Collegiality in the time of COVID-19
We asked lawyers from across the profession how they are maintaining their commitment to collegiality in these times.
If you have received an email over the past couple of weeks, the first sentence has probably described these times as “unprecedented”, or something very similar.
When we are tested it is easy to push collegiality and our professional relationships to the side. Work is either busy, stressful or confusing, sometimes all three.
The Piddington Society takes collegiality seriously. It is one of the reasons we were formed.
Collegiality isn’t only about the good times and riding the highs, it is also about the hard times and being there for each other when we need it.
So we decided to ask some of the most collegiate lawyers we know from different parts of the profession about what collegiality means to them and how this can be sustained while we are under pressure.
Lauren Butterly
Senior Solicitor, Environmental Defenders Office
What does collegiality mean to you?
Collegiality is about having and maintaining a positive working and social relationship with colleagues.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
We are having daily zoom meetings with our Perth team each morning to discuss work for the day (and catch up).
We are part of a national organisation, and are having regular Zoom meetings with team members from over east, including more informal coffee catch-ups.
On Thursday we have national Zoom drinks (or coffee for the Perth office given the time difference!); then on Friday night we have Zoom drinks with the Perth office.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
Luckily, as a national organisation, EDO was quite used to Zoom meetings which made us very adaptable.
In the Perth office, we are used to seeing each other face-to-face every day but, equally, because there are only five of us, Zoom was quite easy to adapt to.
I really look forward to our daily check in meetings each morning to discuss our work for the day.
Our proudest moment as a team was, at short notice, transitioning a face-to-face community seminar to an accessible webinar. It went really well and was a full team effort. I was actually a little emotional afterwards, just realising that with everything else going on we had pulled it off.
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
Reach out to your friends and colleagues by Zoom/Facetime and organise a virtual coffee catch-up.
This gives a sense of something ‘normal’ in this new paradigm, but also a chance to really ask: how are you and your family going?
It may be that you can help someone when you have an understanding of the issues their family are facing right now.
The Hon Justice Jenni Hill
Judge, Supreme Court of Western Australia
What does collegiality mean to you?
To me, collegiality is essentially team work and how we build, foster and nurture a high-performing and functioning team.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
I am checking in (both electronically and at an appropriate social distance) more regularly with my colleagues and other members of the profession to see how they are.
It is important to take the time to understand how people are reacting to the uncertainty and how it impacts them on an individual level.
While we are operating in a rapidly changing environment, it is critical that we focus on the things that we can control.
I also take time each day to consider what makes me happy (eg. [in no particular order] the beautiful city that I live and work in, my family, my incredible colleagues and my puppy dog Buddy), what I am grateful for and to share these stories.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
At this stage, very little has changed in the amount of work I am able to complete each day; what has changed is the way that I am doing it.
As has been announced by the Chief Justice, all hearings in the commercial and managed cases list and all single judge appeals are being done by telephone and/or video-conference.
This does, however, requires flexibility and patience.
We are all dependent on the internet for all our systems — particularly as I work almost entirely electronically. The only downside is that if the internet is not working, none of us can work in the way we would choose. For example, the first day I conducted hearing by phone, the internet at the Court was not working for a time. My associate rescheduled matters for hearing later that day. All matters were heard and determined prior to the end of the day — just at different times than they were originally listed.
For the first time since my appointment, I have also worked from home during the day as my daughter needed to stay home as she had a slight cold. My four-legged assistant was particularly pleased with this change in practice (see photo).
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
First, be kind — none of us know how this is impacting others and they won’t always want to tell you.
Second, take the time to check in with those who you know are vulnerable — either directly or because of a family member — and make sure they are ok.
Third, on a practical front, use technology to stay connected. Having lived away from my family for over 20 years and with a partner who travels extensively (and previously have travelled extensively), I am practised at using Skype and FaceTime to stay in touch. While I previously only used Zoom for work conferences (at my previous firm), we are now using this for family catch-ups on the weekend with my family interstate and overseas as our plans to catch up in April have been cancelled. While I would normally text or DM friends, colleagues and former colleagues, I am now more likely to call or FaceTime.
I love the way that people are using technology to have a virtual coffee or Friday night drinks and plan to incorporate this in my practice.
Suzanne Hillier
General Counsel, National Offshore Petroleum Safety and Environmental Management Authority
What does collegiality mean to you?
As well as managing my small team of in-house lawyers, I’m on the leadership team and also now our crisis management team. One of organisation values is collegiality, along with professionalism, ethics, independence and leadership (we have five values as reflected in our Corporate Plan).
Our definition of collegiality is “we will make and act on informed decisions through open and respectful dialogue”.
I think this is a great definition of collegiality for the workplace in general and also for legal professionals and their teams. When you are researching, analysing, negotiating and presenting arguments and advice as a legal professional you must be prepared and informed and then able to communicate in an open and respectful way.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
I’m attempting to re-inforce our values, including collegiality, when the opportunity arises and also through my own behaviour.
