'One must be absolutely modern', said French poet Arthur Rimbaud. And this advice applies also to lawyers, if we believe Fabrizzio Lazzaro. At the occasion of his election as president of our Italian chapter, we asked him for his insights about our profession.
What is your history with Eurojuris?
My father, Berardo Lazzaro, was a lawyer too and he was one of the founders of Eurojuris Italy in 1992. I remember it was in Milan, with colleagues such as Gino Bergmann and Pietro Bembo. There were ten at the start; at that stage I was a law student myself. Once I graduated, I joined too. Today there are seventy law firms in our national chapter. I took an active part in the network: since 2003, I was treasurer.
How do you see the future of your network?
Our members will be active in international events, because this is the core of our business: we have to take the plane and go abroad to meet and share knowledge! Without this international outlook, we would just be like any other network.
Another thing: I think Eurojuris Italy needs new lawyers. A good network must constantly welcome new members. In this regard, we have made contact with another association in Italy.
Can you tell us more about this association?
They gather around a hundred law firms all across Italy. They are looking for a European connection, and we are looking for more lawyers, so this is the perfect marriage. I am expected to meet their president in September.
What do you think is the most important advice for a lawyer?
Build a network! A lawyer cannot be a loner anymore. We need cooperation. And do not be a generalist; you must specialise. This way, if I know a colleague who is the best in one particular field, we can work together on something I would not have been able to do alone. Keep this in mind.
All in all, you have to be very modern: the image of lawyers spending their time in court is obsolete. Today we must advise our customers before they end up in court. To keep in touch with modern approaches to our job, it is important to travel and meet others, to see how they work in other jurisdictions: you then come back to your own office with a very different point of view.
