Trailer for #8: Why Lawyers Leave & How To Make Them Stay - with William Dougherty

This week’s guest is William Dougherty, founder of new legal tech company, Capacity. Hailing from a small town in Scotland, William found his way (somewhat luckily some might say, given his approach to applications) to Dentons in London where he qualified and practised as an IP lawyer. He recently gave up his solicitor role to take Capacity to new heights and fulfil his vision of creating a more inclusive and sustainable culture and working environment in the legal industry. A man who’s clearly done his research, William kept me on my toes for this episode and we covered a vast range of topics in the hour that we chatted! Some of the key ones are: From nursing home to London law firm, William’s journey to the City The importance of early entrepreneurship for future solo success The impact of poor work allocation in private practice Legal tech and the future of being a lawyer Autonomy as the silver bullet to many wellbeing issues Systemic and cultural issues preventing diverse individuals from progressing in their careers How lawyers being naturally risk averse prevents innovation and disruption of the industry Alternative KPIs that firms should be using as a measure of success Bonuses and high salaries - financial reward or an apology? Alternative incentives and reward structures The cause of long working hours and ways to manage them more effectively Desirable and undesirable leavers - why do lawyers leave? Meditation (including vipassana - listen to find out what that is!) You can get in touch with William on LinkedIn or directly via email at [email protected] (very trendy). The book William referred to is “The Wisdom of Insecurity: A Message for an Age of Anxiety” by Alan Watts. Don't forget to subscribe if you enjoyed the episode! New episodes released each Tuesday.

Om Podcasten

'Law Life Balance' is the industry-leading, change-seeking podcast in which Caitlin McFee chats with thought leaders in the legal and mental health spaces to help lawyers prioritise their mental health and wellbeing, and achieve long-term, sustainable success in the legal industry. Welcoming the story-tellers, the entrepreneurs, the advocates, and the allies, Caitlin seeks to bring diverse opinions around the table to raise awareness of, and empathy for, mental wellbeing issues in the law. The mission? To create space for mentally healthier lawyers through collaboration, not competition.