Confessions of a Pupil: Work-Life Balance

Do pupils actually have a choice?

Controversy!

Our society is obsessed over work. To many adults, their work defines them. Hit an adult up with some small talk, chances are that they'll probably describe themselves in terms of their career.

Is it wrong to do so? Of course not! But it would be wrong to think that everyone around you regards their identity in the same manner.

What is equally (or more) true is that many adults also define themselves by their passion, their role in the family, their beliefs, or a combination of various aspects of themselves, including work.

To them, work is not the main driving force of their lives but an essential part of it. They would want their career (and other things that they do) to be in service of a larger goal — a meaningful life, not vice versa.

Life-Work Balance

The commonly used term "Work-Life Balance," should be dispelled from our dictionary for two reasons. Firstly, it presupposes a delineation between work and life — a division not typically applied to other facets of life — Exercise-Life, Hobby-Life, Friends-Life.

This raises the question as to why we have trained our brains to think that work deserves its own separation. Sure, the hours dedicated to "work" may justify it being a category itself. But it does not have to be.

Secondly, it assumes that work comes first. In practice, this manifests as a mindset that when "work" is considered non-negotiable, "life" finds its place in the remaining free slots wherever possible. It should be the converse.

Ponder on the finite years you have left on this earth and ask yourself what you want to do with them. Pursue the goals you want to achieve before you die — be it life goals, personal goals, or relationship goals — and then only integrate work into life in a manner that supports this fulfilment.

So, the question pupils and young lawyers should ask themselves should really be this:

"Is my career contributing to a meaningful life for me, or does it detract meaning away from my life?"

Every firm has a different work culture. If your work breathes meaning to your life, then that's great! However, if your work is draining meaning away from your life, then talk it out or vote with your feet. When a sizeable number of pupils are engaged in discussions on this issue or are taking the extreme approach of leaving their firms or the profession entirely, that is when broad cultural shifts may happen.

You Dictate Your Priorities

As it turns out, you do have the power to choose both.

The legal fraternity is diverse; there is a place for everyone.

A few individual anecdotes may not be an accurate portrayal of the whole industry, but this whole work-life balance discourse highlights that not every pupil holds the same beliefs or prioritises the same things. And rightly so! It is only natural for people to have differences in priorities, and this diversity must be recognised and respected.

If A wants to spend his weekends with his loved ones, then A should make career choices that align with this desire.

Similarly, if B wants to spend her weekends drafting affidavits and submissions, then B should make career choices that align with this aspiration.

But neither A nor B should impose their priorities onto one another, because there is ample flexibility in the legal fraternity to pursue either path; to choose both work and life.

Pupils have to realise that we are in control of our own career choices; we can and should choose the kind of careers we want. Exercise that power, but never belittle other pupils for their choices.

We know that we wouldn't work weekends because we have other life priorities, but we wouldn't demand that all pupils shouldn't work weekends (voluntarily) just because our priorities differ.

Inadequate Remuneration vs Ill Treatment

A common misapprehension among pupils and young lawyers alike is the conflation of remuneration with ill treatment. A distinction must be drawn here.

If you believe you deserve to be paid more for the quantity and quality of work you're doing, or your work exceeds the scope of your job responsibilities and compensation — it is an issue of inadequate remuneration.

However, if you are being physically, emotionally or mentally abused — this mistreatment is under the category of ill treatment.

Having said that, it is important to recognise that ill treatment is a much more serious issue that is non-negotiable, and non-compromisable. This discourse should therefore be confined to only matters within the employee's control, i.e. remuneration and work hours.

One might ask, "But only a few firms offer reasonable remuneration to begin with. It should should be non-negotiable as well." The answer to this is that you are part of the free market. The salaries you receive are only as strong as you are willing to accept them. When you accept an offer, you, as a competent individual, are essentially agreeing that your time is worth the amount offered.

Young lawyers often find themselves receiving compensation they believe are inadequate due to their reluctance to assert themselves and negotiate better terms. Simply saying "no" to offers when necessary is a key component in advocating for fair compensation in a free market system.

You've made your bed, now lie in it

We acknowledge that this portion of the article comes from a position of privilege and that some individuals may not have the same level of choice, constrained by socio-economic backgrounds, family responsibilities or other obligations that may not exist to others.

However, if you belong in the group who have adequate means and resources and decided to pursue law, you must take responsibility of your own choices.

Too often it becomes the water cooler talk for pupils to complain, wail or gossip about all kinds of things — how horrible your working hours are, how swamped and tired you are or how unkind your boss is to you.

But on the flip side, we often forget that we must first understand what we are getting ourselves into. It is imperative to fully comprehend the nature of the legal industry — the expectations placed upon us, the demands inherent in the profession.

It is no secret that legal practice is a jealous mistress, it is extremely demanding and unpredictable. It demands intense intellectual prowess, long hours and constant deadlines, a cycle that is never-ending.

These demands are emblematic of the noble profession to which we belong, of which we have chosen. In our humble opinion, the legal profession must not be viewed as just an ordinary job for money. It is so much more than that.

If financial gains is your sole motivation, there is a million other ways to make money. But if legal practice stirs your blood and feeds your soul, perhaps this demanding journey is one worth taking.

Ultimately, it is essential to make an informed decision — choose a path and mentor that align with your values, aspirations and priorities. Once you have made that decision, the responsibility of honouring that commitment falls upon you.

A Culture of Discourse

Apart from the main issue, one aspect of the legal fraternity we take pride in is the culture of open discourse in the legal fraternity. Here, we can be sure that competing and contrasting ideas are often welcomed and debated instead of silenced.

When the marketplace of ideas is alive and thriving, the best ideas will emerge eventually, for the benefit of all lawyers, present and future. So, if you're reading this, never stop speaking up (because there's a lot more to discuss regarding the employment status of pupils 🤔💭).

If there's one thing all this discourse has helped uncover is that if you're not passionate about the law, if you don't regard the practice of law an extension of the joy of living, and if you perceive this only as a job and not a calling, you may have miserable days ahead.

Life is short, don't hold yourself hostage to something that does not feed your soul, lest you find yourself regretting down the road.