Why you should consider moving interstate to kick start your legal career

Starting your legal career will be one of the biggest struggles of your life. In your penultimate year of law school, dozens of applications may or may not lead you to a clerkship. If you miss out, you might do another hundred applications to get a graduate job. Once you have secured a job, you will likely experience long working hours, new areas of law, and colleagues who may edge towards the “so functional they are dysfunctional” edge of the spectrum. Just surviving at work feels like a massive accomplishment. Why on earth would you add an extra level of complication like moving interstate away from your friends and family? In this blog post I explain how moving interstate could be the best way to kick start your legal career. It is time to get comfortable with being uncomfortable.

Why should I consider moving interstate for a legal job?

1.       You live in a state with a slow economy

This is the number one reason you may have to move interstate. There are significantly more legal jobs in Sydney and Melbourne, and in the graduate market where it is often a case of getting in enough applications, you may find moving interstate is your only option. If you manage to get a job locally, you may have to move interstate after a year or two to progress your legal career. I am from Adelaide but moved interstate to study at the University of Sydney. Most of my friends who stayed in Adelaide and went to law school at the University of Adelaide either moved interstate immediately on graduation or had to move interstate for career progression two or three years into their careers.

The states with the highest unemployment rates are South Australia (6.9%), Tasmania (6.5%), and Queensland (6.4%). The ACT and NT have the best employment rates at 3.8% and 4.1% respectively. These are general employment figures and are not specific to the legal sector, but give you an idea of the relatively poor employment prospects in SA, Tasmania and Queensland.

2.       The area of law you would like to practice in requires you to move interstate

If you are set on a career as a lawyer in the Commonwealth government, you will likely have to move to Canberra. You might as well move there immediately post-graduation so you can to build your networks and reputation. In Australia, legal jobs in mergers and acquisitions are practically non-existent outside of Sydney and Melbourne. Lawyers specialising the mining sector may have to move to WA or commute every single week. If you are interested in working in the community legal sector, you are more likely to get a job in Melbourne than Sydney. Identify the area you would like to work in and go for it, regardless of where it is located.  

3.       Your firm has offered to place you on an interstate project

If you are working at a national or global firm, you may be placed interstate for six to twelve months to assist busy teams on larger projects. You may be “asked” whether you would like to relocate, but in reality if you do not take this opportunity you need to consider whether you are serious about your career. Working on large projects is fantastic for your resume, and can help you justify pay rises and promotions. You will also have the opportunity to network with lawyers and clients interstate and learn about the law in new jurisdictions.

4.       You practice across jurisdictions and need to develop your legal knowledge

It is not uncommon for practitioners to operate across jurisdictions, and if you work in state based employment law or property you may want to work in a different jurisdiction for a while to enhance the services you can provide to clients who operate across jurisdictions.

5.       You are in your mid-20s and still live at home

A typical scenario is as follows: You were born in Sydney, went to school in Sydney, went to university in Sydney, got a graduate job in Sydney, have never moved out of home and still live with your parents despite being in your mid 20s. Living at home is a nice cushy experience when you are working long hours. It is pretty convenient to come home to dinner every night, have your bills paid for and never run out of clean socks. You are best friends with your parents and are secretly scared your Mum will never let you move out. If you fall into this category it can be difficult to move out and your life can begin to feel stagnant. Moving interstate is a fantastic excuse to move out of home without causing offence or fuss. Even if it is just for 12 months, your family will get used to the new state of existence and you can move back to your home city (if you want to after experiencing the intoxicating pleasures of interstate life) without being pressured to move back home.

6.       You want to get outside your comfort zone

Moving interstate to a city where you know no one to start a new job where you know no one is intimidating for most people. This is a good thing – see next paragraph.

