How the pursuit of excellence in the legal sector has shaped her career

Emma shared that her journey in law has been defined by opportunities to create and curate bespoke roles, a privilege she values deeply. “I started out practising law, but I have been a fee-burner for much longer. Fee-burners are integral to the legal ecosystem, and rightful recognition can be secured by deliberately demonstrating our value creation,” she says.

Emma recognised that it has taken resilience to navigate the longstanding divide between fee-earners, lawyers who directly generate revenue, and fee-burners, those in vital support roles who don’t bill clients directly. This distinction has often left support staff feeling undervalued, despite being essential to the firm’s operations and service delivery.

However, Emma sees a shift taking place. “The profession is no longer strictly confined to these traditional paradigms, especially as legal practice evolves and adapts to a ‘new world order’ of doing law,” she adds.

Click here to read her story.