In this article, we explore why informed, considered decision-making matters at every stage of a legal career. We look at practical ways to approach career decisions, including how asking better questions can reveal the information that matters most. We also share how one lawyer’s thoughtful decision-making opened the door to an exciting career in projects law, from Abu Dhabi and beyond.
Most lawyers can trace their career back to a decision made early, and often, made quickly.
For some, it was inspired by courtroom dramas or the influence of family already in the profession. For others, it was a more pragmatic choice. But as many will admit, that first decision to study law is rarely made with a full understanding of what the career actually involves day to day. And that is where the challenge begins.
Because from that point on, a legal career is shaped by a series of decisions. Practice area. Firm. In-house versus private practice. The right time to move. The right people to learn from. The question is not whether those decisions matter. It is whether they are being made well.
Better decisions start with better questions
In The Book of Beautiful Questions by Warren Berger, there is a simple but powerful idea. The quality of your decisions is directly linked to the quality of the questions you ask.
A good question acts like a torch in a dark room. It does not give you the answer immediately, but it illuminates the right areas so you can find it yourself.
In a legal career decision context, that might look like:
● What kind of work will I actually be doing in this new role in the first 6 to 12 months?
● How will this role develop me beyond my current capability?
● Does this environment support mistakes as part of learning, or penalise them?
Too often, lawyers focus on surface-level questions. Salary. Title. Brand name and reputation of the firm. Those matter, particularly in the current cost-of-living environment, but they are unlikely to be the factors that determine whether a move is successful two or three years down the track.
There is no single “right” way to decide
In our many years of legal recruitment in the Queensland legal market, we have found that decision making is a very individual skillset, and lawyers approach decision making in all sorts of different ways.
Some take a highly structured path. They map the market, speak to multiple firms, engage mentors, and weigh up detailed pros and cons. In one recent example, a lawyer spent three months exploring options, meeting multiple teams, and workshopping final offers with trusted advisers before making a call.
Others take a more intuitive approach. They meet a team, get a sense of the culture, and make a decision based on how it feels. That instinct is often shaped by time invested in informal data gathering, conversations, and observations along the way.
Both approaches can work. What matters is not whether the process looks analytical or intuitive on the surface, but whether you are asking the right questions and aligning the decision to where they want to go longer term.
Georgia’s decision: instinct, but not without intent
In our recent Friends in Law Podcast episode, we interviewed Projects Lawyer Georgia Huf. The delicate balance between instinct and informed decision making came through in our discussion about her initial move into construction law.
On the surface, it might be described as a “gut decision”. She was drawn to the nature of the work, particularly its grounding in contract law and the tangible outcomes it delivers. Construction law offers something many lawyers look for but struggle to define early in their career: the ability to see your work translate into something real.
Georgia actively sought out environments where she could learn. She placed importance on being surrounded by strong mentors, being given the opportunity to draft, make mistakes, and improve. That “safe place to learn” became a critical factor in her development.
She also made deliberate decisions to broaden her exposure. Her advice to junior lawyers is simple but often overlooked: take full advantage of rotations. Understanding how matters play out end to end makes you a better lawyer, particularly in transactional work where poor drafting upstream can create significant issues later.
Even her later decision to move overseas to Abu Dhabi followed a similar pattern. It was opportunistic, sparked by a conversation (and a LinkedIn message from a recruiter – yes, you should respond to those!) rather than a long-term plan, but grounded in clear motivations.
Professional growth. Exposure to large-scale projects. Broader life experience.
The common thread is not in the decision-making method. It is the clarity behind the decision.
You can listen to Georgia’s full interview here.
The risk of getting it wrong and why that is often overstated
Lawyers are trained to identify risk. Naturally, that carries over into career decisions.
What if the role is not what was promised?
What if the team is not the right fit?
What if the move sets me back?
These are valid concerns. There are real examples of experienced practitioners stepping into partnership roles that did not meet expectations and having to move on quickly.
But there is another risk that is often less discussed. Doing nothing. Career paralysis is a genuine issue in the legal profession. Waiting for the perfect role, the perfect timing, or complete certainty can stall progression just as much as a poor move.
A useful way to reframe this is through a simple model introduced by James Clear, the author of Atomic Habits:
● Some decisions are like a hat. Easy to change.
● Some are like a haircut. They grow out over time.
● Very few are like tattoos. Truly permanent.
Even decisions that feel significant, moving in-house, changing firms, going overseas, are rarely irreversible. The Queensland market continues to see alumni hires returning to the fold and lateral moves that correct career courses.
The focus should be on making a considered decision, not a perfect one. There will always be compromises to be made along the way.
Beyond salary: what drives long-term outcomes
It is hard to ignore salary, particularly in the current high-pressure, cost of living environment. But decisions driven purely by remuneration tend to create issues later. Higher pay can sometimes come with trade-offs. Limited development. Repetitive work. Environments that are not sustainable long term. And once a certain salary level is reached, it can become difficult to move without taking a step back if the underlying experience does not support it and is not highly valued outside your organisation.
The more effective approach is to assess roles on three dimensions:
● The quality and complexity of work
● The people and mentorship available
● The alignment with longer-term career direction
Salary sits alongside these factors, not above them.
The huge role of timing and personal context
A sound decision is not made in isolation from personal circumstances. A role that might be ideal from a technical perspective may not be sustainable for someone managing young children and late-night global conference calls. Conversely, a move that offers flexibility and balance at the right stage of life can be a strategic decision, not a compromise.
Timing matters. So does self-awareness. The most effective decisions tend to come from lawyers who understand what they need at that point in their career, rather than what they think they should want.
There is More than One Way
One of the most consistent themes across experienced lawyers is that careers are not shaped by a single defining decision. They are shaped by a series of decisions, each informed by better questions, stronger self-awareness, and accumulated experience.
As Georgia said to us in her episode of Friends In Law, seek advice, listen to perspectives you trust, but ultimately make the decision that is right for you. Trust your judgement.
For lawyers considering their next move, consider this:
● Do the work to ask better questions. Particularly in an interview setting [AC1]
● Gather the right information.
● Understand what matters to you now and where you want to go longer term.
Then make the decision. Because in most cases, the bigger risk is not making the wrong move. It is not making one at all.
If you are considering a move, or simply want to understand how you are positioned, it is worth taking a more strategic approach to your next step.
If you are looking for your next ideal step in the legal market, then reach out to find out how we can help you build the career you aspire to.
Get in touch here.
