Speak First: Ilse van Gasteren

I became a lawyer not at all on purpose. At university in the Netherlands, I studied law as a way to fulfill the general studies requirement before moving on to my intended focus of international organizations and politics. But I liked the law and decided to stay with it.

As a junior lawyer, the idea of approaching clients, even to make small talk, was intimidating. It helped me to start thinking of clients just as people. I started building relationships at a personal level first, which made it more comfortable to discuss business and generate work. I used to think that I had to impress the most senior person, but now I encourage my junior colleagues to make contacts among their peers; they will grow with you and become the important decision-makers in due time.