10 years at the New South Wales Bar

Linked in reminds me that as March 2023 closes, I have been practicing at the New South Wales Bar for 10 years. On some days I certainly feel those years, but - to be honest - on the vast majority of days I do not. That does not mean that I have always felt this way. There are certainly times when I did not want to deal with what I was required to deal with - and not necessarily because the cases were too hard or the Judges were too difficult to navigate - but moreso, upon reflection, because of my attitude and head-space at the time.

As I reflect on the last decade of my professional life, I have noticed (and wish to share) two things/maxims that have had a significant impact on my outlook for the practice of law and how I feel about getting in to chambers day-to-day which has ultimately allowed me to continue to enjoy that practice - challenges and all.

1. "Ceteris paribus" or "All other things being equal" is really the cornerstone or prerequisite to my ability to give my clients the A+ service that they are retaining me to provide. What I mean is that if my personal life is in shambles or I am distracted with the business/logistics of being a Barrister then I am ultimately unable to give my best to the practice of law - and not for want of trying! Accepting that life is not linear - and disasters happen from time to time, for a variety of reasons - I have made it a personal goal to try to maintain a quiet calm about my personal life (and my thanks to my supporting family does not begin to do it justice) and I continue to think of ways to invest thought and care in actively attempting to remove erratic volatility in my personal life.

2. Practice humility - be grateful. It sounds cliche but a Barrister is retained to deal with what can often be someone's most significant legal interaction that they will experience in their entire life. If I am able to approach a case with humility and respect for the parties who sit behind the decision-making (not to become emotionally invested but to understand what the actual goal of the litigation is), I find I am off to a much better start than if I am overwhelmed with distraction (see point 1), too busy or, unfortunately, too arrogant to truly give the matter the attention it deserves.

Humility is not a feeling, it is a mannerism and an active practice. Being grateful for the blessing of a stable personal life is a good start. Being grateful for having the blessing of being healthy enough to turn up to chambers to tackle the day is another. "Glass half full" thinking is not an inherent lawyer characteristic - lawyers typically being more aware of (and adverse to) exposure and risk. However, at the end of the day, and regardless of the circumstances which have arisen prior, if the case is on my table - it is because those before me have not been able to resolve it. This is often, and I accept it is not always, an opportunity to come at things from a different perspective. One cannot do that effectively if one is irritated that they were troubled to examine the issues in the first place.

The goal of gratitude and humility is not to try and solve everything. It is pausing to be truly grateful for being asked to turn your mind to the issues in the first place.

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I have told those who have been polite enough to ask that I could not imagine me doing anything else with my time professionally - and that remains as true now as it was when I was first called to the Bar. I think the flexibility of being retained by a multitude of talented, conscientious and resourceful individuals on a growing variety of matters - with growing complexity and commercial ramifications as time has gone on - has allowed me to continue feeling fresh in the practice of the privileged discipline of professional problem-solving.

To that I must say, thank you to all who have been a part of my journey so far (and my journey to come!)