The flow on effect of getting outside your comfort zone

Conventional wisdom is that making easy incremental adjustments is best for long term change. Moving interstate is the complete opposite of this approach. You will be making many massive life changes at once. Starting a new job, moving house, and having to make new friends are some of the most stressful situations a person can live through. You have to put the effort in or you just are not going to be a success. For me, the “shock” of dealing with all of these new situations at once had an amazing flow on effect on other aspects of my life. The extra effort I had to put in at work and into starting a friendship group from scratch when I moved to Melbourne meant I also put extra effort into other aspects of my life. It helped me think more clearly about where I want to go as a lawyer, make a long term career strategy and be a hyper organised individual. Getting outside your comfort zone will not only make you a better lawyer, but have a positive flow on effect to other areas of life. After you conquer moving interstate, your confidence will gradually develop and other obstacles in your life will seem easy to overcome.

Is it difficult to get a legal job interstate?

The difficulty of getting a job interstate will depend on the recruitment market in your target city (Adelaide, Hobart and Brisbane have average economies and relatively stagnant recruitment markets) and the type of law you would like to practice. Prior to moving to Melbourne I applied for jobs in four different states. There does appear to be local favouritism to some extent as I received many more interviews in Sydney where I was living than in Melbourne. The smaller the city, the more there appears to be bias towards recruiting locals. However, where you are passionate about moving because the job is your dream job, you will likely be one of the best candidates. The fact you are willing to move interstate for this job speaks volumes about your commitment.  

Don’t hold back

Moving interstate to a new city is not a life-long sentence. If it does not work out you can move back to your old life and get a job in your home city. But if you never take the opportunity and never try to get that dream job, you might miss the opportunity to kickstart your legal career.    

Scared? Good. Now back yourself and make the move. No one else can do that for you. 

How to food prep like a pro for the working week

Staying on top of life administration like cooking as a junior lawyer can be tough, especially after 5 years flexible living as a university student. It can be a shock transitioning to inflexible full time work, 12+ hour days and limited time during the week. Being organised in the food department can seem impossible. But don’t give up. Food prepping like a pro is within your capabilities and takes much less time than you think.

Why should I food prep for the working week?

Food prepping enables you to plan and think about the nutrition you will need for your working week. Lawyers need their brains to be functioning optimally and bringing your own food to work is the best way to ensure what you are putting into your body will enable you to concentrate, identify errors and produce top quality work.

Food prepping will also save you time. In your 15 minute lunch break you won’t have to beat the crowds or stress about finding something mildly nutritious to eat. Instead you can go for a stress-busting power walk or keep on working so you can leave earlier that day.

Additionally, preparing your own food will save you serious amounts of money. There is also the personal satisfaction of finishing your food prep for the week and knowing at least something in your week is going to go to plan. Look at the Instagram hashtags #foodprepping  and #foodprep for inspiration and for an indication of the self-satisfaction involved.

Step 1: Make a food plan grid

Make a grid as follows:

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast
Lunch					Lunch – Pho with colleague
Dinner						Dinner at Veggie Bar
Snacks

I eat leftovers on the weekend to save on food wastage, so don’t plan for Saturdays in detail. As I food prep on Sunday night, I plan for dinner on Sunday. Identify the times you are planning to eat out. For example if you know on Friday night you are eating dinner with friends and on Thursday you are eating out in your lunch break block that out.

There are two kinds of food preppers in the world:

1.       Those who prepare and eat the same food every single week; and

2.       Those who like variety and could not eat roast vegetable and quinoa salad for more than two days in a row.

I fall into the later category and thrive off variety. If you are the type of person who does not need variety in their life, you can save a lot of time by cooking large quantities of the same dish. However, beware of food poisoning. Food should be consumed within 3 days of cooking (some food goes off even more quickly and should be consumed within 2 days of cooking). If you are cooking on Sunday, it would be unsafe to eat your food on Thursday and Friday. If you cook too many portions, freeze the leftover portions before they go off and use these ready to go freezer meals in times of need.

Step 2: Plan your meals and snacks

Cooks tend to either like following recipes or not. I highly recommend following recipes if you are starting out as a food prepper. Mastering a small number of simple recipes will drastically improve the quality and taste of your cooking and give you an idea of flavour and ingredient combinations that work together. Following recipes also enables you to identify and plan the quantities of ingredients you require. Get out your cookbooks or print off recipes you have found from the internet. Recipe selection is key. Make sure you select recipes that are quick to make and nutritious. You are not going to have time to slow cook an eight hour pork shoulder in the middle of the week. 

