Legal cases are characterised by a heavily imbalanced dynamic that exists between the solicitor and the client.
It’s quite similar to a doctor-patient relationship, where for one party the matter at hand is potentially the most life-altering thing they will experience, and for the other it’s a Tuesday morning.
As you process the legal matters of countless clients, it is important to remember that they are unique human beings whose lives may be irrevocably changed by the outcome of your work.
This is likely why the University of Edinburgh recently published a study exploring the development of empathy in law students through clinical legal education.
The research acknowledged “the importance of emotional intelligence and empathy in legal practice” but also discovered that “time spent in a clinical setting can both improve and diminish empathy levels.”
This suggests that empathy is a skill and, like all skills, it will develop or diminish based on the amount of importance it is given.
Empathy can often be falsely viewed as an innate characteristic, and while it is true that some people are naturally more empathetic than others, the fact that pathways exist for improving empathy is promising.
The research noted that “the impact of pro bono clinical work on students is positive” and that pro bono work can “expose law students to difficult and emotionally challenging situations that make them question their empathetic responses.”
It can seem like pro bono work is more of a possibility for law firms that have a good grip on workflow and have the financial means to engage in unpaid work.
If your law firm does train new solicitors, it could be worthwhile incorporating pro bono work into that training to ensure that they develop the empathy that will make them better at their work at later points in their careers.
Our own research found that 33 per cent of firms identified client retention as a major challenge, and being more empathetic in the way that you deal with clients could be a key way of boosting retention.
How to boost empathy in your law firm?
While we have already mentioned the impact of pro bono work, we understand that it may not be the right choice for every law firm.
Instead, it is best to think about what the barriers may be for empathy and understand how they can be surmounted.
Time is something that we all wish we had more of, and this can often be a barrier to empathy.
When you look at a client, do you see a human being with legal needs or a mountain of admin work that results in a bill?
It can be hard to shift from a mindset of focusing on the struggles that every new client brings, especially when it becomes challenging to get all of the information you need to conduct your work.
At this point, using tailor-made software could be an essential way to boost empathy.
If there were some way to remove the administrative hassle of helping clients, then solicitors would have more time and energy to engage with clients on a human level.
This is where Smokeball can help you to achieve a deeper connection with clients.
We believe in bringing happiness to law firms, and streamlining workflows is a core part of that.
You are a human with emotions, and that is a strength.
Tedious admin is best left to robots, like our AI Archie.
It’s great at summarising conversations with clients and preparing accurate legal documents, but it probably isn’t the best option for sharing your struggles over a cup of tea.
Smokeball lets everyone play to their strengths by letting the humans be human and the robots be robots.
Bring the heart back to the legal profession. Book a demo today!
