#6: The O Shaped Lawyer, In-House Law & Human-Centric Skills

Dan Kayne is General Counsel of the Routes department at Network Rail, and the founder of the O Shaped Lawyer movement. Juggling effectively multiple full-time jobs (including fatherhood), Dan is a tour de force when it comes to driving change in the legal industry. A man who believes that “it’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice”, Dan joins me for a chilled and friendly chat, peppered with moments of his natural, dry humour, which will leave you feeling positive about the future of the legal industry, guaranteed. In this very human conversation with Dan, he and I discuss: The difference between private practice and in-house law; The O Shaped Lawyer movement; Human-centric skills-based legal education; Glorification of “busyness” in the legal industry; How to solve for wellbeing in the law; The importance of personal values; and Empowering lawyers to look after themselves. You can find Dan on LinkedIn, and learn more about the O Shaped Lawyer on their website, or you can join the O Shaped Lawyer LinkedIn group. The book Dan is currently reading is Range: How Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein.

Om Podcasten

'Law Life Balance' is the industry-leading, change-seeking podcast in which Caitlin McFee chats with thought leaders in the legal and mental health spaces to help lawyers prioritise their mental health and wellbeing, and achieve long-term, sustainable success in the legal industry. Welcoming the story-tellers, the entrepreneurs, the advocates, and the allies, Caitlin seeks to bring diverse opinions around the table to raise awareness of, and empathy for, mental wellbeing issues in the law. The mission? To create space for mentally healthier lawyers through collaboration, not competition.