Lawyers are advised to enter advocacy through practical experience and mentorship

Young lawyers often do not view advocacy as their first career choice, since during their studies they are primarily exposed to theory rather than the actual work of an advocate. Practical experience, mentorship, working alongside an experienced advocate, and a gradual immersion in cases all help them understand the profession.

This was the focus of the webinar «Advocacy is worth your attention», hosted by the UNBA NextGen in the Lviv region. The discussion was moderated by the committee’s regional representative Ulyana Verbovska. The speaker was advocate Yevhen Filypets.

Students often do not understand what exactly happens «behind the scenes» of an advocate’s work: consultations, court hearings, analysis, communication with clients, team management, and deadline management. That is why, according to the advocate, the profession’s public image may not align with its actual reality. At the same time, the practice of law is not limited to knowledge of the law. In many cases, a client arrives in a state of stress, so the advocate must explain the case’s roadmap and the sequence of actions and maintain regular communication.

Speaking about the first steps, Y. Filypets advised young lawyers to seek opportunities to work alongside an advocate. In his opinion, a legal assistant, in addition to performing technical tasks, should observe the full cycle of work on a case: from consultation and developing a plan of action to preparing documents, analyzing case law, and monitoring deadlines.

The speaker also pointed out the lack of systematic mentorship in advocacy. According to him, it is important for a young lawyer to see how an advocacy firm operates from the inside: how responsibilities are distributed, how the team’s work is organized, how decisions are made regarding a case’s prospects, and how communication with the client is structured.

He cited specialization as another factor in professional development. Today’s clients are looking not just for an advocate, but for a specialist in a specific category of cases. Therefore, it is important for young advocates to identify their strengths: whether in procedural documents, courtroom advocacy, criminal proceedings, military law, working with businesses, or other areas.

Summarizing the challenges of starting out in a competitive market, Y. Filypets emphasized that a law practice is built «over a long period of time, systematically, and through routine» and that young lawyers should proceed in small steps while developing their own work system.