 5+ years in Big 4s, startups, and a regulatory body, I’ve learned that confidence doesn’t come from faking. It comes from showing up authentically. It comes from owning what you know, being honest about what you don’t, and actively seeking to learn and grow. If you’re still figuring out your career, here’s my advice: 📌Ask questions. It shows initiative, not weakness. 📌Admit when you need help—it builds trust. 📌Focus on learning and improving every day—that’s what truly sets you apart. 📌Don’t fake it. Build it. That’s how you create a lasting, successful corporate career. Have you ever felt the pressure to “fake it”? Have you faced this in your career, and how did you handle it? LinkedIn LinkedIn News India LinkedIn Life LinkedIn Guide to Networking #linkedin #growth #mindset #corporate #politics

I had just 30 minutes to prepare for a court hearing. Not a typo. Thirty minutes. No case file. No background. No second chance. The client had fired their previous advocate that very morning. They were desperate. I was brought in last-minute with nothing but the court number and the brief facts on WhatsApp. The other side? → Senior Counsel with a full legal team. → Pages of written submissions. → Well-rehearsed arguments. I was standing alone with a notepad. But I knew something they didn’t: In an courtroom, the judge is overworked, overloaded, and underwhelmed by drama. What they want is clarity. So while the other side quoted 7 judgments in 10 minutes… I did this: → Spoke in plain English. → Told the judge exactly what the issue was. → Gave 2 reasons why we deserved relief, nothing more. The judge leaned back and said: "Finally, someone is making sense." We won the hearing. Client folded hands in gratitude outside court. Here’s what I took away: → Your job isn’t to show off knowledge. It’s to solve a problem. → Simplicity is not weakness. It’s a strategy. → The best lawyers don’t confuse. They clarify. To every junior young lawyer: Don’t fall into the trap of over-explaining. Speak like you respect the judge’s time. That alone can set you apart.

To Every Young Lawyer (or Professional) Who Feels Like a Fraud—Read This When I started practicing, I felt a pit in my stomach every single day for the first four years. You know the feeling—the part where you’re just faking it, hoping you’ll make it? Exactly. Every matter was unfamiliar. Every client brought something I hadn’t seen. And every time I got a question I couldn’t answer, I questioned whether I belonged. If that sounds familiar, take a deep breath. You’re not an imposter—you’re just new. And you’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is the fear that everyone else knows what they’re doing—and you don’t. But here’s what helped me move past it: 1. I learned that every lawyer—even the most seasoned—encounters problems they’ve never seen before. The law evolves. The facts shift. The people involved are never the same. You don’t stop facing the unknown. You just get better at working through it. 2. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing everything. It comes from knowing how to find the answer—and who to call when you can’t. When you run into an issue outside your subject matter, find someone who knows it well. Listen. Learn. And take notes for next time. Build a network of problem-solvers. Get a mentor. Know lawyers in other fields. Build relationships with expert witnesses. Their insight will elevate your thinking and your practice. You’ll know your network is strong when you’re two phone calls away from any answer you need. Be the kind of professional others respect and want to support. And return the favor when your phone rings. You don’t outgrow imposter syndrome—you outsmart it.

Yesterday, a young CA from Bangalore, who had recently started his practice, approached me for guidance on building a career in Direct and Indirect Tax Litigation. Here’s what I advised him: 1. Starting a practice, especially as a first-generation professional, is financially challenging. Keep your expenses under strict control. When I began my practice in 1998 after leaving my job with the Aditya Birla Group, even affording travel to my rented office was difficult. I had to seek help from my mother before a guiding angel, CA R.K. Duggar, supported me financially, personally, and professionally. 2. The initial phase of practice often brings fewer assignments, but this is a blessing in disguise. Use this time to enhance your knowledge. Invest in good books, watch YouTube webinars on important topics, and listen to experts like Senior Advocate Arvind Datar. Subscribe to Taxmann, Taxguru, and TMI. 3. Idleness allows you to reflect and think critically. Read beyond tax laws—explore jurisprudence and judgments from other legal fields via platforms like LiveLaw and Bar & Bench. Follow interviews and articles of legal stalwarts to understand their approach to the profession. 4. Participate in physical seminars and become part of a study circle. This will not only expand your professional network but may also help you find a mentor who can guide you in work and even provide opportunities. 5. Visit tribunals and courts to observe how counsels argue and how the bench responds. Understanding courtroom dynamics will significantly enhance your litigation skills. 6. Writing articles forces you to conduct thorough research, thereby deepening your understanding of the subject. It also establishes you as a knowledgeable professional in your field. 7. Never judge a case by the quantum of demand or fee involved. A seemingly small case with intricate legal questions can provide more recognition than a high-profile matter. 8. Master the Facts of a Case from the Beginning such as during audits, search and seizure, or SCNs. 9. Always be honest and straightforward with your clients. Offer impartial advice but let them decide on their course of action when multiple strategies exist. Never step into your client’s shoes—your role is to guide, not to decide for them. 11. Avoid working for unreasonably low fees just because you have no other work. If you don’t respect your worth, no one else will. Set fees that reflect the value you bring to your clients. 12. Avoid Becoming a ‘Wheeler-Dealer’. Your role is to provide legal expertise, not to maneuver deals. 13. Growth in litigation practice is gradual. Do not lose hope. The learning process involves trial and error, and experience will teach you how to proceed. Remember, when you switch off the lights, the room initially turns dark, but over time, your eyes adjust, and you start seeing even in the darkness. Similarly, with persistence, clarity and opportunities will emerge.