Here is a picture of cook books I have on high rotation at the moment. Remember to look at the quantities in your recipes. If the recipe feeds four, and you are just cooking for yourself, you should halve the recipe which will make you two meals (unless you don’t need variety in your life and want to eat four of the same meals or are planning to freeze some meals). Don’t be scared to use recipes you have found on the internet. I often use the recipes on movenourishbelieve.com, as they are quick and easy for lunch and the ingredients are often substitutable.

Don’t forget to plan all your meals, including breakfast. After you become more experienced at food prepping you will probably have a few standard breakfasts you rotate through as well as snacks, so you might not need to write it down, but for now, write down everything.

Don’t forget to plan your snacks. Snacks I commonly plan for and eat at work include:

1.       Two Crackers (Vita Weat 9 Grain 100% Natural or Real Foods Multigrain Cornthins) with 20g cheese (fetta, cottage cheese, ricotta, or cheddar) and vegetables;

2.       Small container (100g) of plain greek yoghurt (Chobani is my favourite) with sprinkle of homemade granola or topping of fruit;

3.       Banana and handful of natural almonds;

4.       Boiled egg and vegetable sticks;

5.       Handful of cherry tomatoes cut in half with fetta sprinkled on top;

6.       Chickpea bombs (chickpeas I have dry roasted in the oven with paprika to much them crunchy);

7.       Thick slices of cucumber with 100% nut butter on top;

8.       Homemade fruit salad.

This is what my completed grid looks like this week

	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
Breakfast		Yoghurt, HM granola, fruit	Yoghurt, HM granola, fruit	Yoghurt, HM granola, fruit	Yoghurt, HM granola, fruit	Yoghurt, HM granola, fruit
Lunch		Poached chicken, pomegranate and kale salad	Poached chicken, pomegranate and kale salad	Chickpea, roast vegetable and salad wrap	Lunch – Pho with colleague	Chickpea, roast vegetable and salad wrap
Dinner	Beef and veg stir fry with brown rice	Beef and veg stir fry with brown rice	Poached chicken and roast vegetables	Miso broth, veggies and egg	Miso broth, veggies and egg	Dinner at Veggie Bar
Snacks		Cucumber with peanut butter. Crackers, cheese and vegetable sticks.	Cucumber with peanut butter. Crackers, cheese and vegetable sticks.	Cucumber with peanut butter. Crackers, cheese and vegetable sticks.	Cucumber with peanut butter. Crackers, cheese and vegetable sticks.	Cucumber with peanut butter. Crackers, cheese and vegetable sticks.

It does not matter if your planning grid is a bit less formal. It does not matter if your planning grid does not look pretty. I usually do my planning grid by hand on a sticky note. Over time you may eliminate categories such as breakfast and snacks because you know what you are going to eat. Just don’t forget to continue to write the ingredients you need to buy on your shopping list.

When planning your meals, remember that meat quickly goes off, so plan vegetarian food for later in the week. You will see I am eating beef tonight and tomorrow night followed by chicken. I then eat vegetarian for the rest of the week. I usually eat fish quite a lot but because I had fish for almost every meal last week I am not having it this week. If you did buy fish, you would want to eat that on Sunday night, then the beef, then the chicken. If you don’t like cooking vegetarian you might have to eat meals you have pre-prepared and frozen in the second half of the week.

I eat breakfast at my desk when I get to work, and I love yoghurt with homemade granola (which I bake in massive batches) and seasonal fruit. If I feel like protein for breakfast I might bring a boiled egg and have it with toast.

You will also notice I am eating the same snacks every day this week. This works for me, as I bring all those ingredients to work for the week. Each week I change my snack. You can change up your snacks everyday, I just find it easier to keep it the same for the week. 

As you plan each meal or snack, write the ingredients you need on your shopping list for your supermarket shop. Make sure you assess the food currently in your fridge and cupboards to ensure you don’t buy anything you already have. This is my shopping list for the week.

