LAWYERS WHO CREATE IMPACT

We do not see the world as it is. We see it as we are.

So who are you? What is your story? As you change and grow, does your story evolve as well, or does it remain the same? Who are you as a human being, as a lawyer, and as a leader?

During the years I practiced law at a law firm, like many lawyers, I was primarily focused on delivering technically accurate legal advice, conducting research, preparing reports, and presenting possible legal outcomes and scenarios as clearly and effectively as possible.

Client satisfaction was always the top priority.

But regardless of the level at which you work, how possible is it really to manage everything at once: your juniors, your superiors, other partners if you are a partner yourself, clients, accounting demands, billing entries, pro bono work, constant time pressure and, at the same time, your personal life, your spouse, and perhaps your children?

During the years I practiced law between 1998 and 2014, coaching was only beginning to enter professional conversations in Turkey and, like many new concepts at the time, it was often approached with skepticism.

As Rumi says, “Set out on the path, and the path will appear to you.”

Because I have always been naturally drawn to growth and change, I eventually recognized the imbalance and dissatisfaction in my life and, in 2007, decided to experience coaching for myself for the very first time. I worked for about six months with one of the pioneering coaches in Turkey at that time.(1)

That process, together with the breathwork therapies, detox programs, and energy practices I began exploring during the same years, marked the beginning of my transformation journey.

I chose to walk a different path because I felt that, despite how much I loved my profession, it had disrupted the balance in my life and I wanted to rebuild that balance.

The roads I traveled were sometimes foggy, uncertain, and difficult. At times they were painful. But ultimately, every one of those roads brought me back to myself. And because I eventually found the path that felt right for me, today I live the balanced life I once longed for.

So the question is this:

Could there also be a different kind of life for the dozens, perhaps hundreds, of lawyers who still struggle with the same challenges I experienced back then? For those who have lost their balance or begun doubting themselves and their choices?

The first chapter of the source book I mentioned in my earlier article was written by Rebecca Normand-Hochman and is titled “Mentoring, Coaching, and the Practice of Law.” It begins with the following observation:

“We all know that artists, athletes, and successful business leaders work with coaches or mentors to improve their competence and performance. Yet within the legal profession, coaching and mentoring are still often associated with poor performance. Although it is widely accepted that most conceptual knowledge and professional competence in law are gained outside formal legal education, very few lawyers are aware of the developmental opportunities that coaching and mentoring can provide.”(2)

Does this sound familiar to you, my dear former colleagues?

The article continues:

“Research shows that beyond personal learning styles, the most effective learning comes through personal experience and interaction with others. We remember 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 70% of what we discuss with others, 80% of what we personally experience, 95% of what we teach others, and 98% of what we teach others through questioning techniques.”(3)

The lawyers described above as “very few” have, fortunately, become far more numerous since the publication of that source book in 2014.

Today, many medium and large law firms abroad have dedicated Leadership Development Departments or Attorney Development Managers, or they regularly work with external coaches and mentors.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many lawyers and law firm partners who, in the past, might have been considered exceptions but who today are becoming increasingly common. Through these mutual processes of interaction and growth, I have witnessed many of them make remarkable progress both professionally and personally.

In fact, as the source book emphasizes in many places, developing stronger and more capable lawyers requires law schools, law firms, and Bar Associations to take active initiatives in mentorship. This is one of the most effective ways not only to elevate the prestige of the profession but also to cultivate lawyers who are competent not only technically, but also emotionally and relationally.

For this reason, I would like to speak directly from here to law firms, law schools, and Bar Associations.

You may be the owner of your own law firm, a lawyer working at any level within a firm, or an in house counsel working for an institution. But imagine what it would be like to possess the following qualities and awareness:

• Being deeply aware of who you are as a person, lawyer, and leader

• Knowing how to create a meaningful path for your own life

• Understanding how your actions affect the lives of others

• Being aware of your own limits and capacity

• Being effective and successful in human relationships

• Mastering communication

• Being humble while possessing strong self confidence

• Having developed emotional intelligence

• Being able to manage stress effectively

• Maintaining a healthy body, mind, and spirit

• Building disciplined habits that genuinely serve your life

The list could continue much further.

But if we group these qualities under three primary categories, they ultimately represent our cognitive, emotional, and behavioral competencies.

Over the next several articles, I will continue exploring international approaches to coaching and mentorship for lawyers working in law firms and examine what kinds of practices and conversations currently exist in this field.

Of course, just as every legal dispute is unique and can have different solutions, each law firm can also develop systems and methods tailored to its own dynamics and culture.

As a brief introduction, the scope of the coaching itself will often determine whether the coach should come from inside or outside the firm.

That said, several general factors suggest that external coaches are often the better option. These factors can generally be grouped into four categories:

1. Confidentiality

Many professionals say they prefer discussing personal matters affecting their workplace performance with someone outside the firm rather than with a colleague internally.

2. Firm Culture and Organizational Hierarchy

Many law firm partners feel it would be inappropriate or unfair to share personal or professional concerns with lawyers at lower levels of the hierarchy.

However, as younger generations who place less emphasis on hierarchy increasingly reach partnership positions, this approach may gradually lose importance.

3. The Client’s Perception of the Workplace as an Obstacle

Trust and confidentiality between coach and client are among the most essential foundations established from the very first coaching session. These foundations are often built much more quickly with an external coach.

4. Expertise and Experience

This factor can work both ways.

In some situations, an internal lawyer with deep knowledge of the firm’s culture and operations may provide tremendous value as an internal coach.

However, another perspective argues that coaching processes are often more effective when led by an external coach who understands the professional context while also possessing training in competency development and psychology, rather than by a partner or senior lawyer whose primary expertise remains legal practice itself.(5)

Ultimately, the choice of approach depends on the culture and internal dynamics of each law firm and should be determined by its leadership.

For organizations whose core work revolves around reading, understanding, questioning, and producing solutions, one of the clearest ways to demonstrate value toward employees is by contributing to both their personal and professional development.

Please return for a moment to the opening paragraph.

Each of us is writing and performing our own story throughout this journey called life.

Through our work, we express who we are.

While trying to become people who are “good at what we do,” we are also simultaneously trying to honor our uniquely human journey of growth and becoming.

And perhaps for that reason, one of our most important goals should be learning how to plant the right seeds as we move from who we are today toward who we are capable of becoming in the future.

With the hope that this article may contribute to all legal professionals who remain open to growth and self development, goodbye for now.

Attorney Pınar Aydemir Başaran, ACC‍ ‍

(1) With my sincere thanks to dear Gülsün Zeytinoğlu

(2) Rebecca Normand-Hochman, Mentoring and Coaching for Lawyers: Building Partnerships for Success (Globe Law & Business/IBA, 2015)

(3) Ibid, 5

(4) Ibid, 5

(5) Ibid, 64