Why it’s such an exciting time to be a young lawyer

COVID-19 has, justifiably, given rise to fears about job security and vocational direction. But, according to one practitioner, pandemic-inspired opportunities are there for the taking.

Speaking recently on The Lawyers Weekly Show, Plexus associate commercial director Sam Burrett argued that, despite the economic downturn and subsequent professional turbulence, the age of coronavirus is actually a “really exciting time to be a lawyer, especially a young lawyer”.

“I know there’s a lot of uncertainty from the young lawyers I’ve spoken to who have recently graduated from law, and they’re looking down the barrel of a much less clear career path than in the past. But I think out of uncertainty generally comes really exciting things as well,” he submitted.

“Trends are actually being accelerated, and those trends are towards legal transformation with lawyers adopting more technology than ever before, more working from home and engaging with employees on a more human level, and we’re seeing the expansion of NewLaw and the mid-tier as lawyers move away from the dream of equity partner and look for other alternative career paths.

“We’re also seeing the rise of ‘legalpreneurs’; that is, lawyers who are interested in starting their own business and legal technology or a different way of running a law firm. All of those trends are accelerated by the current climate.”

As a result of these trends, and broader marketplace shifts, not only are there new opportunities arising for the emerging generation of leaders in law, Mr Burrett mused, but those new roles will be the ones that can and may shape the direction of the legal profession moving forward.