President

This month I would like to introduce you to Kipper. He is the first addition to our household in 26 years and he has turned our lives upside down – at least a baby can sleep in your bedroom and wear a nappy! Kipper is a four-month-old Australian Labradoodle and when not biting everything and everyone within reach, he is the most delightful bundle of hypoallergenic fun that you could ever want to meet. I’m fairly sure that I smiled spontaneously when looking at my daughters as children – and sometimes still do – but I certainly find myself doing just that when looking at Kipper. 

I have lost count of the number of people who warned of the huge commitment that a puppy would require. More, even, than those friends who told us that getting a puppy was a wonderful, life-enhancing thing to do.

They were all correct. 

Thankfully, there is no end of instructional books and YouTube videos that can prepare the new dog owner, or at least reassure them that control of the dog is possible.

No matter which author you consult, positive reinforcement seems to be the key to success. Let the dog know what you want it to do then praise and reward it when it delivers. Don’t shout or punish – it won’t work because they just don’t understand. Distract, divert and give them something that’s more interesting. 

Support and encourage

So what’s the relevance of this to the legal profession? Well actually, Kipper isn’t my dog. He is my daughter’s dog and, in case you missed it, she is a trainee solicitor. I have previously shared my concern about just how difficult it is for trainees to work remotely. The lack of direct engagement with others, even in the most informal of ways, can only hamper the “learning by osmosis” from which we all benefit.

It is worth remembering that trainee solicitors actually want to be trained and to learn. Their traineeship is the culmination of a formal legal education lasting six or seven years and while at university they will inevitably have incurred significant debt. New solicitors are the lifeblood of our profession, and my plea is that they are nurtured and supported with positive reinforcement, praise and reward. Not unlike Kipper. 

I truly believe that the test of a good idea is whether it has merit, both in principle and in practice. In principle, of course, the senior ranks of the solicitors’ profession should treat those less experienced with patience and encouragement. Some new solicitors have changed the direction of their careers or their lives to join the profession. They will likely have a wider experience of life, and some of that, at least, may make them better and more productive as solicitors. Those who started the path to qualification at secondary school, like me, have no less drive or focus. And talking of productivity, the practical reason for patience and encouragement is that a wise investment in furthering a colleague’s legal training can only add to – not detract from – that person’s work output and profitability. They will be better at what they do.

That’s a good thing, I think. Just like Kipper.