There's something that I
don't think I've covered nearly enough in my blog. It's something
that all young lawyers need to know - what perseverance means.
Traditionally we think that
perseverance means to continue working where we feel that we have a
passion and a goal. Many people believe that perseverance involves
doggedly working towards an aspect of our lives that we feel that we
should succeed in. They believe that it's a habit of successful
people and unsuccessful people lack perseverance.
 |
| sometimes the road ahead seems daunting |
But is that all
perseverance is?
We read about perseverance
in self-help books and write that we 'persevere' in linkedin
profiles. But do we truly understand the weight of the word?
In my belief the above
isn't what perseverance means, it's a part of it- but perseverance
really means building an internal strength. When I think of
perseverance; I think of the word as it refers to a passion and a
belief that succeeds all emotional and physical hurt, setbacks and
other distractions in order to realize a continuing journey of
maturity. It's not a mere skill or buzzword. It's a hard and painful
lesson that we develop as we mature in our lives and
It is often a painful
experience because perseverance can only exist where there have been
failures. You cannot persevere where you have only ever succeeded
because that is merely success. To know how to continue working even
during the most harrowing of situations is a level of maturity and
true perseverance that all lawyers must possess.
Young lawyers especially
must work to develop this as the law is a field that demands someone
of strong spirit and rationale. While many jokes (particularly in
Australia) are shared about lawyers and their wages we must not
forget the emotional devastation that is a reality for many judges
and lawyers.
It particularly struck me
when meeting a chief magistrate in Australia, that the law requires
great emotional strength from each legal representative. The
magistrate spoke solemnly of the people he had sent to jail and those
he had given a second chance. He was teary as he spoke and I could
have joined him as I realized the gravity of the sentences given for
many were life sentences in disguise remorsefully given.
One story explained that a
homeless middle-aged man, living in the streets and raised in an
abusive home, had used a bottle to knock out a service station
attendee and stole $25. The small amount of money taken from the till
was intended for food. Unfortunately the man was shaking so badly he
couldn't walk or escape the scene of the crime. The police arrived
quickly and the man was taken into custody.
His motivation for
doing the crime?
'I hadn't eaten in three
days...I was either going to steal something or kill myself.' The
statement from any other person would seem over exaggerated, perhaps
even falsified. But it was clear this was the reality for that man.
His home life was described as shattering and it was clear his
chances of getting a job after dropping out in year seven were few.
But still the man was sent to prison for two years.
The sentence may appear
minimal but prison can have a devastating effect on our vulnerable
groups. Not only does it brutalize many people but it leads to
difficulty in finding a job and building relationships both vital
components of building a stable home life
So how can you continue
to aim and strive for a just and equitable world when it is clear our
system is fraught with issues?
Perseverance has taught us
to take little steps, to continuously balance out our achievements
with our
 |
| sometimes a hot drink is just enough to get us through |
failures. Most importantly perseverance has taught us to
fight through the sea of our failure to reach for our success.
For a long time I struggled
with the desire to become a lawyer. Why would I want to become a part
of a world where a man with no opportunity will be treated harsher
than a man with many? How could I fight against a system that is so
set against those who are helpless that even magistrates and judges
feel powerless to fight against it? Surely as a mere under aged and
beginning lawyer my contribution – any contribution – would be
like offering a crumb to a group of starving elephants.
I'm no philosopher, but I
have decided that I have reached a conclusion. In-eloquently put;
there are many things in the world that are unbalanced. Some of these
things are heartbreaking, the way that we view criminals and the
disadvantaged. The way that we segregate based on religion, wealth or
race. Yet, it is only when, among all of the disappointment,
breakdowns and failures, that we continue to strive and persevere to
effect some kind of change that we actually create change.
There are many legal greats
of our time and of times past. All of them started out as people,
people who felt that there was something unbalanced in this world.
They all would have felt the daunting and demoralizing weight of
institutions. Yet they still stood and worked. They persevered.
I'd encourage all my
readers, potential lawyers or not, to continue persevering. It may
have broken every belief I had in the law to read the sentences given
through Australian courts but it has also helped me to rebuild them.
Rebuild them with a foundation in reality and a tenacious belief that
continuous perseverance and hard work will, however small, effect
change.
Love,
The Underage Lawyer.
