Tips for Lawyers Podcast

Tips for Lawyers Podcast

By Chris Hargreaves: Lawyer (attorney)BusinessCareers
Download on the App Store

Tips for Lawyers Podcast episodes

  • A Simple Strategy for Complex Legal Problems
    If the task you’ve been given is more complicated than you’ve done before, or perhaps in a novel area, then it can get a bit overwhelming trying to come up with the right solution to the issue.
    However, much like building a house, larger tasks are almost always just made up of a series of smaller ones.
    If you can take your legal problem and break it into tiny, bite size pieces then your chances of coming up with a fantastic outcome are significantly improved.
    So let’s find out how to do it, and next time you get a big job to do – you’ll be right on track.If the task you’ve been given is more complicated than you’ve done before, or perhaps in a novel area, then it can get a bit overwhelming trying to come up with the right solution to the issue.
    However, much like building a house, larger tasks are almost always just made up of a series of smaller ones.
    If you can take your legal problem and break it into tiny, bite size pieces then your chances of coming up with a fantastic outcome are significantly improved.
    So let’s find out how to do it, and next time you get a big job to do – you’ll be right on track.
    11 min
  • Don’t Do Law Unless you Want to Be a Lawyer
    Yep, it’s happened again. I’ve written about it but nothing quite makes you feel as good as having a decent rant about a topic.
    So here’s the gist – the Prime Minister of Australia says that people shouldn’t study law unless they want to be a lawyer.
    The legal education institutions around the Country didn’t take that very well.
    So who’s right?Yep, it’s happened again. I’ve written about it but nothing quite makes you feel as good as having a decent rant about a topic.
    So here’s the gist – the Prime Minister of Australia says that people shouldn’t study law unless they want to be a lawyer.
    The legal education institutions around the Country didn’t take that very well.
    So who’s right?
    14 min
  • Bad Bosses in Law and How to Respond to Them
    No matter what you do, at some point in your legal career you’re likely going to have a boss.
    They might be fantastic.
    But they might not be.
    And if you’ve got a boss who has a few deficiencies (which, let’s be honest, all of us do) then the best thing you can do if you’re not prepared to quit is to find a good strategy to deal with them to everyone’s benefit.
    Here are my suggestions how you might do just that.No matter what you do, at some point in your legal career you’re likely going to have a boss.
    They might be fantastic.
    But they might not be.
    And if you’ve got a boss who has a few deficiencies (which, let’s be honest, all of us do) then the best thing you can do if you’re not prepared to quit is to find a good strategy to deal with them to everyone’s benefit.
    Here are my suggestions how you might do just that.
    20 min
  • Honing your Craft as a Lawyer
    It wasn’t too long ago where someone wanting to learn would apprentice themselves to a master of the craft in question.
    But what about lawyers?
    How are you honing your craft, and have you considered how you will seek to attain mastery in your field?
    Let’s have a talk about the process of honing, a few woodworking metaphors, and consider the idea of mastery in your legal career.It wasn’t too long ago where someone wanting to learn would apprentice themselves to a master of the craft in question.
    But what about lawyers?
    How are you honing your craft, and have you considered how you will seek to attain mastery in your field?
    Let’s have a talk about the process of honing, a few woodworking metaphors, and consider the idea of mastery in your legal career.
    10 min
  • Two Massive Holes in Law School Education… That you can Fix
    You already know that law school hasn’t got you “practice ready”.
    But the next question you should be asking is: what do I need to focus on from day 1?
    In this episode we’re going to discuss the two biggest holes in law school education from a big picture perspective.You already know that law school hasn’t got you “practice ready”.
    But the next question you should be asking is: what do I need to focus on from day 1?
    In this episode we’re going to discuss the two biggest holes in law school education from a big picture perspective.
    14 min
  • What the Heck IS Work/Life Balance
    We keeping talking about it – and everyone just nods, smiles and says “yep – I want that some more”.
    GIVE ME MORE WORK/LIFE BALANCE!
    But what is it that you actually want? Tell me! (Yes – tell me what you want, what you really really want).
    Because work/life balance is a meaningless catch phrase.
    And if 24% of people in a survey by LexisNexis are going to say they want it – then I want to know what THEY think they’re talking about.
    Because I’m betting that not a single person has an answer to that question.
     We keeping talking about it – and everyone just nods, smiles and says “yep – I want that some more”.
    GIVE ME MORE WORK/LIFE BALANCE!
    But what is it that you actually want? Tell me! (Yes – tell me what you want, what you really really want).
    Because work/life balance is a meaningless catch phrase.
    And if 24% of people in a survey by LexisNexis are going to say they want it – then I want to know what THEY think they’re talking about.
    Because I’m betting that not a single person has an answer to that question.
     
