Legal changemaker shares insight on how to be a great lawyer and influence the profession for the be

Barrister Mai Chen knows from personal experience that becoming a great lawyer and influencing the profession for the better involves complete focus and dedication. “You cannot have entitle-itis. You have to do the work,” she says.

“It’s important to take the time to understand your mission, what you want to achieve, what you are good at and what you enjoy and then to say ‘no’ to everything else,” adds Chen. “You also need to make time for enough sleep, exercise, good food and fun so you don’t burn out.”

Chen was named one of NZ Lawyer’s Most Influential Lawyers of 2024 in the changemaker category for her extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the profession, including the following:

• Created and implemented the Wānanga Series on Tikanga and the Law in 2023, which attracted nearly 1,000 attendees, including overseas lawyers and judges as well as those in NZ
• Founded New Zealand Asian Lawyers since 2020 (incorporating it as a standalone society in 2023), which has been instrumental in raising awareness of the key issues facing Asian lawyers in New Zealand. These issues include the competency of Asian lawyers in the courts to ensure that they are seen and heard by the judiciary at all levels, identifying and raising awareness of specific cultural and language issues impacting access to and the maintenance of the law and the appropriate evolution of the common law in New Zealand, focusing on Asian parties and related matters.
• Co-authored publications on cultural and legal frameworks, and on tikanga, including the publication of the first wānanga in Amicus Curiae

Reflecting on her journey, Chen notes that the following advice given to her by former senior judges and prime ministers has proven invaluable in enabling her to be a better lawyer and to influence the profession:

• When solving legal problems, you must start in the right place, or you risk ending up with the wrong answer.
• There is no law without facts; in court cases, facts are king.
• Taking longer does not always mean your legal analysis will be better or more accurate.
• Plead the narrowest basis possible to maximise the chances of winning your court case; judges are either conservative or very conservative.
• It is not how it starts that matters, but how it will end; if it will end badly, don’t start.
• You must get your hands dirty if you want to be a pioneer; people can’t follow you if they don’t know what the new idea looks like.
• There is no such thing as work-life balance, but those who love you come to forgive you.
• Getting nervous makes you perform worse in court.

She notes that challenging legal problems can’t be solved without self-reflection and a broader perspective. Finding joy in legal work is also essential to perseverance. “Without perseverance, you will never accumulate enough knowledge and experience to get good at law,” Chen says.

This influential lawyer and changemaker has dedicated her career to advancing the legal profession and helping clients access justice. To Chen, being influential is “not just having good ideas but being prepared to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty implementing.”

Most importantly, Chen says, “Focus on impressing yourself; no one else matters in the end. If you need the roar of the crowd, you won’t achieve much. So, give yourself the best chance to run the race of the law well. Have the courage to say no and chart your own course.”