If you are new to food prepping you may need to stock up on Tupperware. Remember Tupperware is your portion control. Buy smaller Tupperware containers than you think. Remember you are a lawyer and while you need carbohydrates, protein and fats to function, the quantity you need is significantly reduced by the fact you sit down all day. I strongly recommend portion control sized Tupperware containers. You don’t have to actually eat out of the Tupperware, and if you don’t like plastic invest in some glass containers. I also recommend keeping some nice plates, bowls and cutlery at work, as eating out of containers all the time gets boring quickly. Remember that if you are working 12+ hour days you will probably be eating dinner at work, so you might need more Tupperware to cater for this.  

Step 3: Go to the markets or supermarket

I strongly recommend shopping at your local food markets. This is easy for me because I live right next to the Queen Victoria Markets in Melbourne, but I acknowledge it is not a possibility for everyone. Even when I shop at the markets, I will still need to go to the supermarket to buy essentials like tins of chickpeas.

To try and entice you to shop at your local food markets more often, here is a picture of my food market shop this week.

 

Step 4: Prepare your food

What you prepare on Sunday night will depend on a number of factors including what type of food prepper you are. If you eat the same thing for lunch and dinner every day of the week you would cook your dish and put it in containers. Meals for Thursday and Friday will go in the freezer and take out as needed. Remember to thoroughly reheat food. I don’t food prep like this because I really enjoy food cooked fresh. So on Sunday I will cook lunch for the following two days and dinner for Sunday night and the following two days. My meals on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday are vegetarian, so I will do any meal preparation I can for that such as chopping the vegetables so they are ready to cook later in the week. Then when I do get home on those nights, I just have to assemble the meal which is relatively quick and sure beats a meal from the freezer. Good luck with your food prepping! May you never be stuck in a lunch time food court line again.

I am a lawyer not a nutritionist. This blog post is based solely on what has worked for me in my personal experience and is focused on how to prepare and organise food as opposed to what to eat. A nutritionist can provide you with advice on what to eat. 

Work Christmas parties – a legal survival guide

Work Christmas parties can be a legal mine field for both employees and employers. The work Christmas parties of 2014 were particularly wild and resulted in the unfair dismissal case Keenan v Leighton Boral Amey NSW Pty Ltd [2015] FWC 3156 (Keenan). There are a number of points both employees and employers can take from this case to ensure work Christmas parties are fun, safe and stress free.

The facts in Keenan

Mr Keenan was employed as a Team Leader on the Leighton Boral Amey Joint Venture (LBAJV) which maintained the roads in the Sydney area. He was also an AWU delegate and an elected Work Health and Safety Representative. The LBAJV held their 2014 work Christmas party on 12 December in a private function room at the Novotel Sydney Brighton Beach Hotel. Beer, wine, mixed drinks, finger food and canapés were provided by the Hotel. The Christmas party event ended at 10pm. After this time, some employees stayed on in the public area of the hotel. During and after the event, Mr Keenan engaged in conduct that resulted in a number of complaints. After hearing evidence Vice President Hatcher found that a number of incidents had occurred:

During the Christmas party

1.       Inappropriate behaviour and language towards Mr Boggan – Mr Keenan told Mr Boggan to “fuck off mate” when he tried to join a conversation.

2.       Bullying of Ms Stokes (first incident) – Mr Keenan said to Ms Stokes “All those Board members and managers are fucked, they can all get fucked. Kevin Badger is a cunt” and asked Ms Stokes aggressively “what do you even do...no seriously. Who the fuck are you? What do you even do here?” Ms Stokes was offended and walked away.

3.       Harassment of Ms Kennedy – Mr Keenan sat on a chair directly next to Ms Kennedy and “interviewed” Ms Kennedy asking her about her marital status, whether she is in a relationship, and how many children she has. Mr Keenan said “I want to ask you for your number, but I don’t want to be rejected”. Ms Kennedy was extremely uncomfortable and when a colleague came to save her from the situation she left the Christmas party.

