WHAT MAKES AN EXPERT?

308 robbins watson lr
Christine Smyth
Not published
Partner, Robbins Watson Solicitors

10,000 hours of dedicated concentrated practice in your chosen field is identified in the book Outliers[1] as being what it takes to become an expert in your area of specialisation.  In working terms, that equates with 10 years of concentrated experience at 20 hours a week, or 5 years of concentrated experience at 40 hours per week.

Harvard Business Review in their article, The Making of an Expert[2], analyse the many complex aspects that go into the development or real expertise. It uses the terminology of 'deliberate practice- to develop expertise.'

In a competitive legal market, both in terms of clients searching for the best solicitor, or solicitors looking to secure quality employment, it can be very difficult to sift through the puffery and self-assessed claims of expertise.    While the 10,000 hours figure has been hotly debated, it is a useful benchmark when you are looking for a trusted advisor. Here are other options to reliably identify expertise:- 

  • Industry recognition - is your solicitor someone their industry looks to? For example does your solicitor publish scholarly works; give expert presentations or sit on industry advisory committees?
  • Accreditation - while expertise comes in many forms one of the surest ways of identifying measurable specialisation is through industry accreditation programs.

In their State of the Legal Market white paper[3], Melbourne Law School and Thomson Reuters report a significant rise in the number of boutique law firms in the market.  It is an indicator clients are seeking out specialist expertise from their lawyers.  The Queensland Law Society undertakes an accreditation program across many fields of law. The QLS Accredited Specialist program is a rigorous peer reviewed testing program designed to identify extraordinary skills in specialist areas of law.   Whether you are a client seeking the reassurance of independent assessment, or a solicitor seeking to distinguish yourself, these qualifications provide a reliable benchmark by which expertise can be measured.   

[1] Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success.  1st ed. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2008.

[2] https://hbr.org/2007/07/the-making-of-an-expert

[3] http://insight.thomsonreuters.com.au/files/2015/11/Australia-State-of-the-Legal-Market-2015-report.pdf