The four lawyers concentrated on work processes drawing attention either to commonalities across legal specialities or emphasising the significance of moving on from technical legal practice into the management of professionals. Their accounts were attentive to issues of development and learning new knowledge and expertise, and seemed more rooted in a distinct self-understanding communicating an emergent and increasing identification with the professional occupation of law. For the two senior associates, there was greater self-promotion based on their proven capability and current level of responsibility, leading to more emphasis on the outcomes rather than the process of legal practice. Their self-understanding was linked to concepts of being a competent, and in some specific areas, expert lawyer on the technical legal content as a basis for the capacity to make a reliable “judgement call” on legal matters.