It’s time to take the confusion out of your next career step
I help lawyers like you get clear on what you want, so you can stop over-thinking and start making progress.
There’s no easy way to say it
Constantly trying to prove yourself in this profession can be exhausting
You’ve worked hard, played by the rules and done your best, but somehow it’s still not enough. The promotion hasn’t come. The interesting work goes to someone else. And when you try to map out your next move, your head gets filled with ‘what-ifs’. Should you stay? Move firms? Go in-house? Join a smaller team or a larger team? Every option feels risky and you’re tired of second-guessing every decision.
You want clarity, confidence, a plan you can believe in.
You want to feel recognised for the value you bring - without having to shout the loudest or pretend to be someone you’re not.
But in reality, you find it hard to articulate what makes you stand out, especially in interviews, appraisals, and other high-stakes conversations.
Maybe you’ve tried talking it through with friends or family, but every time you try to work out a plan for the next step in your career, the doubts creep in and nothing feels like the right answer.
Hi, I'm Paula
I’m the Career Coach for Lawyers who feel stuck, undervalued or unsure how to move forward...
...whether that’s securing a new role, stepping up for promotion or building credibility and momentum to thrive in their current role.
I help lawyers like you take control of their career so they can create a future
they’re excited about - not just the logical step, but the right one.
I’m a lawyer, just like you - and I’ve been where you are
I trained at a Silver Circle firm as a project finance lawyer and loved it - for a while. I was ambitious, curious and ready to grow. But as the months went on, I realised I was navigating my career alone. There was no mentorship, no structured support and no real interest from those around me in helping me develop or progress.
I had ambitions - perhaps even to go for partnership - but the barriers felt insurmountable. The more I tried to push forward, the more stuck I felt. I was stressed, tired and constantly questioning whether I was falling behind or missing something everyone else seemed to understand.
I just didn’t know what that change looked like, or how to make it happen.
Then, by chance, I found myself sitting next to a leadership coach at a legal conference. She challenged me to stop waiting for someone else to change things and to become the change myself. That conversation changed the course of my life and career.
That day, I experienced the power that even a short coaching conversation can have. The leadership coach predicted
I would be running my own business within three years
- I did it in two.
I knew something had to change
What followed was a two-decade journey supporting lawyers just like you
Today, I feel privileged to work with gifted lawyers, helping them to reconnect with what’s important to them, so they can pursue their career goals while staying true to themselves - and enjoy life again.
I immersed myself in NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) to better understand how each person experiences the world in their own unique way so that I can tailor every coaching session to the individual.
After completing my coach training, I became professionally accredited by the Association for Coaching, combining a structured, evidence-based framework with my experience of the realities of legal practice.
I’ve now spent over 25 years in the legal profession, supporting lawyers in a way I never experienced myself - from trainees to senior partners, private practice lawyers and in-house counsel - helping them shape careers they’re proud of.
After running my first coaching consultancy for 10 years, I joined Slaughter and May as Head of Recruitment, then moved to Allen & Overy to set up their in-house career coaching service. In 2019, I returned to what I love most - working one-to-one with lawyers through my personalised coaching programmes.
I’ve spent decades working across the legal profession - from advising law firm partners on recruitment and performance management, to coaching lawyers in corporate and government legal teams.
I’ve sat in on interviews and appraisals, led hiring decisions and coached both the leaders making those decisions and the lawyers hoping to progress.
I know what it really takes to move forward in a legal career - and the common pitfalls that can stall your progress
Because I also coach partners and in-house legal leaders, I understand what drives them, what frustrates them and what keeps them up at night
I’ve helped senior lawyers clarify what they’re really looking for in their teams - and I’ve coached the lawyers preparing for interviews, appraisal and promotion discussions, who are often unsure how to present themselves or what senior decision-makers actually want to see.
That dual perspective means I understand both sides: the business priorities partners and leaders are juggling and the doubts lawyers often carry.
I help my clients bridge that gap by showing them how to communicate their strengths in a way that resonates with decision-makers, build the skills and strategies to overcome mindset challenges and organisational hurdles and step into their next opportunity with clarity and credibility.
I know what separates lawyers who feel stuck, anxious or overlooked from those who move forward with clarity and confidence
Whether you’re in private practice or in-house, or you’re looking to transition into a new role, I’ll help you position yourself strategically - not just as a strong technical lawyer, but as someone who understands and delivers what the business actually values so you’re seen as indispensable when promotion decisions are made (or when the next big opportunity lands on the table).
