What's your job about?

I am a Melbourne Graduate in my second rotation at White & Case, an international law firm. I am currently based in our Abu Dhabi office with the Project Development team.

My first six-month rotation was with the Melbourne Disputes team, and my final rotation will be with the Melbourne Environment & Planning team. I aimed for a variety of litigious and transactional work to round out my skills as a junior.

In the Disputes team, my day-to-day tasks involved legal research, drafting client advice, contractual interpretation and applying legal analysis skills to tasks like witness cross-examination strategies. The critical thinking and intellectual challenge of this work was the highlight. My work in the Abu Dhabi Project Development team has revolved around drafting, amending and proofing documents for major projects, attending contractual negotiations and communicating with clients. It has been valuable to hone these different skill sets.

I’ve been at White & Case for one year, and so far, I have worked from our Melbourne, Sydney and Abu Dhabi offices, as well as doing a refugee secondment in Greece. Right from the beginning, I was involved in fascinating projects worldwide and pro bono matters spanning refugee law, anti-human trafficking and sustainability initiatives, showcasing the benefits of working for a global law firm.

What's your background?

I grew up by the beach in Sandringham, Melbourne. At the tender age of six, my dreams of being a fire truck were cruelly dashed, so I figured that law was the logical next step. I saw law as a path to achieving positive social change, and I was passionate about making a difference.

In high school, I did a reciprocal German exchange. My German host brother and I surfed our way up and down the Melbourne coast, then I went on exchange to his family in Munich. Living abroad cemented my curiosity about global cultures, languages and politics. It was also a big, independent step for me at the time, which I wasn’t sure of. With encouragement from my family, I’m very glad I seized that opportunity.

I combined these interests and studied Law and Global Studies at university. I was involved in social justice law programmes, which led me to work as a legal volunteer at Environmental Justice Australia. This confirmed my passion for environmental law. I also went on exchange to the University of Navarra, Spain, where I studied a combination of international law and geopolitics. All these experiences led me to White & Case. I applied for White & Case to pursue an international legal career and to work at the forefront of renewable energy and environmental sustainability.

Could someone with a different background do your job?

Yes, definitely! The majority of the practical skills you need are taught on the job, so the graduate programme is a learning process where a range of backgrounds are welcomed. The two key characteristics to succeed are enthusiasm and a growth mindset.

Law is a team sport, so being a positive, enthusiastic team player is important to collaborate effectively and build trust with your team. Secondly, as a graduate, you’ll be faced with new tasks and challenges. Having a growth mindset will help you adapt to these. This involves having a willingness to learn, grappling with being unsure, asking questions, learning from mistakes, and accepting feedback on the way to improving.

What's the coolest thing about your job?

Getting to work in Abu Dhabi for six months has been the coolest thing about my job. White & Case guarantees graduates the opportunity to do an overseas rotation, and the experience has been incredible. I’ve been involved in high-stakes negotiations, had face-to-face contact with clients and worked on major projects across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

I’ve enjoyed travelling, experiencing different cultures, and forging new friendships across the offices. My overseas rotation has reinforced how globally interconnected White & Case is. It feels surreal that even as a graduate, you can make an impact and play a part in cutting-edge initiatives all around the world.

What are the limitations of your job?

Time management is the hardest part of my job. We juggle responsibilities for multiple workstreams, sometimes with coinciding or conflicting deadlines. There can be a steep learning curve in communicating capacity, setting realistic expectations and managing the workload. Inevitably, time pressures mean that I work some late nights, but developing the skill of communicating with supervisors about the workload and achievable deadlines can make life so much easier and less stressful.

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

• Join the squash club! Getting involved in clubs and the social life of the university is half the fun, and whilst I was involved in the Law Society, it is good to branch out into different areas. Squash is one of my favourite sports (my other true love: bouldering), and keeping up physical activity is crucial for me to stay balanced.
• Definitely go on exchange! Doing my university exchange in Pamplona, Spain, was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
• Embrace opportunities! I made a habit of plunging into opportunities that would push my comfort zone, or I was nervous about. It made life a whole lot more exciting!