What's your job about?
I am a newly admitted lawyer at Lander & Rogers in the firm's Melbourne office. Lander & Rogers is an independent national law firm in the CBD with practice groups in a number of different areas of law. Currently, I am in the family law team, which is my final rotation through the firm's practice groups as part of the 2021 graduate program.
Describing a normal day at my job is a bit difficult since as a graduate lawyer you assist a number of different partners and lawyers on their files. This week, for example, I've been drafting a client affidavit for an urgent court application, carrying out legal research to support our submission in an ongoing appeal hearing, reviewing discovery and sitting in on mediation with a senior partner.
Next week, however, I will be interviewing a new client, drafting a brief to a barrister for a matter that is going to court and heading down to the Family Court to review some subpoenaed medical records.
What's your background?
I grew up in Auckland, New Zealand, before moving to Melbourne for university at the end of high school. In 2014, I started an undergraduate Arts degree at the University of Melbourne. I enjoyed the degree, but I knew it was not what I wanted to do long term. A tutor is one of my political subjects was doing the Juris Doctor at Melbourne Uni and she encouraged me to find out a bit more about the law and whether it might be a good fit for me. What instantly appealed to me was that the law required similar skills to my Arts degree (writing, critical thinking, researching etc.), but these skills were applied in a very practical way to people's problems.
In 2017, I started the Juris Doctor at the University of Melbourne and ended up graduating in June 2020. During the degree, a real turning point for me was when I started working part-time as a paralegal at a Community Legal Centre and then the Legal Services Board. The chance to immerse me in the legal world helped me realise that a career in the law was something I wanted, not just a set path I was following. I ended up in my current role after doing a clerkship at Lander & Rogers in November of 2019 before applying and being accepted into the graduate program for 2021.
Could someone with a different background do your job?
Absolutely! The legal world, and a job at a commercial law firm, is not about your background (besides having a law degree!). The nature of the job, dealing with difficult legal and factual scenarios as well engaging with clients from a range of different business and personal backgrounds, means that what is required is the appropriate attitude and skills. The ability to think on your feet and adapt to new situations, as well as being able to apply the critical thinking you have developed and honed at law school, is far more important than your background.
What's the coolest thing about your job?
My favourite part of the job is working on court applications or proceedings. The litigation process is fascinating and the types of cases that proceed to the courtroom often have interesting points of contention between the parties that do not have an obvious answer. Working with the rest of my team, and any barrister we have briefed, to develop strategy and devise the strongest legal argument for your client is intellectually stimulating and rewarding. Seeing a client pleased with the result and thankful that their legal problem has been resolved will always make me thankful to be in the career that I am.
What are the limitations of your job?
The unpredictability of legal situations and the way your clients will respond to them, as well as the quick pace at which a commercial law firm operates, means that some days you will find yourself with a larger workload or longer hours than you anticipated. While a good workplace will always provide you with the appropriate support in these situations, it's something to be aware of when deciding how predictable you want your working day to be.
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