Ariel Dai advises lawyers to be confident in knowing that they have given a task their all
Over her years in law, one important thing Ariel Dai has learned is that you can’t make every client happy, even if you do a “perfect job”. Thus, lawyers need to be confident in the knowledge that they have given their best effort to a task.
As an associate at 2022 Fast Firm New South Lawyers, Dai eagerly embraces progress in the profession. She is helping her firm to bolster its social media presence by contributing to its blog, and champions cost-effective ways of handling legal matters.
In this November interview, Dai talks working well under pressure and wanting to discuss the legal views of a beloved TV presenter.
What made you choose a career in law, and what's your favourite part of the job?
I was a fan of detective novels and a Chinese TV show called Legal Report. My favourite part of the job is the fact that I can help people to figure out their problems and help them to resolve them.
What is going on at the organisation? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
As a firm, we are preparing to finalise tasks and matters before taking a well-deserved break over Christmas and the New Year.
Personally speaking, I am currently heavily invested in a huge construction case involving 36 units that I hope to see resolved to deliver on client expectations in a timely manner.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the organisation, if any, are you most excited about?
It may not be a traditional “tech initiative” as such, but over the last 12 months we have realised the importance of our digital footprint and have started to actively create content for our social media and digital platforms. I look forward to contributing content to the website on our blog, which offers value to our followers, reader and clients.
Otherwise, it may sound simple, but I really enjoy working with multi-screens. It is especially convenient when I need to view multiple documents.
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?
My proudest accomplishment is my capacity to work under pressure and to tight deadlines. Despite having to handle and complete urgent tasks regularly, I am proud of my ability to remain calm and complete them within the said timeframe without compromising the quality of the work.
The advice I can give is that even if you do a 100% perfect job, unfortunately, there are still clients who may not like the result. However, the most important thing is to be confident in the knowledge that you have given your all.
What should the profession focus more on?
How to achieve the most cost-effective progress on a matter. Also, the way of managing clients’ expectations.
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?
In my practice, I see clients proceeding with litigation and having problems with funding. While they should be entitled to the court resource, this exercise is really expensive; so, we should find a cost-effective way to provide legal services to them.
Other challenges also include multi-tasking under a tight timeframe in a way where the quality of work is not compromised.
What are you looking forward to the most in the coming year?
Bringing my boyfriend back to visit my parents in China.
If you were given an opportunity to spend a day with anyone (living or dead), who would it be and why?
I would like to spend a day with Mr Benny Sa. He is a presenter on Legal Report, and I would like to discuss his views with respect to the justice of the legal system as he presented this show for decades. Benny also studies law and did TV shows relating to the legal system, so I am interested in his views on the legal system.