My motivation as a lawyer has always been to make a difference and create positive change — the question was how to achieve this pursuing property and commercial law. Then I began public sector work and discovered the many opportunities that were a perfect combination of my interests. I joined the Victorian Government Solicitor's Office in mid-2018 and it’s been a fascinating whirlwind ever since.
On a typical day, I can be found managing the State’s risk and interests through drafting and reviewing transactional documents, running negotiations on key issues, providing advice on a range of complex matters, or engaging with Parliamentary Counsel and the policy team to progress a bill draft. I definitely underestimated how high-profile and State-significant my work would be as a government lawyer, even from my early days as a junior. Beyond the sometimes multi-million dollar amounts at play, the projects themselves are unique and relate to important public infrastructure, whether it’s an arts complex or a local high school.
Everyone here is driven to make improvements for fellow Victorians, and I’ve been impressed again and again by the passion and hard work of my fellow public servants. It’s particularly refreshing compared to private settings where the financial bottom line often feels like the driving factor. I received mixed advice when I was considering becoming a government lawyer years ago, but in hindsight it was based on misconceptions (for example, it’s not actually a cruisy 9-5 job). You can absolutely have a rewarding, mentally engaging, high-profile and commercially astute career as a government lawyer.
Updated