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Patrick Mc

@patricknmccann

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If you’re new here, welcome. And if you’ve been here since I first hit record, thank you 🖤

I started Lawyer Unleashed because I wanted to hear the conversations lawyers usually only have behind closed doors.

About ambition. Burnout. Power. Confidence. The things you sacrifice to succeed, and whether you really have to.

I’ve sat on both sides of those conversations: as a City law firm partner, and now as a coach to lawyers trying to work out what success means to them.

So I wanted to make space for people to speak honestly. To question the rules we’ve inherited. And to show that there’s more than one way to build a career both inside and outside of law.

Season 1 was just the start.

Season 2 is here, and I can’t wait for you to hear these conversations.

What would you like us to talk about next? And who would you love to hear from? Tell me below x

#Lawyers #Solicitors #FutureLawyers #LawCareers #Attorneys

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Law firms don’t have a pressure problem.
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They have a business model built on it.
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Extreme pressure.
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Relentless speed.
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Punishing hours.
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Repeated for decades.
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Patrick McCann, CEO of the City of London Law Society, says the model isn’t working.
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Half of lawyers experienced anxiety last year.
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A third wouldn’t recommend law as a career.
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Yet the system (in my opinion) remains the same:
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Up or out.
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Burn through the associates.
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Reward the few left standing.
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NQ salaries have soared.
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Partner drawings have climbed even higher.
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And Patrick says behaviour that would once have been shut down is now being unleashed.
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That’s the lawyer you don’t want to unleash.
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What’s your view?
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Listen to the full conversation on Lawyer Unleashed: The Podcast.
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#LawyerUnleashed #Lawyers #LegalProfession #LawFirmCulture #LawyerWellbeing #LegalLeadership #FutureOfLaw #LegalCareers

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Not long to go now. Spread the word! #dealbraderie #dealbraderie2026

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He was days from retiring when I drew him three times in an emptying office.

Then he took another job.

Patrick McCann - lawyer, charity co-founder, "Chatty Patty" - is the first portrait in Contain Multitudes, a show at Burgh House, Hampstead, from 18 to 23 August. It's also unfolding online, one portrait at a time, for the many people who won't be in London that week.

Read the full post, and hear me read it, at the link in bio.

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#ContainMultitudes #portrait #Hampstead

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Who would you want to chat with at CITY CENTURY LIVE?! Let us know!

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Lawyer burnout is systemic. And leaders know it.

Patrick McCann - CEO of the City of London Law Society - says what most senior leaders won't.

The law firm operating model is built on relentless pressure.

Extreme hours.

Decades of sustained intensity.

Half of lawyers have felt anxiety in the last year.

A third wouldn't recommend the career.

And yet the system keeps grinding.

My personal experience?

Up or out.

Burn through the associates.

Leave a few standing.

Call that leadership.

And under that pressure - behaviour that once would have been unacceptable is now being unleashed.

This isn't just a crisis.

It's a choice.
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Listen to the full conversation on Lawyer Unleashed - The Podcast.

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The unspoken rules of law firms aren't written down.
They don't need to be.
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Some people arrive already knowing them.
The right schools.
The right circles.
The right suit.
They've been prepared their whole lives for this room.
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And then there's everyone else.
The ones who had to figure it out alone.
The ones who got something slightly wrong.
And felt every person in that room notice.
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Patrick McCann, CEO of the City of London Law Society, was one of those people.
He still remembers the day they laughed at him.
Law calls it culture.
First-gen lawyers call it something else.
That quiet moment that stays with you for decades.
That's not an accident.
That's a system working exactly as designed.
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Watch the full episode on Lawyer Unleashed - The Podcast.

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Partner drawings have gone up exponentially.

NQ salaries haven't kept pace.

Patrick McCann — CEO of the City of London Law Society — said something that stopped me.

Some partners feel uncomfortable with what they're taking home.

They're saying it themselves.

And yet nothing changes.

Because the conversation isn't happening.

Not publicly.

Not honestly.

The legal industry keeps chasing higher profits.

Higher salaries.

Higher drawings.

But at what point does that become indefensible?

Patrick thinks it's time to have that conversation.

So do I.

Listen to the full conversation on Lawyer Unleashed - The Podcast.

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16/52 💓✨

💥 I’ve joined the Future Faces committee
💥 Legal LinkedInfluencer event 16.04.26
💥 Week 19 London marathon plan ✅
💥 New medicine bakery
💥 Saint Paul’s market 🍕

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8/52 💓🏃🏼‍♀️👩🏼‍💻🏆💅🏻👠🍬👩🏼‍⚖️

1. Wednesday’s outfit for an exciting Molly Ollys meeting 🦁 Always loving my superstar bracelet from Patrick 💓

2. Orange lip, jacket and lion combo 🧡

3. 📍Red Brick Market Digbeth

4. 💌 Fave quote of the week!

5. I’ve been made into a little podcast puppet 🤩

6. Week 11 marathon training complete! ✅ 25km on Saturday was another new longest run ever!!

7. Keeping up the strength training too 💪🏼

8. Brunch with my sisters 👯‍♀️

9. Your solicitor at 10pm on a Friday 🧚🏼

10. My new legal TikTok has arrived ➡️ @yourbigsisterinlaw 💓

11. 63 days to go 🙂‍↔️

12. Eating like a queen always x

13. Love wearing the London jacket 🤘🏼

14-15. Bon Voyage party 💓💓💓

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First screening of Pout1 for 34 years! How’s did it make me feel! Proud & fabulous! 🥳 x

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🎥 City Century Live – London Highlights

What an incredible day! Over 1,000 aspiring solicitor apprentices joined the @citycenturycareers x @youngprouk event in London last Monday — and the energy in the room was electric ⚡️

From the first panel to the final speaker, every moment was filled with curiosity, ambition, and inspiration. The advice shared throughout the day will stay with us for a long time — from reminders to “take that risk” and “own your story,” to reflections from Samantha Hope, Senior Emerging Talent Manager at Shoosmiths, on why curiosity, empathy, and creativity will always be core skills for the lawyers of the future.

The day closed powerfully with Paulette Mastin, Partner at Reed Smith, whose words left the audience feeling inspired, motivated, and ready to take the next step in their journeys.

It’s been amazing to see your posts and reflections on LinkedIn since the event — your enthusiasm, gratitude and drive to raise your own profiles so early in your careers is truly inspiring. 🙌

If you haven’t already, search #CityCenturyLive to read some of the fantastic posts from attendees!

At Shoosmiths, we’re proud to support the six-year L7 solicitor apprenticeship route — helping future lawyers like you unlock opportunities and redefine what entry into the legal profession looks like.

Thank you to everyone who came to chat with our team, asked thoughtful questions, and filled the O2 with positivity. You are the future of law — and the future looks bright 💫

#CityCenturyLive #SolicitorApprenticeships #Shoosmiths #FutureSolicitors #EarlyCareers #CityCentury @ceodanmiller @patricknmccann @jhsolicitorapprenticeships

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