Cath Brown
The topics barristers and solicitors bring to coaching…and the solutions they have found that might work for you too.
I was a barrister for just under 15 years and have been coaching people for 10 years since I left the bar. So I have learned a fair bit about the unique challenges faced by legal professionals in the courtroom and beyond.
I know coaching feels like a bit of an alien world to some people but one of its joys is that it helps individuals find their own solutions rather than imposing solutions on them.
However, over the years, I have seen some common features in both the challenges and the solutions that could be of assistance to many more people, and I will share a selection of those below.
But in the meantime, please do read on for some ideas you can action immediately.
1. How can I Manage Stress and Anxiety?
Barristers and solicitors deal with tight deadlines, complex cases, and high expectations from clients, peers and themselves. This pressure can lead to significant stress and anxiety, impacting their performance and personal well-being.
Solutions my coachees have found:
Often, during a coaching package, coachees realise that they are bringing much of the stress on themselves, either by comparing themselves to others, or failing to protect their boundaries. This often manifests as a total failure to say “No”. Once the coachee has identified the cause, they can start to tailor a solution, some examples being:
– Dropping commitments (and indeed committees!) that no longer serve you;
– Pausing before that next “Yes” – buy yourself some time;
– Creating your own definition of success so that you are not ruled by someone else’s (or the definition which once was yours but which has not been reviewed for many years;
– Developing a habit of reflection so that you can be sure you are doing satisfying work which suits you.
2. How do I Enhance my Courtroom Performance?
Courtroom performance is, of course, critical for barristers and other advocates. They must present arguments convincingly, think on their feet, and maintain composure under pressure. Even experienced advocates can struggle with these demands, especially when taking a step-up in difficulty or appearing in a high-profile case.
Solutions my coachees have found:
In coaching, we would dig deep to identify the problem with precision. Sometimes people have just fallen out of love with advocacy or feel as if their nerve has gone after a period out of the courtroom but we need to work out what the problem really is before working on a solution.
So bear that in mind in considering the following solutions that worked for my coachees:
– Asking for feedback from people whose opinions you trust;
– Keeping a log of successes, achievements and “good days” in court – make sure your reflections are not exclusively negative;
– Addressing specific issues such as case analysis or witness-handling with focused strategies such as increased preparation, viewing the problem from a different perspective, trying new techniques.
3. How do I improve my communication skills?
Effective communication is essential for lawyers, both in court and when interacting with clients, clerks, colleagues, and judges. Miscommunication can lead to misunderstandings, weakened arguments, and damaged relationships.
Solutions my coachees have found:
Coaching in communication skills covers various aspects, including active listening, persuasive speaking, and clear writing. Often what we work on in coaching is deploying the strategies you use for your own clients so that they can also benefit you. Many lawyers I work with have no issue in speaking up or being persuasive on behalf of others, but put their own needs to one side.
Those transferrable skills include:
– Being very specific about the purpose of any piece of communication;
– Expecting to work hard on preparation in order to be able to communicate effectively (not expecting it to happen by accident);
– Developing a strategy rather than leaving the outcome to chance;
– Anticipating objections and obstacles (but not leading with them).
4. How do I maintain my work-life balance?
The demanding nature of a lawyer’s work often leads to long hours and a blurring of professional and personal boundaries. This imbalance can result in burnout, reduced job satisfaction, and unwanted impacts on personal life. Some naturally manage this (and even thrive on being constantly “on” – for a time at least), whilst others need to make conscious changes to avoid burnout.
Solutions my coachees have found:
Work-life balance coaching involves setting priorities, time management, and boundary-setting strategies. Often we will explore the coachee’s priorities, recognising that we are all different. The solutions do depend on the situation but you could consider the following:
– Developing a habit of booking out time in your diary – this could be for you, for family commitments or to work on your practice (dealing with business development, networking or accounting matters). My clients have found that being open with clerks and colleagues about other commitments has paid dividends. Indeed, for barristers, we often devote quite a lot of time to exploring and improving that relationship with the clerks.
– If you can be flexible with those bookings then you can still accept work or other commitments, with the huge caveat that you then need to book out more time for you. Again, I write in the reminder, so my Diary entries will say “Safeguard for Self – Replace if Booked Over”.
– Book in things that you love to do also – whether that’s a hair appointment, they gym or catching up with friends. Legal work will expand if you give it the space to do so, in this way you limit that space.
5. How do I navigate career transitions?
Career transitions, such as applying for silk or the bench, or shifting practice areas, can be daunting for barristers and solicitors alike. At the bar, one of the problems is that, comparison with other professions, ours lacks a clear structure and colleagues can be secretive about their plans. If you are contemplating leaving the law, there is even less information and many highly skilled barristers and solicitors have said to me, very earnestly, that they don’t have any transferrable skills.
Solutions my coachees have found:
For clients contemplating career transition, I often switch between coaching and mentoring styles so that I can share my own experiences and those of others I have
worked with. I often find myself helping with practicalities such as CVs, application forms and interviews but, before getting to that stage, we will focus on decision-making using the following strategies:
– Identifying strengths and values – you can emulate this by writing down what you think you’re good at, what others tell you you’re good at and what matters to you.
– Asking yourself what you love about your current situation and what you definitely want to leave behind? Again write down the answers, and consider also trying to map out your perfect week, month or quarter – where would you be? What would you be doing?
– Testing any potential decision. In a coaching session we would consider the pros and cons and it also helps to imagine that you have made the decision and live with that feeling for a little while. You could also speak to someone you trust, not so that they can tell you what to do but to provide you with a useful sounding board.
Conclusion
You may have noticed that there is something of an underlying thread here. A lot of the “solutions” are variations on pausing, working out where you are and what you want and then finding your own workable strategy to get to where you want to be. A common issue is that lawyers are so busy in the day to day that they don’t get the chance to stop and reflect so, if in doubt, try a simple pause as a first step.