After the Christmas party

1.       Further harassment of Ms Stokes – after the Christmas party had officially ended at 10pm a number of staff members moved to the public bar area and purchased their own drinks. Ms Stokes was sitting in the courtyard area when Me Keenan approached, spoke to Ms Stokes, moved closer and closer, and tried a number of times to touch the dimple on Ms Stokes’ chin.

2.       Bullying of Ms Cosser (first incident)– Ms Cosser was talking to Kevin Badger. Mr Keenan came over after the conversation had ended and said “why the fuck are you talking to Kevin?”

3.       Bullying of Ms Cosser (second incident) – Mr Keenan was talking to Ms Cosser in the public terrace area. Mr Keenan said “I used to think you were a stuck up bitch, but Ryan says you are alright. If Ryan likes you then you must be ok”. Ms Cosser was upset and cried by the incident.

4.       Sexual harassment of Ms O’Reilly – Mr Keenan was sitting next to Ms O’Reilly at the bar when he suddenly grabbed Ms O’Reilly’s face and kissed her on the mouth.

5.       Sexual harassment of Ms Kearns – while a group of colleagues were waiting for taxis, Mr Keenan said to Ms Kearns “My mission tonight is to find out what colour your knickers are”. Ms Kearns replied “They are white, touch my skirt and I will kill you”.  

At a meeting held on 18 December 2015 the eight allegations were put to Mr Keenan, but evidence showed that the factual content of most of the allegations was not identified in a way that allowed Mr Keenan to give an informed response. LBAJV made the decision to terminate Mr Keenan’s employment relying only on allegations regarding the sexual harassment of Ms Kennedy and the sexual harassment of Ms O’Reilly. This decision was put to Mr Keenan on the 20 January 2015. Mr Keenan had a representative from the AWU, with him for both the meetings. At both meetings Mr Keenan and his representative suggested a number of alternatives to dismissal.

Consideration by Vice President Hatcher

VP Hatcher had to decide whether Mr Keenan was unfairly dismissed. LBAJV relied on the allegation of sexual harassment towards Ms Kennedy during the Christmas function and the sexual harassment of Ms O’Reilly after the Christmas party to justify the dismissal. VP Hatcher divided his consideration of whether Mr Keenan was unfairly dismissed into whether conduct during the event could justify dismissal and whether conduct after the official Christmas party had ended justified dismissal.

1.       Conduct after the Christmas party

“Out of hours” conduct can constitute a valid reason for dismissal in specific circumstances where the conduct complained of is “of such gravity or importance as to indicate a rejection or repudiation of the employment contract by the employee” (Rose v Telstra Corporation Limited [1998] AIRC 1592). Where an employer is vicariously liable for the conduct of an employee outside work hours, this creates a sufficient connection between the conduct and the employer to come within the scope of legitimate employer supervision. VP Hatcher therefore had to determine if the conduct at the upstairs bar after the Christmas party was unlawful sexual harassment for which LBAJV could be vicariously liable.

Mr Keenan’s conduct in suddenly kissing Ms O’Reilly is clearly sexual harassment within the meaning of s.28A of the Sexual Discrimination Act 1984. For the employer to be vicariously liable for sexual harassment of an employee, the employee must have done the sexual act “in connection with the employment of the employee” (s.109 SD Act). The test for vicarious liability is not a “but for” test. There must be some connection which is more than an incidental connection (Keenan [101]). VP Hatcher found Mr Keenan’s conduct in the upstairs bar was merely incidental to his employment and LBAJV were not vicariously liable, as the social interaction which occurred was not in any way organised, authorised, proposed or induced by LBAJV.

Outside of the sexual discrimination context, VP Hatcher found none of the conduct that occurred in the bar after the Christmas party would justify dismissal, as it was private conduct and there was no evidence the capacity of the second person to perform their work at LBAJV was affected.

2.       Conduct during the Christmas party

Prior to the Christmas party, employees were informed of the time boundaries (6pm to 10pm) and physical boundaries of the function and reminded that normal work standards of conduct would apply at the function. VP Hatcher found Mr Kennan’s interactions with Ms Kennedy was “a boorish attempt by a drunk to lay the foundation for a future relationship” but was not sexual harassment and not sufficiently serious to justify dismissal.