    15 min
  • How do you Advise on Risk – and Why?
    Lawyers have a curious relationship with risk. On the one hand we are trained (and sometimes paid) to identify risk to our clients.
    But what’s the upshot of that advice? Should we be telling our clients which contracts to sign, what deals to do, or that the risk is unacceptable?
    And how does our approach to advising on risk change the way we think about it in our own lives?
    Let’s chat.Lawyers have a curious relationship with risk. On the one hand we are trained (and sometimes paid) to identify risk to our clients.
    But what’s the upshot of that advice? Should we be telling our clients which contracts to sign, what deals to do, or that the risk is unacceptable?
    And how does our approach to advising on risk change the way we think about it in our own lives?
    Let’s chat.
    8 min
  • How to Get Stuff Done
    No productivity hacks today – just some solid advice on how to execute faster.
    If you want to get things done in record time you’ve got to have some kind of system that lets you do it.
    Not just random activity – but productive focus.
    Let’s get into it – and happy lawyering!No productivity hacks today – just some solid advice on how to execute faster.
    If you want to get things done in record time you’ve got to have some kind of system that lets you do it.
    Not just random activity – but productive focus.
    Let’s get into it – and happy lawyering!
    14 min
  • The Value of Human Connection
    Law school teaches you many useful things, but ultimately it takes place inside a fictitious vacuum.
    Specifically, it ignores the commercial aspects of legal practice and the human element of legal practice.
    If you’re going to thrive as a lawyer then you will need to understand, embrace and demonstrate that you hold people in high regard.
    And that means you need to connect with people.
    For their sake.
    And for yours. Listen to this episode and let me know your thoughts. Are you a connector, or do you struggle?
     Law school teaches you many useful things, but ultimately it takes place inside a fictitious vacuum.
    Specifically, it ignores the commercial aspects of legal practice and the human element of legal practice.
    If you’re going to thrive as a lawyer then you will need to understand, embrace and demonstrate that you hold people in high regard.
    And that means you need to connect with people.
    For their sake.
    And for yours. Listen to this episode and let me know your thoughts. Are you a connector, or do you struggle?
     
    13 min
  • Are you Trying to Sound Too Professional All the Time?
    I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but lawyers have a bit of an obsession with sounding professional. We use words that other people don’t use. We develop arguments in a clinical and structured way. We have a form and style to our writing and speaking that other people simply don’t.
    The question of the day is: what is the virtue in sounding professional?
    Does it provide our clients with confidence in our abilities? Or does it alienate us from the real world, and make us seem cold and aloof?
    Let’s chat.
    Happy Lawyering
     I’m not sure if you’ve noticed, but lawyers have a bit of an obsession with sounding professional. We use words that other people don’t use. We develop arguments in a clinical and structured way. We have a form and style to our writing and speaking that other people simply don’t.
    The question of the day is: what is the virtue in sounding professional?
    Does it provide our clients with confidence in our abilities? Or does it alienate us from the real world, and make us seem cold and aloof?
    Let’s chat.
    Happy Lawyering
     
    10 min

About Tips for Lawyers Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Tips for Lawyers show is here to provide lawyers with the tools they need to thrive in legal practice.