Our two offices of 130 staff are now all working from home indefinitely. We have formally thanked staff for the smooth transition to working from home, we have formally acknowledged their collegiate approach to dealing with the task. It sends a message of working together in a positive way and acknowledgement of behaviours that reflect our values.
Dealing with the COVID-19 crisis takes up much of my working day at present.
I’m making a more conscious effort to listen to the input of others when discussing issues and finding solutions, particularly when there is less time to make risk based decisions.
When you have numerous people on a telephone call the dynamic of how you achieve your meeting outcome changes.
You have to be a more prepared to succinctly put your views forward and to listen to other’s arguments and participate in reaching a resolution in a time is of the essence in crisis whilst being collegiate in your approach.
I’m also trying to spend the time I would have spent connecting with people face to face, connecting with people remotely. Open dialogue requires communication and you need the communication regardless of whether you are physically able to come together or not.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
Yes, definitely. The advice work I’m providing has changed its focus rapidly. I’m also in a position where I’m providing less legal advice and more guidance on staffing, governance and risk management issues.
As a result I’m having team check-ins with my staff daily on Skype and encouraging them to use our instant messaging system to say good morning when they log on for the day and “chat” about how our evenings or weekends have been and what issues they are facing.
Remote working indefinitely is a challenging scenario where your individual office can be collapsed into a laptop, charger and mobile phone!
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
It’s important that governance and compliance are priorities and issues that we don’t take “short cuts” in providing advice. It might not seem important now but it will be when we come through the crisis.
An organisation that has compliance issues that they glossed over and that didn’t seem to matter during the crisis, will have to deal with and explain them at some stage. Royal commissions teach us this lesson over and over.
Stay vigilant and insist that your advice is necessary and appropriate during a crisis. You may need to be more prepared in your approach and better able to consider the input of others to position yourself to be effective.
Connect as much as you can with everyone you know within your workplaces and externally. For CPD and professional learning purposes there are many podcasts, on-demand videos and webcasts which will allow us to listen and watch content anywhere anytime. Following participation in an on-line session, organise to discuss the content with your work colleagues on line in much the same way you would in the office to share views and consider legal emerging issues.
Reach out to people in the profession you wouldn’t usually have time to connect with, seek their views on issues and exchange yours.
Organise a virtual coffee, lunch or drinks catch up. You will need to maintain these connections to ensure you can still do your job effectively when the crisis has subsided.
And finally support each other, check in with your work colleagues and ask them how they are and what’s on their mind at present.
Everyone has their own circumstances that affect both their personal and working lives at present. Ask about families and friends, drop off a meal, keep in touch. Take opportunities to improve systems, how you do you legal work and develop adaptive strategies.
Nicola Jansen
Consultant, O’Sullivan Davies
What does collegiality mean to you?
For me it is about rapport and support.
I work in an area of litigation where clients can suffer from ongoing emotional stress and they sometimes take it out on you.
Having other lawyers to debrief (or commiserate) with is such an important part of staying sane and ensuring that work does not overtake other areas of my life.
I am fortunate to work in family law where the level of inter-firm collegiality appears to be far greater than other practice areas, so often additional support can be sought from the Bar (barristers, not alcohol, but sometimes both) or other practitioners.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
High levels of communication for the most part.
My firm has not moved to WFH as yet, so we are continuing to function largely as normal (with additional protective measures in place).
Where I may have seen external colleagues out at CPD and other events, I am communicating with them via email and other methods of electronic communication to stay in touch.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
At the moment it has simply meant a move to telephone court appearances and attending meetings with clients via Zoom.
My firm is being proactive in reviewing each client file to ascertain how the current change in conditions may impact existing parenting orders or property settlement negotiations (particularly in the context of falling markets) and are advising clients early rather than waiting for an issue to arise.
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
Staying connected electronically is probably the easiest way.
Email a colleague that you haven’t seen or spoken to for a while.
If your firm is working remotely, arrange a Zoom conference call twice per week to check in with each other, even if it’s just to check workloads or to say hi.
I saw a meme yesterday showing a video conference call for Friday night drinks, so get creative.
Nick Malone
Associate, Pragma Legal; Convenor, The Piddington Society
What does collegiality mean to you?
Collegiality to me is the act of being kind and understanding of other lawyers throughout the practice of law.
While involved in matters with other lawyers you are to be independent and act in your clients interests but do so in a friendly manner.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
Just because we can’t be physically close doesn’t mean we can’t be collegiate with our colleagues and other lawyers.
Regularly checking in on others and having as much virtual face-to-face time are both ways to increase collegiality in a time of self-isolation.
Many lawyers are reasonably unsure in these certain times. Being able to listen and talk through their concerns can go a long way to allaying their fears and in turn, increasing collegiality!
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
Yes it has, we now (largely) work from home and as a junior lawyer, this puts more of the onus on me as an individual to ensure deadlines are met and work is completed.
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
Check in with each other is vitally important.
Also important is discussing things other than the elephant in the room. During this time it is a great opportunity to learn more about the individuals behind the lawyers.