VP Hatcher found that the most serious allegation was Mr Keenan’s conduct towards Ms Stokes (“What do you even do?...No seriously. Who the fuck are you? What do you even do here?”),

as it was entirely unprovoked, aggressive, intimidatory behaviour from an intoxicated middle aged man to a much younger and smaller female. This was a valid reason for dismissal.

Although VP Hatcher found a valid reason for dismissal existed, LBAJV were not able to rely on this reason. Section 387 of the Fair Work Act 2009 lists certain factors that must be taken into account when determining whether a dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable. The following factors were taken into account in determining Mr Keenan’s dismissal was unjust:

1.       There was no evidence Mr Keenan’s conduct towards Ms Stokes had ongoing consequences for the workplace including Ms Stoke’s capacity to perform her work.

2.       Mr Keenan had a good employment record in excess of seven years.

3.       Mr Keenan’s behaviour was isolates and aberrant in nature.

4.       Alcohol was an exacerbating factor: “it is contradictory and self-defeating for an employer to require compliance with its usual standards of behaviour at a function but at the same time to allow the unlimited service of free alcohol at a function”. LBAJV took no steps to satisfy itself how the Hotel would discharge its responsible service of alcohol obligations. LBAJV did not place anyone with managerial authority in charge of the function, but essentially let it run itself.

5.       There were other disciplinary alternatives available other than dismissal, such as a ban from future Christmas parties and a final warning. The factual basis of all the allegations was not put to Mr Keenan.

6.       An employee who had displayed similar misconduct (saying “do you want us to get our cocks out and measure them too?” to a female employee) merely received counselling, and it was very inconsistent to dismiss Mr Keenan where the conduct was similar in nature and seriousness.

Lessons to learn – employees

1.       Attendance at a work Christmas party will usually be considered to be “during working hours”, and the employer will be able to regulate the employee’s behaviour;

2.       The same code of conduct and standards of behaviour that apply at work will be required at a Christmas function - behaviour that is not appropriate at work is unlikely to be appropriate at a work Christmas function;

3.       If you are drunk at a Christmas party and misbehave, the court is likely to favour the recollections of other witnesses over your evidence, as a drunk’s recollection will generally be unreliable;

4.        If allegations are made against you, you are entitled to procedural fairness such as having a support person with you during meetings, having the factual basis for the allegations put to you, and being given an opportunity to respond.

Lessons to learn – employers

1.       Remind staff prior to the event of the standard of behaviour expected at the event. Remind staff members that the Code of Conduct and other policies will apply. In Keenan, VP Hatcher said the fact LBAJV had made it clear that compliance with its standards of behaviour at the Christmas party was expected, was critical to ensure this standard of behaviour was later enforceable.

2.       Ensure the official start time, end time and geographical limits of the Christmas party are made known to employees.

3.       Employers should take steps to ensure alcohol will be served responsibly. If an event is being held at a hotel, employers should make inquiries and satisfy themselves of the steps the hotel will take to ensure the responsible service of alcohol. Employers should make it clear alcohol is not to be “self-serve”.

4.       Ensure someone of managerial level is at the event to be a contact person and be responsible for the event. It is not sufficient to let the event “run itself”.

5.       Complaints of employee conduct should be handled consistently. The substance of each allegation should be put to the employee, not by asking open questions but by putting the factual allegations of the complaint to the employee.

Have fun at your 2015 Christmas party, but make sure you get it right. One mistake can make the matter drag on for months. The judgment in Keenan was not handed down until 26 June 2015, six months after the Christmas party occurred. This is relatively quick for the resolution of a legal matter. Don’t let this happen to you.

Remember that this is a blog post, not legal advice. Seek independent legal advice before relying on anything in this blog post.   

Surviving imposter syndrome as a junior lawyer

You have spent 5 years at law school, another year at College of Law and 2 years on your probational practising certificate. You are a competent and successful junior lawyer and often receive praise for your work. Yet, you can’t quite shake that feeling that you are faking it, you got there by luck, and soon someone will find out that are not as capable/talented/smart as they think. This pattern of thinking is known as “imposter syndrome”. 