Too many lawyers sell themselves short. They get pigeonholed into purely legal roles because they don’t know how to effectively market their skills to other domains. But the reality is that the skills you develop as a lawyer can take you far beyond the traditional legal sphere. Here are a few reasons why: Lawyers are highly organized and process-oriented. We excel at turning complex problems into simple steps, creating systems, and paying meticulous attention to detail. These skills are invaluable in operational roles. Lawyers are excellent communicators. We’re adept at distilling multi-faceted, highly technical challenges into narratives that focus on the essential, easy-to-understand components. This is a necessary skill for any leader. Lawyers have an uncanny ability to grasp complicated business models quickly and see the big picture. We're used to diving into the nitty-gritty details while keeping an eye on overarching strategy. Lawyers deal in risk assessment and mitigation on a daily basis, which makes us uniquely qualified to take on roles involving business strategy and decision-making. So, how can lawyers leverage these skills to grow beyond traditional legal roles? There are a few common paths I see. Here are some examples within each: 1. Expanding to a GC+ role, like: - Andy Dale at OpenAP (GC + Chief Privacy Officer) - Conor French at Zipline (GC + Chief Regulatory Officer) - Galya Blachman at Enliven Therapeutics (CLO + Head of BD) - Shaun Sethna, our own GC at The L Suite, who manages Content (event programming) and HR in addition to Legal 2. Moving entirely to non-legal leadership roles, like: - Alex Su at Latitude (Chief Revenue Officer) - Abigail Johnson at Sapphire Ventures (COO) - Jason K. at OpenAI (Chief Strategy Officer) - Kristin Sverchek at Lyft (President) - Kent Walker at Google (President, Global Affairs) - Julie Sweet at Accenture (CEO) 3. Starting a company, like: - Jen Berrent at Covenant - Cecilia Ziniti at GC AI - Caroline McCaffery at ClearOps - Ashish Walia and Raad Ahmed at Lawtrades - Jason Boehmig at Ironclad - Shashank Bijapur at SpotDraft - Winston Weinberg at Harvey - Tony Lewis and Kelsey C. from Aumni (sold to JPMorgan) - Eric Berry from TripleLift (sold to Vista Equity Partners) - Renaud Laplanche from LendingClub (now public) and Upgrade There are many, many more examples that I didn’t have space for. The lesson here? Don't let yourself be painted into a legal box. The skills you have learned as a lawyer are incredibly versatile and valuable across various business functions. You just need to learn how to market them.

𝐈 𝐥𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐚 𝐁𝐢𝐠 4 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐦 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐚 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐜𝐲. No tech degree. No prior compliance experience. No contacts in the privacy industry. 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕 6-𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒂𝒕 & 1 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 1: 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥 "𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲."  I kept telling myself I needed to understand more technology before I could work in data privacy. I was wrong. I started engaging with the GDPR framework as a legal instrument — reading it the way I would read any statute. The technical fluency came through the work, not before it. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 2: 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐬.  I sought out people who were actually doing the work — not just teaching it. Following practitioners on LinkedIn, reading their analysis of real cases, and asking questions in professional forums taught me more about how privacy work actually runs than any single certification. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 3: 𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐚𝐬𝐤𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨.  I started writing privacy notices, DSAR response templates, and DPA clauses for hypothetical scenarios — without a client, without a job, without anyone grading me. When interviews came, I had actual work to show. Not a certificate. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 4: 𝐏𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐟 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐠𝐞, 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐧𝐞.  Privacy professionals who grow fastest are the ones who can communicate risk to non-lawyers. I spent time learning how to translate legal obligations into language that a CFO or CTO would act on. This skill got me in more rooms faster than any credential. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 5: 𝐓𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.  Certification mattered — but not at the beginning. I pursued formal training after I had enough context to ask the right questions in the room. It deepened what I already knew, rather than trying to build knowledge from scratch. 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 6: 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐜.  I started writing about what I was learning. Sharing analysis, asking questions, taking positions on regulatory developments. This created visibility that no application could have created. Opportunities came inbound before I was even actively looking. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑: ❌ Watching instead of doing. ❌ Spending 6 months "preparing to prepare." ❌ Reading about privacy law instead of reading privacy law. The career is available to you right now — exactly as you are. The only entry requirement is the decision to start. Where are you in your transition journey? Tell me in the comments — I read every single one or DM me! _______________________________________ → World Cyber Security Forum (WCSF)® programmes offer internships with proper practical training — the bridges I had to find manually. Link in comments.

