Written by Ana de Liz for Crafty Counsel
Ivy Wong’s career story, with its twists and turns and being written in this very moment, is one that should not be disregarded by anyone who is just starting out in the legal industry. We explore the lessons can young lawyers take from Ivy’s career story.
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After training, qualifying and spending four years in Allen & Overy’s energy and infrastructure department, Wong left private practice without a plan, but quickly connected with professionals outside law firms and started on what is now her path in legal tech. Now at Thomson Reuters in its HighQ division, here are four key lessons that Wong shared which are invaluable for young or prospective lawyers:
1. Know what’s important and what’s not important.
As a junior lawyer, it’s easy to spend time agonising over things that ultimately don’t matter, says Wong. For example, you might focus too much on winning minor drafting points against the other side. You might also spend time worrying about how others see you and your work.
More importantly, you should build perspective early in your legal career. It helps you understand both your value as a practitioner and what truly matters in legal work.
2. There is (legal) life beyond the magic circle.
There are, in fact, better places to build a career than a Magic Circle law firm. Wong also highlights that the legal world now offers a wide variety of roles to explore. This is especially true as the industry begins to incorporate fields such as data science, design, and project management. These changes are helping to make the practice of law more efficient and accessible.
“Lawyers perform an important function in performing legal advice but that’s just one part of the legal industry. There are many other roles that are just as exciting and interesting,” she says.
There are better places to be than a magic circle law firm.
3. Make sure you take time for personal reflection.
Finding out what parts of the job you like and which parts you dread — finding out what makes you tick — and taking some time, from time to time, for personal reflection is a great way to make informed decisions as to where you’d like your career to go.
Take it from Wong, who through an understanding of herself found out what made her tick, went from A&O associate to intern at Lexoo and is now a project manager at Thomson Reuters working at HighQ.
“As long as you can afford it, don’t be afraid to step back in terms of seniority and pay if the move then places you on the right path. I really do think life is too short to hate work,” Wong says.
4. Communication is an invaluable skill, whatever function or industry you end up working in.
Distilling information and being clear in your explanations as to why and how you expect things to be done are skills that Wong has learned and transferred from her A&O associate years to her marketing and operations role at Lexoo, to her project management role at Thomson Reuters.
Perfecting the skill of communication should be a top priority in any career. That said, Wong will have to forgive us for momentarily introducing another perspective. As James Hume, a renowned author and former presidential speechwriter, wisely observed, “The art of communication is the language of leadership.”
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What advice would you leave for someone just starting their law career?