It’s a harder question than most barristers and lawyers realise.

Australia has about

6,000 barristers

110,000 lawyers and

17,000 law firms competing for work.

Most lawyers answer that question the same way.

Experience.

Technical skill and accreditations.

Results.

Rankings and awards.

BigLaw pedigree.

Legal expertise.

“Client-focused service.”

Important.

But they describe almost every competent barrister, lawyer and law firm in the profession.

Competence is expected.

So something else ends up deciding who gets the work.

Solicitors say they brief the best barrister for the matter.

In reality, many brief from a short list of counsel they already know and regularly use.

And once the work begins, how a lawyer and barrister operate becomes very clear.

Do they return calls and emails in a reasonable timeframe?

Do they keep their word and promises?

Do they explain costs and expectations clearly?

Do they listen, ask questions, and involve clients in decisions about the direction of the matter?

Do they explain things in a way clients understand?

Do they work with the solicitor and client, or leave the solicitor to handle the client?

Two competent lawyers.

Same matter.

Completely different experience.

High-achieving barristers and lawyers follow the profession’s default way of practising.

High-performing lawyers set standards and hold themselves and others to them.

And in a profession this crowded, that shows.

Clients come back because they perceive value beyond legal skills.

Work gets done with less friction.

Teams become more cohesive and collaborative, working towards a common goal.

Solicitors notice how barristers operate when deciding who to work with again.

Your reputation strengthens. I

n a profession this crowded, legal skill is expected.

The standards you set become your reputation.

Yet most barristers and lawyers have never deliberately defined those standards.

They practise.

So the question becomes: What standards define how you prepare, perform, and lead in practice?