The whole point of lawyers is that we serve others. We make things better for other people. That is what drew me into the public sector in the first place and has kept me there ever since. At the end of the day, a client simply wants to be made to feel important, however mundane their problem may be. Whenever we are the customers, isn’t this exactly what we want too?
Of the obstacles I face, law is the easy part. Convincing others of the need to change is where the real challenge lies. The hardest sort of client is the one that will never be happy – whatever you do for them. They need to be referred elsewhere.
In social situations I try and leave telling people I am a lawyer till the end. I would much rather that they see me first as an innovator, explorer, change agent, problem solver or entrepreneur. Barristers are a source of great inspiration and fantastic allies. A refreshing change to solicitors, with a completely different attitude and approach.
During my professional life there has been a gradual decline in the status of law as a profession, countered by an increase in the opportunity to use law in innovative and exciting new ways globally. As a profession, I think we’ve fallen into the habit of serving ourselves first and others second, which is in direct violation of the nature of our professional purpose. There is a need for specialists but lawyers need to be able to step back and see the bigger picture. Flexibility and adaptability have never been more important.
When we set up Kent County Council Legal Services to operate as a trading practice to generate external income, it was a natural survival instinct in direct response to the alternative – which was demise. At first people ignored us, then they tried to diminish or belittle what we were doing. Now we win prizes for our way of delivering legal services. And we must be succeeding in disrupting the market – recently a complaint was made by an anonymous law firm to the EU that we were breaching rules on state aid, even though we receive no public subsidy.
The law schools bear a heavy responsibility to turn out lawyers fit for the 21st century. They have not done enough so far and are still rooted in the past – like much of the profession.
I hope the legal profession does not just keep up with the new world order, but can help shape and lead it. The profession is undergoing profound change and that’s fantastic. For those starting out, there has never been a better time to be a public sector lawyer – the opportunities are immense.
Geoff Wild is director of governance and law, Kent County Council
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