Sara Burney

Legal careers look very different today than they did 20 years ago. The traditional definition of career progression used to involve qualifying, becoming an associate, then a partner, then if you were particularly lucky a senior partner. However, many modern lawyers have different aspirations, and that statement rings particularly true for Sara.

Sara currently enjoys her career as a Vario flexible legal consultant whilst also managing a business built from her love for dogs. She has a business called The Bark Side which sells dog toys and recently launched an app called HOWL which looks to combat incidents of dog theft. HOWL is built on the idea that it’s really difficult to deter motivated criminals and even more difficult to bring them to justice. Sara took these problems and created a solution using her legal background and the skills accumulated over a varied professional career.

Our interview with her below shines some light on how working as a legal consultant has opened the door for Sara to pursue her other passion projects whilst staying within the legal profession.

Can you remember what first made you want to become a lawyer?

At school, all I wanted to do was leave school and learn to drive, so by age 17 I'd achieved everything I planned! I started work at age 16 as an office junior for a law firm, and then drifted from one office job to another.

When I reached 23 a relative's employment claim intrigued me and I was interested in how the case developed. I started studying a paralegal course at night school, then progressed to a law degree (two nights a week for four years). During and after my studies I spent 10 years working in criminal defence and then moved into consumer credit about 11 years ago.

What attracted you to working as a consultant?

I wanted freedom from office politics, the chance to do project work, and to never have to create career objectives ever again! I consider it a major achievement to be a solicitor, and I'm proud to be a part of this profession.

I enjoy working in financial services and so long as I continue to enjoy it and maintain my competence, I have no other ambitions in the law. My only career objectives now are to continue to work on projects that interest me.

What has your overall experience of working on a Vario assignment been like?

This is my first assignment, and I started mid-way through a major project, so getting up to speed was a task in itself. That said, the support from Vario (Tom and James, whom I refer to as my handlers) has been amazing and they’ve checked in on me throughout the assignment.

What began as a six-month contract has been extended twice to become 14 months. I'm now reaching the end of my assignment, and although I don't yet know whether it will be extended again, I'm interested to see what my next project will be.

What sort of work are you doing on your current assignment?

I'm in-house with a client, working on a complex remediation project. One of the things I love about the law is being able to explain complex terms and issues in a simple way so that anybody can digest them.

This project has been no exception. Despite being a contractor, I've become the first point of contact for some stakeholders in the business, because they know that I'll explain the legal issues in an understandable way.

When people ask you what you do, what do you tell them? 

My answer is generally, "I'm a solicitor by day, but evenings and weekends I'm all about dogs. I have a small business retailing dog toys, and I launched an app to combat dog theft.”  That usually intrigues people to want to know more, particularly in relation to the app.

Do you find it difficult balancing being a business owner and being a practicing lawyer?

Not really. While I was studying towards my degree, I was working full time as a paralegal in criminal defence.  During the same time, I qualified as an accredited police station representative, and was on call out of office hours. My parents also had a hardware shop and I helped them out on Saturdays.

Only having two jobs now seems like luxury in comparison (plus, I get a full night's sleep nowadays).  Contracting has made it easier too, because I don't feel as though I need to be always available any more outside of my working hours.

Can you think of a time when being legally trained has helped you in your own business?

When I created my HOWL, I used my knowledge of criminal law, evidence, and criminal behaviour to help shape it. The app is built around two main principles: deter people from committing an offence and then help provide evidence against those who do.

The deterrent aspect is a siren that activates if somebody is trying to steal your dog during a walk. No thief wants attention while they're committing the offence, so it's hoped the loud noise will act as a deterrent.

However, one thing that I learnt about offenders from my time working in criminal defence law is that very few are deterred by the potential penalty. Most of them think (or hope) that they’ve committed the perfect crime and that’s what drives them to carry on. That’s why the evidence part is important. Most offenders are concerned about being caught, so the camera recording feature not only acts as a deterrent when discovered, but also helps the police bring a case against them. HOWL records the date, time, and precise location of an offence as well as a recording, so it opens the door for things like cell site evidence in the more serious cases.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give to a lawyer looking to start their own business?

Don't think about it; just do it.

I honestly think that lawyers have such a brilliant skillset that they can turn their hand to almost anything.  Skills like critical thinking are often forgotten, but for me that's the most important thing in any part of life.

What are (in your opinion) the three most important skills for starting your own business?

Passion – if you're not passionate about it, your clients or customers will find someone who is.

Resilience – you'll face so many disappointments and nay-sayers, and you need to be able to push past all that.

Integrity – it's my core value and I try to treat people (whether that's customers or suppliers) the way I want to be treated.

Has working as a consultant has helped your legal career?

Consultancy work has helped me find a better work/life balance, and I feel a sense of freedom to choose my next project.

The experience with Vario has been incredibly positive. Tom, James, and Rachel were incredibly patient, guiding me through the onboarding process, and providing ongoing support when necessary.  I'd definitely recommend working with Vario.

If you’re interested in becoming a flexible legal consultant like Sara, contact our Accounts team to find out more, or apply today.

Or, if you’d like to read somebody else’s Vario story, we add new entries to our blog on a regular basis.

To find out more about The Bark Side and HOWL, click here.