Being a lawyer

Since last week I was quite down, had backaches and finally yesterday I officially had sore throat with slight fever. My indisposition prevented me from writing the post last night, so many apologies.

Allhumdolillah I am feeling better now. Entire day went in drafting and redrafting a legal document. Everything has to be taken care of and precisely incorporated in a single document. Then it has to be read minutely to correct any error or to make changes, if required. After completing any document I make my family members or friend or a colleague even the younger lot in my home to read it. If they easily read and understood what I am trying to say then my mission is accomplished. The idea here is that even a legal document should be clear and straightforward even so a layperson would easily understand it. 

Although it is not a common practice to draft simple language legal documents, somehow we lawyers believe that unless everything is complicated and overwhelming for our readers it does not amount to a good legal opinion or agreement or any other document. This was an approved practice with most of the British barristers in early 20^th century and even today. Since our legal structure is based on the same British legal system we tend to be complicated as well.  

Yet now reforms are done to simplify legal language but this is an established practice for more than hundred years so it is not easy to discard.

Our senior lawyers with whom we do our pupilage in the first 2 or 3 years of becoming advocates also have indelible marks on our way of conducting law practice. On numerous occasions I unconsciously wrote most of my opinions and pleading like my seniors. Even the underlining and highlighting which I still do is similar to my seniors.

Those early years are very crucial for any new lawyer, it is in those 2 years when the foundation of our entire career is laid. You have to be crazy and wildly passionate about law or else the obstacles you would encounter then might give you several nervous breakdowns. 

The first and the foremost aspect of being a good lawyer is to find a senior lawyer who would give you ample opportunities to learn and grow. Trust me you have to be vigilant like eagle so as to monitor what you are learning every day. You have to go daily to the senior and literally beg for work because that’s how they would realize your interest. If those early years are wasted in taking only adjournments dates or making adjournment applications then forget about being a lawyer.

I have seen this with so many of female classmates who left the legal profession within those 2 years, they sheepishly believed that if a law firm is joined once then only death can separate you from it. On the contrary I never believed this and if I did not get new work regularly then I would leave that law firm immediately. Most of the senior lawyer did not approve of this inconsistency and the legal fraternity took it as a non-serious attitude but I had to take care of my career and make the choices to get most of the learning opportunities.

I joined a law firm of one of the most famous female lawyer in Karachi but within a month left her because all I did there was pack and unpack her books after her each court hearing.

Fortunately I found two gems of senior lawyers who have significant contribution to what I am today. Both were different, one practiced Civil & Criminal law and other worked as a Corporate lawyer. I got maximum exposure to the court practice because one of them gave me the space and freedom to do what I felt right during a court case. The other taught me the intricacies of corporate work. 

You would be surprised to know that neither of them hardly ever talked to me for more than 10-15 minutes on an average daily, instead they would hand over me the file and sent me off to either court or to my chamber to handle the matter. However, if I got stuck somewhere they would always help. I learned by observing reading and re-reading their opinions, pleadings, the way the spoke in court or carried themselves.

You need to leave your ego behind to learn something new. Never even think for a second that you know everything, because then your mind is filled with clutter and false perceptions about yourself. It is so wonderful when you don’t know anything so you can move out of your own way and let the fountain of knowledge imbibe your being….

Oh Gosh! this is a lengthy post so I end it here.

Have a safe and great weekend.

Sonya. (Day 226)