Maddi is one of CMG’s Senior Lawyers with extensive experience in commercial and dispute resolution in several jurisdictions. In this piece she reflects on her legal career and what has and hasn’t changed over the years.
Returning to the legal profession in 2022 after more than a decade away travelling and raising a family, I found myself straddling two very different worlds. My early years in practice were defined by paper files, court libraries, and dictaphones. Today, the rhythm and tools of law have shifted dramatically—but the core of our work remains unchanged.
Back then, knowledge was power, but access was slow. You learned from colleagues, case books, and late nights in musty law libraries. Research took hours, sometimes days. Communication meant letters or faxes, and if a client needed you, they left a voicemail on your office landline. We argued cases with printed bundles, and junior lawyers carried suitcases of files to court.
Today, speed defines everything. Information is instant. You can pull up case law on your phone while walking into court. Collaboration happens in real time across continents. Tools powered by artificial intelligence help you sift through documents in minutes, where once it took teams of juniors. Court filings are electronic. Many hearings are virtual. Clients expect updates not by end of week, but by end of day—if not hour.
And yet, despite all the change, the essence is the same. You’re still trusted to be a calm voice in a crisis. To weigh risk. To listen. To think. Good judgement can’t be automated, and your ability to build trust matters more than ever.
What’s surprised me most isn’t the tech. It’s how human the practice remains. The job is still about people—their contracts, their disputes, their futures. The platforms have changed, but the principles haven’t.
For anyone considering a return after time away: don’t be intimidated by the surface noise. The tools are new, yes. But the heart of law—the craft of it—is still there, waiting for you.
