The Power of Patience: 5 Key Areas for Long-Term Success in Your Legal Career

Like waiting for Mt Gox to pay out, your legal career needs inhumane levels of patience

By Rob Green.

In 2013, I was living in Hong Kong, and I invested in this new thing called Bitcoin. It wasn’t that new to many, but I’d never really heard of it.

After chatting to friends I Googled “The best place to buy Bitcoin” and came across an exchange called Mt Gox.

Long story short. I bought a number of coins, at what now appears a very low price. Shortly afterwards, Mt Gox was hacked, the exchange collapsed and the BTC was gone.

Painstakingly over 11 years I have worked very hard on getting them back, not easy dealing with a Japanese insolvency matter - but here we are - 11 years later and in 1 week, I will receive all my coins back.

I am telling you this, not to flex, but to show you an example of patience. There were many times where I read headlines like “you’ll never get them back”, “BTC is worthless”, people have been laughing at crypto for years - and now people realise the biggest holders at governments, Blackrock, JP Morgan and Goldman Sachs…suddenly they are legit?

Patience is a virtue.

In the fast-paced world of law, where high-stakes cases and demanding clients are the norm, patience might seem like a luxury few can afford.

However, cultivating patience as a core virtue can be the secret ingredient to a successful and fulfilling legal career.

This article explores five key areas where exercising patience can lead to long-term success and help aspiring lawyers reach the pinnacle of their profession.

1. Building a Solid Foundation of Knowledge

The journey to becoming a top-tier lawyer begins long before you step into a courtroom or close your first major deal. It starts with building a comprehensive and nuanced understanding of the law, a process that demands time, dedication, and, above all, patience.

Fresh out of law school, many new attorneys are eager to dive into complex cases and make their mark. However, the most successful lawyers understand that true expertise comes from patiently accumulating knowledge and experience over time.

This means embracing the fact that your early years in practice may involve less glamorous work – reviewing documents, conducting research, and assisting more senior attorneys.

Patience in this phase of your career allows you to:

a) Develop a strong grasp of legal fundamentals: By diligently working through seemingly mundane tasks, you build a robust foundation of legal knowledge that will serve you throughout your career.

b) Learn from mistakes in a lower-stakes environment: Early in your career, you have the opportunity to make and learn from mistakes without jeopardising major cases or client relationships.

c) Observe and absorb best practices: Working alongside experienced lawyers provides invaluable opportunities to observe effective legal strategies, client management techniques, and professional conduct.

Get more from us, by being a VIP