I am not a psychologist and I am not providing medical advice in this blog post. The purpose of this blog post is to share my experiences to help other junior lawyers identify and overcome imposter syndrome thoughts. 

What is Imposter syndrome?

In a nutshell, a person with Imposter syndrome feels inadequate despite significant evidence to the contrary. Others might see you as a successful, competent and smart law student, but you think you are inadequate and are just posing as a successful, competent and smart law student.

Psychologists Pauline Rose Clance and Suzanne Imes were the first to describe the imposter phenomenon in the 1970s. Imposter syndrome is not a diagnosis on the DSM, but has been identified as a very specific form of self-doubt that can be accompanied by other feelings such as anxiety and depression. Imposter syndrome is not an “all or nothing” condition, and junior lawyers can suffer from imposter syndrome in some aspects of their thinking or behaviour and not others.

Examples of thoughts and behaviour common to imposter syndrome:

1.       Feeling like a fake

You might feel like you got your graduate job because you managed to fool your interviewer into selecting you, despite the fact that you got the job because you performed well in two rounds of interviews and a written exam. You might also fear that you will be “found out” and kicked out or believe that you give the impression you are more competent than you are. You might question whether you are prepared for your graduate job and worry about the work you might be given.

2.       Attributing success to luck or external factors

You might believe it was luck that got you into law school. When you get a D or HD in an exam, you say you “got lucky” or point to something external like the assistance your friend in 5^th year gave you. People who find themselves with these thoughts might have significant fear they will not be able to succeed next time they have to complete a similar task.

3.       Discounting success

This category includes discounting achievement. For example, if you won a subject prize for Contracts and you say “it wasn’t that important” or “my tutor was an easy marker”.

What causes Imposter syndrome?

The research is mixed on the causes of Imposter syndrome. Clance and Imnes original research identified family dynamics as the main cause. To me, this seems quite Freudian, but I will very briefly outline the Clance and Imnes causes regardless:

1.       Family labels

For example, where children within a family are labelled differently, i.e. as “intelligent”, or “sensitive”. The child labelled “sensitive” can be lead to doubt her intelligence, even in the light of evidence to the contrary.

2.       Family messages of superiority

For example, where a child is over supported and is led to believe she is superior. Challenges arise which the child may find difficult, leading her to feel deceived by her family and leading to the development of the belief she is average or below average.

3.       Focus on achievement

Imes’ original research stated that a focus on achievement can confuse love, approval and self-worth, with self-worth becoming contingent on achievement. A familial focus on achievement can see mixed messages of over-praise and criticism, leading to imposter thoughts developing.

Additionally, being female can increase your chances of imposter syndrome thoughts. Originally in the 1970s, imposter syndrome was considered a female only phenomenon. Subsequent research has shown men also experience imposter syndrome, though “gifted” females are the group most likely to experience imposter syndrome. Other research has shown people from minority groups are also more likely to suffer from imposter syndrome.

Why junior lawyers are particularly susceptible to imposter syndrome

There are several reasons why junior lawyers commonly experience imposter syndrome:

1.       Imposter syndrome is commonly associated with high achievers

Undergraduate law courses at top universities tend to attract high achievers.

2.       Junior lawyers are embarking on new endeavours

Imes research showed that graduates are particularly susceptible to imposter syndrome as they are often asked to undertake tasks they may believe they are not ready to handle. Practising law is very different from studying law at University, and the challenging nature of the transition can cause imposter thoughts to develop.

3.       Imposter syndrome is commonly associated with perfectionist personalities

Perfectionist personalities are abound at law school and in the legal profession. The impostor phenomenon and perfectionism often go hand in hand, leading to the person either procrastinating, as they believe they will never be able to complete the task to high standards or over preparing and spending much more time on the task than is necessary.

