Law Society President Michelle Ní Longáin has urged trainee solicitors to be true to themselves in their future careers.
“Don’t forget to be yourself. That’s the most vital thing to say.
“A lot of people think they have to play the part of the lawyer, and fit into a mould. I don’t think that works,” she said.
Speaking to the trainees at a Law Society psychological service event entitled Leading with Purpose, hosted by Blackhall Place psychotherapist Antoinette Moriarty (19 January), Ní Longáin said she was fortunate in not having to change who she was to progress in her career.
“I’ve really valued that,” she added. “I’ve been able to be myself.”
She urged the trainees to really think about their careers, and the lives they want, in the way that they use the solicitor qualification they work so hard to get.
“It’s worth investing in your future,” she said.
Ní Longáin also spoke about the importance of really listening to clients, and the so-called “soft skills”.
“Be somebody your clients want to come and talk to,” Ní Longáin advised.
Interested in justice from a young age, her parents described Michelle as the house advocate, because she spoke up for siblings about any perceived unfairness.
As a law student at Queen’s, Ní Longáin spent time with marginalised people, and that experience has stayed with her throughout her career.
“I did learn from that the importance of respecting the people to whom you were giving advice,” she said.
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