Some people (like me) will be ruing no sport, others are great readers, now is a great time to find out what deeper interests (other than the practice of law) you have in common with the lawyers you know.
Kathleen McNally
Director, McNally & Co
What does collegiality mean to you?
Collegiality means companionship and cooperation between colleagues.
I believe you are collegial by being kind. How you show that kindness will differ between colleagues and circumstances. It could be witnessing an affidavit for them, lending them a textbook or taking them out for a coffee or a wine if they have had a bad day.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice? If so, how?
Pre pandemic, I worked from the office most days. However, I would try and be home for dinner, then take my dog for a run and then log back online from my home office and do a few more hours of work.
Everyone at the firm likes to work flexibly so each of us already had laptops and a good home office set-up which included large monitors, printers / scanners and paper shredders.
I first realised issues were becoming more serious when one of our solicitors Laura Clarke began populating the office with bottles of hand sanitiser for us all to use.
A few days later, on Wednesday last week, we all decided to begin working from home.
Our files and documents are stored on the cloud and accessible by all employees. However, old habits die hard, and I still have hard copy files which contain the documents filed at court and important correspondence.
Last weekend I built some more bookshelves for my home office and transported these hard copy files home.
Given I am used to working from my home office this, of itself, has not been a very hard adjustment.
The biggest difference is that most of my court hearings are now conducted by telephone and a large proportion of applications are determined on the papers.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
I am used to a lot of incidental interaction with my colleagues.
Laura, Nick Yew Sin and I talk throughout the day and I see my colleagues from other firms and the bar when I buy my morning coffee, catch the lift to my office and when I have a wine at the wine bar after work.
Last Wednesday all of that suddenly stopped and the things I had planned for the rest of the year (such as holidays) were cancelled.
I have found that technology is key to allowing me to keep in contact with my colleagues.
Laura, Nick and I have a teleconference every few days to touch base and discuss workloads, tasks and how we are getting along. Nick’s wife is a doctor and this week had to go into a temporary lockdown, so Nick has been looking after his son with the help of his parents and also working from home.
There are a lot of platforms which allow instant messaging. Nick signed us up to Slack which allows the team to message each other.
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
I have a collection of about 15 sayings which I regularly wheel out and (I think) seem to cover nearly every situation. One of them is an alleged old saying (which it probably isn’t) that “another word for disaster is opportunity”.
I decided I would take the next few months as an opportunity to do the things I wanted to do but never got round to.
On my first day at home I went to my local bike store and purchased a road bike. It has been a week and I haven’t ridden it yet; but I am definitely going to.
Now that the gym has had to close, my personal trainer Wayne and I go for runs and do circuit training in a park. Wayne doesn’t think that these exercises are as effective as weight training, but I am really enjoying the change.
I haven’t done any serious cooking for years but last weekend I made pasta for my friends and family. This really surprised everyone as my specialty is spaghetti bolognese with packet pasta and Paul Newman sauce.
I have also started to make my way through a large pile of books I have purchased over the years and never read. I have started with “The Weekend” by Charlotte Wood who is a previous winner of the Stella Prize.
In relation to my colleagues I am still emailing and messaging them every day. I have a 10am coffee catch up with my usual coffee buddies through Facetime.
I am still buying a morning coffee from the coffee shop near my house. I have bought some pods for when I need to start making my own coffee. There has also been talk about a second facetime group for wine tasting of an evening.
Nicholas van Hattem
Barrister, Francis Burt Chambers; President, Law Society of Western Australia; Director, Piddington PLT
What does collegiality mean to you?
Collegiality means “we are all in this together”.
We are all a part of the administration of justice. We do it best when we treat each other with kindness.
We do important work, and most of the time we do it really well.
We can also do it better, and helping each other helps everyone. It’s better for our clients and it is better for us.
How are you upholding collegiality at this time?
I’m finding it really hard.
“Getting people in a room” gives me joy. I miss those face to face catch ups, and can’t wait for them to come back. Of course, the best way to bring it back is to observe strict isolation now.
For now, I’ve stepped up my text message check ins. The Piddington Society and Law Society of WA are both planning some remote collegiality ideas and I’m keen to get involved with these.
Has coronavirus caused changes to how you practice?
The suspension of jury trials has had a significant impact on criminal law practices. A lot of colleagues will have a very quiet time for some time.
It is a good time to get on top of the administrative tasks that might have been neglected. There will be a very busy time coming before too long.
It’s also a good time to read into some other areas, or write that journal article we have all be talking about.
Just as some areas are quiet, other areas of practice are very busy.
What is something lawyers can do now to keep collegial and connected?
I’m a part of a few private Facebook groups. They have always been a good source for collegiality and guidance — but while face to face restrictions are on, they are really great.
There are already some active groups and pages for criminal lawyers and family lawyers, but it would be great to see some more set up.
Some sad days the memes can help a bit. Piddington’s sharing of the “dogs working from home” account was, like so much Piddington social media, timely and essential.
