The Truth about being a Lawyer: Part 1

Introduction

The legal world looks so glamorous, appealing, and sometimes even intimidating to the un-initiated. But what lies beneath is a fast-paced, cut-throat and indeed thrilling lifestyle for those with the stomach to succeed in the profession. Being a lawyer, indeed, is not for the faint hearted.

So who is a lawyer? In South Africa and many commonwealth countries there is a two tiered legal system. The client facing lawyers that you find in law firms are the attorneys. In England, attorneys are called solicitors as they can solicit clients. People go to an attorney with their matter, the attorney does the preliminary work and, if necessary, briefs an advocate.

The Profession

Advocate generally are litigation specialists who have the right to appear in court and will give high level legal advice to the attorneys and their clients. The profession of advocates is called the bar and the profession of attorneys is called the side-bar. The bar traditionally refers to the bar between the public and lawyers at court with the advocates in front of the bar and the attorneys behind or to the side with their clients and the general public. In England advocates are called barristers as they belong to the bar. Both advocates and barristers are not allowed to solicit clients. Advocates often do specialise in other fields are are briefed for opinions in respect of complex legal issues. 

People join the profession for a number of reasons. For me, it was an academic interest in the law. For many, it's try to save the world, and for some it's to get rich while engaging in a respectable position. Before you can decide decide why to join the legal profession, it's always good to figure out what being a lawyer really means.

Sure, you are a practitioner of the law in the general sense. I became an attorney in 2010 after completing my articles in a corporate law firm. To become an attorney you need to have a law degree, do 2 years of articles of clerkship in a firm of attorneys, with a principal supervising your training, and need to pass you board exams which you can write after attending the practical legal training lectures as mandated by the Law Society. The board exam is set by the law society and after you pass the exam and complete your articles you apply to the High Court to be admitted on the role of attorneys. Only the High Court can remove you once you are on it. You can be placed on the practicing role for practicing attorneys or on the non-practicing roll.

To become an advocate you need to have a law degree, and complete a year of un-paid pupillage and thereafter write the bar exam. Once you successfully complete this you will be placed on the role of advocates. Advocates practice alone; that is, they run their own matters and not with a group of advocates unless briefed by attorneys as such. It is not uncommon for attorneys to brief a junior advocate and a senior advocate in a complex litigation matter. The bar; however, is a lonely profession and one succeeds mainly if they have built their reputation and are popular with attorneys.

More to follow!

Awesome lawyer memes

Being a Lawyer

The Incredible Likeness of Dealing: Part III

It is a widely accepted fact that people in Jhb work hard. And not just the high-flying corporate types, everyone is expected to put in their 110% to all tasks no matter how trivial they may appear. This lifestyle is tiring, especially if you have to battle traffic every day (will save that one for another post!). My (humble) recommendation to all is to actively start taking care of oneself by eating healthily, exercising, getting enough sleep and having fun (which we have discussed already). So now for the serious stuff.

Working hard and being constantly stressed leads to people with high levels of cortisol (the stress hormone, which helps us deal with tough situations), which in time can lead to burn out (exhausted adrenal glands). I have met plenty of burnt out people who say that no matter how much sleep they get or how well they eat, they remain exhausted. Part of this is because their body is so messed up by being pumped with cortisol, and then the effects of going cold turkey. This is a simplification, but I hope I am getting the message across that being stressed out all the time will leave you a worn out and haggard person who is less fun than the average 80 year old whose weekly highlight is their knitting club.

How do I avoid this? I have made the potentially career limiting but life enhancing decision of drawing a line and leaving work no later than 19:30 every day. I go to yoga on Mondays, gym on Sundays, try and each veggies everyday and get around 7 hours of  daily rest. I take vitamins every day and drink 2 litres of water during the day and 2 glasses at night. I say this not to show off, but to illustrate that looking after yourself does take alot of effort, but it is worth it. Ask yourself, what is worth more time and effort than investing in yourself. Not much, if you ask me. Start with having a glass of water first thing as you wake up. Then some wheat grass before you eat. A spoon full of this super food twice a day (once in the mornings and evening on an empty stomach) is a nutrition boost for the day. Mind you, this stuff tastes horrible. Think of licking grass that someone with bare, sweaty feet has walked on just before their dog pooed on it. That is the level of yuck. But have you noticed how everything really good for you tastes awful? A friend of mine takes hers with no-added sugar fruit juice (a spoon full of sugar makes the medicine go down). Get it from dischem:

If you are super-stressed out and anxiety ridden, herbal tranquillizers (I'm not kidding, and I don't mean smoking a joint) can help alot. Rescue remedy can help in mild cases, and for times of stronger need Biral is the answer. Oh Biral, I wished I'd met you sooner! Check out my office pharmacopoeia. Caltrate for strong bones (a must for women), a selection of multi-vitamins and evening primrose oil capsules for glowy skin.

If you have been good, every now and again you have a little treat. Mine is strawberry mentos. I have a  sweet or two a day until my roll runs out and then buy another after a few months. The sacrifices we must make to stay healthy and look good (I will save this for another post!)

The Incredible Likeness of Dealing: Part2

Yesterday I heard a colleague tell me that she was well enough to come to work because it was not physically draining. Bearing in mind that this person had just started off in the working world, I gently cautioned her as to the negative, and often overlooked influences, that stress has on your body.  Sure, your neck gets stiff, you get a bit unfit because you sit down all the time and can't find time to exercise.  You muscles get roped into knots, your skin breaks out and other things, that may not be life threatening. And then you move onto high blood pressure, heart palpitations (even heart attacks), strokes, nervous breakdowns and serious burnout. Why don't lawyers get hazard pay again? I'm sure we can find a way to lobby that one! If your mind is troubled, your body will suffer. No matter how many vitamins you take or how well you eat. Exercise is good but it relaxes ones mind as must as it relaxes the body. So be kind to your body. Think happy thoughts, and if you can make some time to not think at all...