🌲 Learn, Earn or Leave may be good career advice, but Owning Your Story is the true career superpower. Imagine having multiple job changes on your resume: Recruiters question your commitment Hiring managers wonder about your stability You start doubting your own career choices ← It's no different for proud job hoppers everywhere. We feel pressured to apologize for our choices We struggle to frame our experiences positively We worry about being labeled as "flighty" The key isn't hiding your job changes - it's masterfully telling your story. Here are 5 strategies to own your narrative: Highlight the Wins Frame each move as deliberate growth, not escape Example: "I left X role to lead larger cross-functional teams and gained Y skills" Connect the Dots → Show the logical progression between seemingly unrelated roles → Example: "My pivot from customer success to program management sharpened my ability to streamline workflows" Speak to the Why Be transparent about your priorities and decisions Example: "I left to prioritize family, but returned with renewed purpose" Quantify Your Impact Let the numbers speak for themselves → Example: "I cut delivery times by 20% and saved $200K annually" Embrace the Lessons Turn setbacks into growth stories → Example: "Being let go taught me resilience, and now I thrive in ambiguity" Your goal is to help others see the intentional journey behind your career decisions. Remember: You define YOUR career. Your career doesn't define you. Want to build a personal brand that makes you stand out in your industry? As someone who's helped founders transform from unknown to industry leaders, I can craft content that positions you as the go-to expert in your Industry. Curious to see how I've made others famous while making their businesses profitable? DM me "BRAND" and let's discuss how I can help you grow your influence and attract high-quality opportunities. —————— Are currently looking for Jobs ? Get Jobs & Internship Updates Join Below:- . WhatsApp👉 https://lnkd.in/g9FdBfYd . Telegram👉 https://lnkd.in/ePxtYkFH . . ✅ Your insights can make a difference! ✅ Share this post if it speaks to you, and follow me for more.

I was so anxious the first week I started my training contract, I barely slept a wink. As the first person in my family to go to university, let alone the first to become a lawyer, I was PANICKING. I know lots of working class, state school, first gen grads will be starting their grad schemes this week - if that’s you, then I hope this makes your life a little easier. Here’s everything I learned the hard way when I was a grad, so you don’t have to, from someone who became an M&A lawyer at a top city firm before becoming the CEO of a charity. 👉🏻 first up. Be positive and show willing, no matter how CRAP the task is. As a new grad, chances are you’re going to get as many crap tasks as you get good ones. Do crap ones with a smile. Showing the person that delegated it to you that you hate the task just makes that person feel guilty, and you’ll still have to do it. 👉🏻 follow these 7 steps when completing a piece of work. In particular, see step 5: over-communicate. There are three things that would majorly stress me out at work: a random client call on my work mobile, getting stuck in the stairwell after forgetting my pass, and delegating work to a trainee who goes radio silent before the deadline. Keep your team updated on your progress! 👉🏻 so much clicked for me when I realised that 90% of my job as a trainee/new grad was to make the lives of my seniors easier. Be proactive when you see emails flying in, even if you’re only cc’ed, ask how you can help, don’t wait to be asked to do something. 👉🏻 you’re going to have some great managers, and you’re going to have some managers that make you want to scream. Both teach you what kind of manager you want to be. Find someone you admire and gather their habits like a magpie collecting shiny things. 👉🏻 I can’t believe I have to spell this out: treat everyone with respect, regardless of their role. Those who work in business services are not less important than you. In fact, you’d probably be pretty awful at your job without them. 👉🏻 networks are crucial to your success, and their importance only grows as you get more senior. I’ve seen opportunities be given and taken on the basis of who is familiar with who. Not got a network? Don’t panic. The 93% Club’s professionals network is ready made for you. You can join today through the link in the graphic. Finally, please remember this: the harsh reality is that no one will care about your career as much as you do (other than your mum, maybe). At the start of my career, I made the mistake of thinking my success was the responsibility of my managers. I assumed that people would know what opportunities I wanted and I hoped that, just through hard work, those opportunities would come my way. That’s not how the world works. If you want something, speak up. Your career is yours and yours alone to build. You are not a passive bystander in it, you must shape it before it shapes you. Go grab it by the horns, and good luck. ❤️

A 170 LSAT score can ruin your life. I mean it. 170 puts you in the top 3% of everyone who takes the test. It opens doors to the most elite law schools in the country. It also makes you stupid. Not actually stupid. Emotionally stupid. You see 170 and a voice kicks in: "I have to go to a T14. I earned it. Anything less would be wasting my score." So you take the acceptance letter. You take the sticker price. You borrow $280K because "it's an investment." Three years later you're making $75K at a mid-size firm in a city you didn't choose, white-knuckling loan payments until 2049, wondering why the thing you worked so hard for feels like a trap. The score didn't do that. The story you told yourself about the score did. Here's what almost nobody considers: Take that 170 and aim 15 spots lower in the rankings. Schools ranked 20–40 will fight over you. Full rides. Stipends. Named scholarships with your face on the brochure. Same degree. Same bar card. $200K less in debt. That's not a scholarship. That's a 20-year head start on your life. I've coached LSAT students for over 20 years. I've watched 175 scorers end up miserable and 158 scorers build lives they love. The difference was never the number. It was whether they picked the school — or let the score pick it for them. A law degree is supposed to give you freedom. Debt is the opposite of freedom. Don't let a great score make a bad decision for you.