Struggling in legal role

[M123k]

I am feeling very low. I’ve made the same mistake twice at work. I’m not a careless person and I double-check my work, but I struggle with one of my responsibilities. I didn’t have prior experience with responsibility in my previous role, and I thought I would get formal training at the start of this role.

The first time I made the mistake, I was fairly new in the role. I didn’t question the accuracy of the work because my boss said to send it, and I relied on her review. At the time, I was a bit lost and trying to watch and learn as my boss led the task. It was obviously still my fault for not checking the content of the document.

The second time it happened was months ago due to my oversight, and I only spotted it now. I did double-check that piece of work but didn’t use the correct technique. My boss admitted she might not have reviewed the document and said she will double-check from now on. I’m now receiving formal training because the mistake was serious.

I have a feeling I may have made the same mistake elsewhere, since I used the same incorrect technique. If I have then I will need report it immediately because of the serious consequences. I do well in the other tasks in my role, but I feel like quitting law. I feel like I’m making more mistakes in this role compared to my previous one. I’ve been in this role for a while now, and it has impacted my mental health. I’ve done pretty well in my previous roles, and I’m surprised I haven’t been fired yet. I don’t even have the confidence to apply for legal roles because of this. I feel incompetent and feel like I will keep mistakes. If I apply for a new job, I cannot say I have experience with that task because I am not great at it. I am considering quitting law but I have no clue what other role I would enjoy. What shall I do? Am I incompetent in my role? Will this ruin my track record and affect my future prospects?

I think I don’t work well under pressure, and I’m slow at writing. It feels like my brain doesn’t process quickly when I write, so it takes me a long time to draft anything. My grammer is pretty bad too. Does anyone else have the same problem?

 

[Abbie Whitlock]

Hey

That sounds like a really tough situation, and it's completely understandable that you're feeling low. Please don't mistake this for incompetence. You've been taking responsibility, reflecting on what went wrong, and now you're getting proper training - that shows integrity and growth, not failure.

It also sounds like you were put in a tricky position without enough initial support, so try not to be too hard on yourself. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when learning something new, and what matters most is how you respond - which you are already doing really well.

You've done well in previous roles, so you know you're more than capable. Give yourself time, and don't make any big decisions while you're feeling this low. Once the training kicks in and things settle, your confidence will start to rebuild. If it still isn't working out, it might just be that the role or firm itself is not the right fit for you - that's perfectly okay too! This one setback won't define your career, and you'll find the role where you can excel.

Try to be kind to yourself - you're doing your best and taking steps to acknowledge how you can tackle this task better, and that's all anyone can ask for 😊