“Now more than ever, we need juniors who are curious and keen to learn,” observes Chrissie Wolfe, Partner at Nexa and legal influencer, during a recent Platforum9 session. Drawing from her journey from traditional practice to YouTube pioneer with 150,000 followers, Wolfe offers fresh insights on what tomorrow’s lawyers need to succeed.
Redefining Legal Skills
Traditional metrics are shifting dramatically. “Attention to detail was always hammered into us,” Wolfe notes. “But now we’re talking about tech tools that will cross-reference letters with entire files. These traditional skills are moving down the ranks in favor of students who can innovate and create novel solutions.”
The Billable Hours Challenge
Despite evolving needs, many firms remain anchored to traditional metrics. Wolfe highlights an innovative alternative: “I’ve worked with teams using dynamic target setting – a points system where billable hours is just one quadrant. You could make up points through other contributions, allowing everyone to play to their strengths.”
Education Evolution
The legal education landscape shows varying degrees of adaptation:
- Some institutions, like Dixon Poon Law School, offer courses in prompt engineering and large language models
- Many universities still cater primarily to traditional private practice
- A gap exists between education and emerging career paths
The Remote Work Paradox
Interestingly, younger lawyers often buck the work-from-home trend. “Students see office work as the holy grail,” Wolfe explains. “If you’re on a junior lawyer wage, you’re not going to have a lovely home with a garden and nice office. You might be sharing with three other people in some scummy flat.”
Career Path Flexibility
For aspiring lawyers, Wolfe emphasizes the expanding options:
- Alternative qualification routes through SQE
- Diverse paths beyond traditional private practice
- Importance of building relationships and online presence
- Focus on two-year plans rather than 30-year commitments
“You don’t have to decide what you want to do for the rest of your life right now,” Wolfe concludes. “Look at what’s in front of you and make decisions based on what feels right to you right now. You can always move or change something later.”
