6.20 AM
I am not a morning person, but I am excited to get up and out of bed today! I am meeting some of my fellow graduates for breakfast this morning, and I am ready for my vanilla oat latte.
After getting ready and picking out a fun pair of earrings to match my outfit (today, emerald green!), I jump on the train listening to an audiobook. I check my emails on my phone, and prepare a quick to-do list for later.
7.30 AM
I arrive at the café near our office, and order my latte and avo toast. I love our regular grad breakfast catchup, because my cohort and I have become great friends and I feel so much support. We talk about how our rotations have been going, what practice groups we might want to go to next… and the fun things we are all planning for the upcoming weekend! I have a cooking course planned and I'm super excited.
8.30 AM
Time to get down to business. I have been tasked with drafting an urgent advice about an obligation within the National Electricity Rules, and I quickly call the Counsel who has carriage of the matter to clarify the scope of the memo.
A few hours of concentration, research and drafting later, I send the advice back for the Counsel's review and make a note to follow up for any feedback or further items to action tomorrow.
11.30 AM
One of my meetings has been rescheduled, so I use this time to respond to an email about a pro bono matter I am working on and schedule a call with our client for later in the week. The opportunity to do pro bono work and help vulnerable members of the community is a really rewarding part of my role at Ashurst, so I always make sure to put my hand up to help out when I have the capacity.
12.00 PM
It's lunchtime, and the weather outside is beautiful. I grab some sushi, and take a walk along the river to the botanic gardens. Going for a walk is a great way to clear my head and get some exercise in before the afternoon!
1.00 PM
I join a Partner and Senior Associate in a meeting with our client and the lawyers for the financier of a large renewables project. The project is in its early stages, and attending meetings like this is a great way to learn about how all the documents I help to draft fit together in one big puzzle. After the meeting, I prepare a list of actionable items and begin drafting a schedule for a contract based on the client meeting.
4.00 PM
It's time for a quick check-in with our Early Careers People & Culture Consultant. In this informal catch-up, we discuss how I'm finding the rotation and if there is anything I need assistance with. I take this opportunity to discuss the avenues for me to continue volunteering with a mental health organization that I am passionate about, and I'm so excited to hear that I can continue my volunteering and that the firm would love to get involved further where possible!
5.00 PM
The last order of the day is attending a meeting with a Senior Associate in my team to discuss drafting a presentation on a complex energy regulatory regime. I make some detailed notes about the items I need to research and the client deliverables, before looking at my priorities for tomorrow.
6.00 PM
I meet my friend at the train station and we catch the train to have dinner with my parents. After a long day and some yummy homemade pasta, we put on a movie and enjoy some downtime.
10.30 PM
Whoops, it's later than I thought! After doing my skincare and ironing my outfit for tomorrow, I switch my devices to do not disturb, set my alarm, and get keen for a busy day.
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