4.       Female young professionals tend to attribute success to external factors

Attributing success to external factors can be a sign of imposter syndrome. Female professionals are more likely to attribute success to external factors than male colleagues. In Lean In, Women, Work and the Will to Lead (a book everyone should read), Sheryl Sandberg describes how women consistently underestimate themselves and how this pattern has serious long-term consequences. The following quotes were taken from the chapter “Sit at the Table”:

“For women, feeling like a fraud is a symptom of a greater problem. We consistently underestimate ourselves. Multiple studies in multiple industries show that women often judge their own performance as worse than it actually is, while men judge their own performance as better than it actually is.”

“Ask a man to explain his success and he will typically credit his own innate qualities and skills. Ask a woman the same question and she will attribute her success to external factors, insisting she did well because she “worked really hard” or “got lucky” or “had help from others”.

“In situations where a man and a woman each receive negative feedback, the woman’s self confidence and self-esteem drop to a much greater degree. The internalisation of failure and the insecurity it breeds hurt future performance, so this pattern has serious long-term consequences”

How to survive

There are several steps you can take to try and alleviate imposter syndrome thoughts:

1.       Identify feelings and automatic thoughts

A first steps is to identify thoughts that are tainted by imposter syndrome. Many of these thoughts are automatic and occur instantly without much thinking. For example, when your boss compliments you on a piece of work, in your head you might be thinking “phew, that was lucky”. This is an automatic thought. If a boss identifies a small error in your work, you might automatically think “I am not smart enough”. Identifying these automatic thoughts can help you gradually change thought patterns.

2.       Do your own reality check

Identify whether your thought accords with the objective facts. If you can, try and balance your thoughts. This may not be as easy as you think due to tendency of 20-something brains to retain negative memories more easily than positive memories.

In her thesis “30 is not the new 20: Why your 20s Matter”, Dr Meg Jay describes how the 20-something mind retains negative memories and experiences more strongly than positive experiences. This can be good for learning, as the 20-something mind remembers the negative experience and rarely makes the same mistake twice. However, it can be bad for self-confidence, as if your brain is focusing on the mistakes you have made at work, rather than the numerous times your boss told you they were very happy with your work, you can quickly come to doubt yourself and your ability. This is compounded by the fact junior lawyers make mistakes all the time, so your 20-something brain focuses on these negative experiences.

Acknowledge that you will remember negative feedback from your boss more vividly than positive feedback and then understand the difference between your feelings and reality. While this may sound ridiculous, it can help to keep a list of compliments and positive feedback on your work. When you get a negative piece of feedback you can then look at the objective evidence on your list and see that you are not doing so badly after all. Acknowledge that just because you think you are not smart, does not mean this is the reality.

3.       Talk about it

Do not be fooled, that law graduate in the team next door to you who seems to be oozing confidence might suffer from imposter syndrome thoughts too. Often people suffering from imposter syndrome do not talk about it, as they fear being found out. You don’t have to talk to that graduate, but finding someone who has similar thoughts or who has gone through the same process before to talk to may assist. For people experiencing strong imposter feelings of being found out or who are also experiencing anxiety may wish to talk to a psychologist. Being a neutral third party, the person with imposter feelings does not have to fear being found out when talking to a psychologist.

4.       Identify your expertise

Identifying your strengths can really help. Even if you are the most junior lawyer at work, you will still have strengths compared to other lawyers. For example, most junior lawyers are the best in their team at legal research and the most up to date in certain areas of law due to the fact they are fresh from law school. If there are more junior staff members, taking on an unofficial mentoring role could also help you, as you can see how far you have come from when you first started in the workforce.

5.       Manage your perfectionism

For those with perfectionist traits, acknowledging that perfect is not the goal but “well enough” will do most of the time can help.

Onwards

Life as a junior lawyer is hard enough without imposter syndrome thoughts. On a day to day basis you will be dealing with new law, new problems and new colleagues. With a bit of effort you can come to enjoy your accomplishments. Enjoying your achievements is important as a junior lawyer, where you will be making mistakes on a daily basis. You need to enjoy whatever small successes you achieve along the way.  Feeling fearful and anxious all the time does not have to be normal. For those with mild imposter syndrome, large changes can be seen merely by identifying thoughts and conducting a reality check. You are capable, smart and intelligent. Start believing it.