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law doesn't have a lot of room for the answer that's 100-per-cent correct," he says. "It takes you 20 per cent of the time to get 80 per cent of the way there, and then 80 per cent of the time to get the last 20 per cent. So we've got to exercise good judgment on how much time we spend on something, because clients aren't willing to pay for it." At the same time, MacKay believes interwoven. These people typically need pressure to prompt action, and perform well when the heat is on. "It's fairly seam- less: you can play a golf game, and if there's a crowd on the tee ahead of you, you can check your BlackBerry, call a it's important for lawyers to take note of whether they are introverted or extro- verted. While being around people energizes extroverts, introverts need time alone to recharge their batteries and amass enough energy to meet the demands of a non-stop, high-paced work environment. This really boils down to self-awareness, she says, and creating strategies to keep energy lev- els high. "If you know you've got a big meeting, and you know you can go for "If we don't give them the opportunity to recover, then ultimately our workforce is going to be burnt out and less productive." JUlIE MCCARTHy, ROTMAN SCHOOl OF MANAGEMENT client, or check your voice mail, and get right back to the game," she says. This second type of personality is better equipped to deal with the modern, 24-7, high-pressure work world. Gowlings' Jolliffe, meanwhile, acknowledges that individuals who are "too ponderous" — regardless of how smart they are — may not fare well in this environment. "The modern practice of a run and you're an introvert, perfect," says MacKay. There's no doubt that self-awareness and personal improvement techniques will help many lawyers manage the grind of 24-7 law. But perhaps just as important is an inner drive to persevere in the face of constant challenges and pressures. McCarthy Tétrault LLP Montreal A daily blog of FEEDS LEGAL 36 JAN UARY 2011 www. CANADIAN Lawye rmag.com LegalFeeds_Cl_Jan_11.indd 1 visit 12/17/10 10:01:33 AM corporate law partner Véronique Wattiez Larose is often saddened to see lawyers leave her firm because they've become discouraged by overwhelming demands. She urges lawyers to stick with it and seek tools and techniques to thrive. "It's a daily challenge, and people should know that from the beginning," she says. "But at the same time, you get your system together and it's something you work on every day, every week, every month, and you're constantly challenged with new expectations and new realities. But it can be done." She has honed her personal approach to the job over the years to meet her desire to be with her young family. She now reserves two blocks of time each day for them. If she's working on a European deal, for example, she will typically work at home from 5 a.m. to 7 a.m., before spending an hour helping her two young children eat breakfast and get ready for school. She'll then commute to the office and work from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., then head home. She will then have dinner with her family, tuck her two-year-old daughter into bed around 7 p.m., and spend a few more hours working from her home office. Lawyers must be extremely inde- pendent and organized to thrive in this setting. There is no legal assistant on either end of Wattiez Larose's day to funnel tasks to. It's also crucial to have strong teamwork skills, and a good rap- port with junior lawyers — they're typi- cally the ones who are unencumbered by family commitments, and available to take on work during her two daily blocks of personal time. It is still necessary to draw a line Canadian Legal News canadianlaw yermag.com/ legalfeeds