Hannah Turton believes that wider support is needed to help lawyers cope with a challenging job
Bell Gully senior associate Hannah Turton describes herself as “lucky” to have had a supportive husband behind her as she returned to full-time legal work after having her first child. Thus, she is a champion for initiatives that better support the mental health and wellbeing of lawyers, who are part of a profession that has always been challenging.
In the second part of this May interview, Turton talks helping to promote the development of women in the firm as part of the Women at Bell Gully committee, and the importance of understanding what AI does for the profession.
What is going on at Bell Gully? Are there any new programs and initiatives that you’re particularly interested in?
A big thing for the Auckland office at the moment is our recent move to the Deloitte Centre, located at One Queen Street. We are delighted to be in the new space at the heart of the Auckland CBD.
Bell Gully as a firm also has a lot going on when it comes to programs and initiatives. The team is committed to providing a diverse and inclusive environment for all of the people at the firm, allowing them to bring their entire selves to work. Our ‘BelonG’ overarching banner is a way of encapsulating the various diversity and inclusion initiatives across the firm, including our internal networks (Women at Bell Gully, Rainbow Network, Te Paewhiti Ture (Māori Network) and Parents Network).
I’m a member of the Women at Bell Gully committee. The programme is focused on promoting the development, success and retention of women at all levels of the firm and providing a platform for our female clients to connect. Bell Gully has made great progress towards achieving its targets when it comes to female representation, but it isn’t just about the numbers.
What tech-related initiatives adopted by the firm are you most excited about?
Bell Gully has always been very open to considering any technology that has the potential to enhance our ability to deliver for our clients and enable us to work together. The firm’s ongoing tech roll-outs are evidence of this, as well as the new office meeting spaces and open-plan working areas which are modern and equipped with the latest technology. The upgrades and new systems implemented since I've been away are great to see.
What should the profession focus more on?
Longevity in the profession. Everyone acknowledges that a career in law often comes with a high-pressure environment and long hours. This isn’t to say that those things need to go, but we have to continually develop ways to provide support and help people cope with the challenges that come with the job. Whether that is flexible working, providing more efficient technology, creating support networks and wellbeing resources or encouraging secondments, overseas experience and/or sabbaticals, we need to keep taking stock of what we have in our toolbox to support lawyers’ mental health and wellbeing.
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?
How and to what extent we incorporate AI-based processes into our practice will continue to be a challenge. We can’t be scared of what efficiencies and value AI technology can bring to our clients, but it does mean we have to put the effort in to understanding what it means for the legal industry and how we can best manage it and deploy it.
I also think technology more generally is a constant challenge. Everything is quicker and more accessible, and I think that also means that clients expect our services to be that way. To an extent we have to embrace it (and as transactional lawyers we love the fast pace), but there is a balancing act to be had and I think there will always be a place for getting people into the same room.
