Jeffrey Mensah – Accra, Ghana

I am about concluding my second year of practice as a lawyer in Ghana. I aspire to specialize in the aviation industry. However, so far it has been a bit of everything; predominantly litigation (both criminal and civil) with a bit of corporate and commercial practice.

Litigation can be interesting. I have worked on cases with very intriguing facts which have the effect of automatically sustaining one’s interest and generating an eagerness to fully immerse one’s self in its conduct. However, such interest and enthusiasm is gradually diminished by frustrations of the court system in Ghana.

The frequency of case adjournments, the slow progress of trials, the difficulties in ensuring that court bailiffs serve processes on time, deliberate efforts by counsel on the other side to impede the progress of suits and poor case management practices by some judges are amongst a long list of factors that make litigation in Ghana frustrating. There have been numerous occasions where I have prepared anxiously to argue out an application on a particular date but the hearing of the application keeps being postponed due to what in my view are frivolous adjournments. This common phenomenon has the effect of taking the wind out of your sails. Notwithstanding the above, litigation can be fulfilling. There is an inexplicable satisfaction derived from giving out your best in the conduct of a case. This remains true even if the final outcome of the suit is not favorable to you.

My understanding of work- life balance is having a meaningful life outside the law; outside solving people’s legal problems, making time to pursue your hobbies, spending time with family and friends, pursuing things you would love doing whilst still being able to deliver whenever you are called upon to do so as a lawyer. I believe work-life balance is very achievable.

The common adage is “where there is a will there’s a way”. I believe your success at striking a balance always starts with acknowledging that in order to live a meaningful and fulfilled life, attention ought to be given to all its vital facets. Vital facets would include family/social life and spiritual/religious life. Having done this, a conscious effort must be made to ensure that when it’s time for work you are focused; giving it your all and when it’s time for other matters, you are fully applying yourself to whatever it is.

I employ very simple rules/principles that have proved useful so far. I do not pick clients’ calls on weekends (some clients are exceptions), I try not to take work home (there are exceptions to that as well). I make time to visit family/hang-out with friends and I also endeavor not to deprive myself of staying in tune with things that I love. I am a huge basketball fan. I would choose it over soccer any day. I always make time for highlights from the NBA page on Instagram.

I would love to watch series but their addictive and time-consuming nature makes my love for them difficult to manage, so instead I settle with good movies. I make time to watch at least a movie per week. I make time to sample good restaurants with friends. Most of my friends are lawyers by the way. Contrary to the assumption that having such friends would rather impede the work-life balance, most of them are people who have other interests aside the law and so mobilizing them to engage in activities outside work is not too difficult. I believing surrounding yourself with like-minded people also helps with the balance.

Last year, my birthday fell on a Thursday. I had no court appearances and thankfully no scheduled meetings. I took the day off and on the recommendation of a lawyer colleague who loves to travel, we drove to Aburi (Eastern Region of Ghana) where we went quad biking, swimming and treated ourselves to good food. It was a wonderful experience. If it had not been for this friend who brought up the idea, I doubt I would have gone. If you hang around people who are all about work and nothing else, you subconsciously pick up that mindset and eventually life becomes all about work.

I am a Christian and as far as ensuring a religious balance is concerned, I have always been guided by Proverbs 3:6 which says in all your ways submit to God and He will make straight your path (paraphrased). I believe my excellence at work is dependent on my giving God His due. This amongst other things has been my motivation for staying active in church and making time for spiritual activities like personal and communal worship and prayer.

I enjoy public speaking. It has been a childhood passion. This passion has led me to professional event MCing with a specialty in corporate events. In addition to it being an extra income stream, I have met and interacted with numerous people at such engagements who have subsequently engaged me as a lawyer to assist them. My passion for public speaking also drove me to, in partnership with other colleagues, launch a podcast called “233 Street Law”. It is aimed at demystifying the law and educating the general public on the legal implications of everyday life activities in a fun, informal and interesting way. With my daily workload at the firm where I practice, making time for the above projects requires a conscious effort to make time. I am committed to making the time because I acknowledge that these engagements (outside work) contribute to my having a meaningful and rich existence on earth.

I believe, the key to becoming a well-rounded lawyer, is my ability to fully apply myself to life experiences not just within my immediate work environment (chambers, court etc) but also outside my work environment. With such experiences come lessons, growth, knowledge, memories and people who enrich my very existence and make me a better person. The golden rules to effectively striking a work-life balance is acknowledging the need for the balance and consciously making time for things, activities and experiences outside law practice.