Persephone Stuckey-Clarke believes the industry needs to focus on walking the talk
Over recent years, mental wellbeing has received a stronger focus in the legal profession. However, Persephone Stuckey-Clarke believes that the industry still has a lot of room of improvement when it comes to acting with compassion, especially when it comes to fellow lawyers.
In this May interview, Stuckey-Clarke discusses Dentons’ Women of the World program, what she thinks of AI, and continuing to pick up new skills as a lawyer.
What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job?
It is extremely rewarding being presented with a challenge or difficult problem and finding a solution. That’s what attracted me to the profession and it’s my favourite part of the job still.
What is going on at the organisation? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
Dentons’ global WOW (Women of the World) Legal Program in collaboration with a group of dedicated female in-house counsel has captured my attention. The objective of the program is to profile leading women from in-house and to build a network of mutual support and learning across the broader business community. The program includes a webinar series, global networking groups for in-house women, and an online collaboration hub where program registrants can access tools and resources.
Almost 30 influential Dentons clients from around the world have participated as panellists in the WOW global webinar series, which profiles leading women in business and explores topics related to career success. To date, over 1,400 individuals from more than 40 countries have participated in the program.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the organisation, if any, are you most excited about?
AI is rapidly changing how our clients work but at the same time, a lot of businesses are still in the early days of working out best and appropriate use. Many businesses have been mindful of the reputational and legal risks associated with improper use and we did see businesses slow down their embrace after the major data breaches last year. It wasn’t uncommon to see bans on AI use in certain roles/workplaces. Some clients are moving on from those data shocks and are concerned now about quickly embedding workplace policies which clearly establish parameters for appropriate use of AI at work.
In this sense, legal compliance, attribution, and authenticity are all major concerns for our clients, with clear policies and procedures proving critical to workforce and risk management. There is no one size fits all approach that can be adopted to resolve or manage these issues. As technology and AI continue to outpace the law, more issues are sure to pop up to keep us on our toes.
Dentons’ AI Global Solutions Hub is designed to help clients understand where responsibility sits for good governance, regulation, and compliance with respect to AI, as well as establishing best practices for clients to derive the full benefits of AI. The Hub provides cross-practice solutions to grow, protect, operate, and finance AI solutions for clients. This is an exciting initiative as AI is a critical issue for all organisations across every sector and geography, presenting both challenges and opportunities, as one of the most transformative technologies we have ever experienced.
What has been your proudest accomplishment in the last year or so? Or what’s the biggest lesson you learned in the past year and what advice can you give fellow lawyers about it?
I’m most proud of the collective and individual successes of the employment and safety team at Dentons and my contribution to that success. I’ve learned repeatedly that law isn’t easy, and it’s those who you work with and the professional relationships you foster along the way that matters most.
What should the profession focus more on?
In 2024, our society is awake to mental wellness, ill-health, and well-being. Whilst the legal profession has improved in this area, there is still a way to go especially in how we treat each other and the compassion we demonstrate to our fellow practitioners. From my perspective, there now needs to be a focus on action and walking the talk.
What are the challenges you expect in your practice, and in the business of law in general, going forward? What challenges are particularly pressing in the country’s legal industry?
Outside of the legal industry, rapid change driven by innovation is the norm and there is a community expectation that our industry too will embrace that change. The challenge for lawyers is how to integrate technology, like AI, into our business responsibly without increasing risk or inviting in bad actors.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
Personal and professional growth is incredibly rewarding. I’m most looking to continuing to learn from others and develop new skills. Lawyers aren’t ready made; we’re built over time.
If you weren’t in law, what do you think you’d be doing as a career?
Were it not for a lack of talent, I’d love to have been an artist or musician!
