What's your job about?

I am a solicitor in the Retirement Villages team at Anthony Harper, based in the Auckland office. Anthony Harper is a full-service law firm with one the largest specialist retirement village practices in New Zealand. We provide advice to a variety of clients, from large corporate village operators to small not-for-profit charitable trusts, which operate retirement villages for their communities. 

The work in my team is quite varied. While this is a very niche area of law, governed by industry specific legislation, our team engages in very broad areas of legal practice, covering corporate, commercial, property, regulatory compliance, and dispute resolution. In any given week, I may be drafting updated documents to be publicly registered in compliance with the Retirement Village Act 2003, assisting with a commercial matter or property transaction, or advising on an aged care related complaint. 

Having access to such a broad range of practice areas is great for a junior lawyer as you develop a wide variety of skills. 

What's your background?

During school, I always had a passion for history and the sciences, particularly biology and chemistry. This naturally led to me having a keen interest in the theoretical side of the health sector. In my final years of college, I had decided that the clinical aspect of health care was not for me and chose to enrol in a BA/LLB majoring in psychology, which engaged both areas of my interests.

A pivotal paper that I took during university was the Healthcare Law paper in my fourth year. From there, I worked in a medico-legal role in my final years of university and initially after graduating. This gave me a great foundation for transferring into private practice. 

Given the retirement villages and aged care industries are becoming more intertwined, I expressed interest in my current role, as it would still allow me to work in my area of interest, while practicing broadly in other areas for the law.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, someone with a different background to me can 100% fit in and perform well in my role, as long as you have the correct qualifications (graduated with an LLB and admitted to the High Court of NZ). While my experience in healthcare related legal issues has been helpful, the work my team does is broad across many practice areas. 

The skills I utilise the most are my communication, time management, and general legal writing/drafting skills. As a junior lawyer, technical skills will come with experience, and I am grateful for the mentorship provided by the members of my team.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

I enjoy that the nature of my role is people facing. While I still participate in transactional work, our clients also approach us with queries regarding issues which occur during the daily operation of a retirement village. These queries could range from a commercial issue such as whether a piece of advertising material could be misleading, to issues which are very personal to the residents such as marriages, loved ones passing away, or resident disputes. This means the foundation of my work is advising our clients on how to best proceed in good faith, while also protecting their interests.

What are the limitations of your job?

A job in the legal profession can be quite demanding and fast paced. You are often working in a team of high achievers and experts in their practice area, so it is easy to develop a little bit of imposter syndrome or feel uncertain about your performance. It is important to reach out to your peers or the people on your team for support and remember that most people have been in your shoes before.

3 pieces of advice for yourself when you were a student...

1. Keep an open mind, as it goes a long way to be positive and communicative. 
2. Take initiative when expressing interest in the type of work you want to take part in.
3. Communicating your career goals adds value to the relationship you have with your mentors.