Whether you're aiming for a promotion, exploring new roles, or just want to feel more in control of your career - I’m here to help you get clear, get confident and take action that feels right for you.
I bring that knowledge into every coaching session
THE OFFICIAL PART
A Master NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) Practitioner, trained to help you reframe limiting beliefs, change unhelpful thought patterns and start seeing yourself as the capable, valuable professional you are
A lawyer who has trodden the path you’re on
An executive coach accredited by the Association for Coaching, a mark of quality that reflects my commitment to ethical, evidence-based and outcomes-driven coaching
I AM:
Accredited to use the psychometric tool, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) Steps I & II to help you gain deeper insight into your personality preferences - how you think, work and relate to others
I’ve seen how law firms and in-house legal teams really operate - the politics, the pressure, the personalities and the unspoken rules that shape your career.
I bring layered, in-depth insight into the commercial drivers, cultural expectations and strategic thinking that underpin long-term success so that you can cut through the rumours, assumptions and hearsay to develop a career strategy that actually works.
What makes me different
I’m not just a lawyer - I understand the legal profession from the inside out
From law firm partners to GCs and Heads of Legal, I’ve supported senior lawyers through the challenges they rarely admit to out loud.
That experience gives me a powerful lens through which to coach those who are following in their footsteps - helping you anticipate what’s ahead and prepare for it with confidence.
I’ve coached the leaders you want to become
In the legal profession, it’s easy to get caught in a reactive loop: chasing deadlines, avoiding risk or making a hasty move to escape a bad situation.
I create space for you to step back and reflect and I’ll ask the kinds of questions that help you see things differently. Together, we’ll test the assumptions that might be shaping your decisions, broaden your options and uncover possibilities you may not have considered.
The result? Career decisions are intentional, strategic and sustainable, not just a short-term fix.
I’ll challenge your thinking because narrow thinking leads to narrow outcomes
I’ll challenge your thinking because narrow thinking leads to narrow outcomes.
Lawyers are trained to spot risks, not possibilities so it’s no surprise you might default to safe, familiar paths. But staying stuck in reactive, short-term thinking won’t get you where you really want to go.
I don’t just help you reflect. I push you to think bigger. I’ll question your assumptions, challenge your stories about what’s realistic, and hold up a mirror to the beliefs that might be keeping you small. I’ll ask the hard questions - the ones that help you zoom out, uncover blind spots, and see new options with fresh clarity.
The result? Career decisions that are intentional, strategic and sustainable — not just the next obvious step or a short-term fix.
I don’t start with a plan -
I start with you
While many lawyers spend their days surrounded by other lawyers, in an echo chamber of shared assumptions and narrow perspectives, I look outward.
I read widely, stay curious and invest in my own growth through mentors, coaches and constant learning. I draw on psychology, marketing, business strategy and leadership to bring you fresh ideas and tools that challenge the norm - so you can approach your career with a broader perspective, innovative solutions and a competitive edge.
I stay fresh by learning from the world beyond the law
Many lawyers feel a strong sense of loyalty to their current firm or organisation, especially if their route to qualification was sponsored or they’ve been supported through their early years of practice.
But here’s the truth: your value doesn’t belong to your employer - it’s yours. It always has been. You are a business of one, whether you realise it yet or not.
I’ve founded three successful businesses and I bring that same mindset to my coaching: helping you take ownership of your value,
Think entrepreneurially about your career and build a future that works for you - not just the organisation you're part of.
I’ve built my career like a business
Now you can too
Not every move needs to happen right now — but not acting has consequences too.
Lawyers often swing between two extremes: rushing into something just to escape, or waiting indefinitely because they don’t feel ready. I help you avoid both.
We’ll work together to create a career strategy that fits your situation — one that balances urgency with intention, and momentum with sustainability — so you can move forward when the time is right, and for the right reasons.
I help you find the right time and pace — so you don’t stall or burn out
It’s time to let go of self-doubt, second-guessing and fear of getting it wrong
I believe every lawyer deserves a career that reflects who they are and what they really want - not just what they’ve been told they should be.
That’s why I’m here: to help you move forward in your career with clarity, confidence and a renewed sense of purpose - on your terms, in your time.
Ready to get started?
Whether you’re looking for a new role to progress your career, you’re keen to secure a promotion or you want to develop your brand and impact in your current role, I’ve got you covered.
Discover how we can work together to bring clarity, purpose and a plan to accelerate your legal career.
