Should a lawyer be a leader?
The article was first published in the weekly newspaper “Yuridicheskaya Gazeta” (No. 31 (633), July 17, 2018)
A modern understanding of leadership embraces a number of aspects, including competence and responsibility; the ability to implement change and form common values and visions; team development. The leader has the influence necessary to implement his decisions, he leads other people and the organization as a whole.
But leadership is definitely not about positions! Each team has its own stages of formation, and effective implementation of changes also requires careful study and training.
But does a lawyer need to be a leader? Let’s look from these points of view:
- leadership in the attorney’s office;
- leadership in the legal community and self-government;
- leadership in law-based non-governmental associations.
Undoubtedly, this is exactly what you need. To succeed in any organization – whether it is an attorney office or a self-government body – at the top of such organization there should be a true leader, not just a formal person in charge.
That is why during the third module of the “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” Program, the participants studied the modern understanding of leadership, its importance for the legal profession, considered the leadership model of competencies for lawyers and the role of mentoring in the legal community. The participants learned how to effectively implement changes, and discussed ethical aspects of communication in the legal community and the continued professional development of a lawyer.
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The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not reflect the view of the “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” Program, the Ukrainian Bar Association, the Bar Association of Legal Aid Providers, the Quality and Accessible Legal Aid in Ukraine Project, the Canadian Bureau for International Education, or the Government of Canada and the Law Enforcement Section of the United States Embassy in Ukraine.
“Tomorrow’s Lawyer” is a powerful network of lawyers uniting opinion leaders in the legal profession, who provide legal assistance in accordance with the highest ethical standards, act as agents of change in society and leaders in the professional community.
The Program was developed during 2016-2017 with the support of The Quality and Accessible Legal Aid Project with an expert contribution from the Canadian Bar Association. In 2018, the “Tomorrow’s Lawyer” Program is being implemented by the Ukrainian Bar Association and the Bar Association of Legal Aid Providers, with the support of the United States Embassy and The Quality and Accessible Legal Aid in Ukraine Project funded by the Government of Canada and implemented by the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE).
