Friends In Law Podcast: Recent Episodes
Alex Correa
Graduating from an LLB (or any other degree for that matter) doesn't come with a manual on how to reach the heights of professional success. Instead we often look to those around us in the hope their experiences and failings will help us negotiate some of the most pivotal moments in our careers.
Welcome to Friends in Law. A podcast about lawyers, for lawyers. Join Alex Correa and her friends in law as they share their very candid and personal stories about why they do what they do and how they've found their own way to thrive, in and outside of lawyering.
Find other episodes here and if you enjoyed, don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends in law.
“I wouldn’t take it back for all the money in the world.” That’s how Marcus Payne chooses to reflect on his role as Chief Counsel for Queensland Health during a global pandemic. “It was a wonderful experience in terms of the pressure and what I learnt but would I choose to go back and do it again? I’m not sure!” Now Head of Legal at Urban Utilities, Marcus clearly likes a challenge - in September he completed a bucket-list goal, swimming across the English Channel in 14 hours and 29 minutes. “I’m a pretty firm believer that anyone can do amazing things, it’s just about having the right approach and not trying to do too much too quickly.” The “right approach” to something as difficult as swimming The Channel includes training in the cold and dark from three in the morning, ahead of a busy work schedule. But most importantly, it involves a team of motivators. “You’re not allowed to wear a watch either so I very quickly found myself surrendering to the fact that I didn’t know where I was, I didn’t know how long I’d been out there, I didn’t know how long to finish - I just resigned myself to be very present in each moment.” In this final episode of Friends in Law for 2022, Marcus explains the lessons such a huge physical challenge share with the daily challenges of life and career, the role senior lawyers must play in a post-pandemic office and the slowly tipping scales of work/life balance that can only come when you truly enjoy what you do.
TOPICS
- LinkedIn for Lawyers (and all other professionals)
- Corporate Athlete
- Career planning
- Goal Setting
- Legal careers
- In-house legal career
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Marcus Payne
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
What’s your first thought when you get a notification from LinkedIn saying “You appeared in X searches this week”?
Do you want to know immediately who they are, why they’re interested in you?
Perhaps a more pressing question is - what did they discover when they searched for you?
As a LinkedIn specialist, Karen Hollenbach says the platform is so much more than Facebook for professionals and refutes that it’s even part of the social media cohort.
“It can be a fantastic source of information, a place to learn, a place to stay connected, a place to be found and a place to manage your online reputation.”
Karen is the first non-lawyer to feature in the Friends in Law podcast because her insights into this powerful platform are helpful no matter what age or stage your legal profession is at.
From thought leadership (“is not for everyone”) to the basics of using good photos (“you wouldn’t walk into a room with a paper bag on your head!”) to cheering others on from the sidelines even if you’re not ready to commit the time to regular posts.
“The reason why a lot of people approach myself and my team is because they see people who aren’t as competent as them, shining brighter on LinkedIn.”
“I don’t like comparison, I think it’s really dangerous but the reality is most of the clients we work with have completely under-represented themselves online - that’s a career limiting move.”
TOPICS
- LinkedIn for Lawyers (and all other professionals)
- Personal branding and marketing
- Career planning
- Managing your personal online brand
- Legal careers
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Karen Hollenbach
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
Having a conversation with someone who’s literally written the book on conversations should be daunting, shouldn’t it?
Bill Ash’s professional experience is nothing short of impressive, from globetrotting corporate lawyer to highly respected counsellor/coach and now author of “Redesigning Conversations - A Guide to Communicating Effectively in the Family, Workplace and Society.”
But what’s truly impressive is Bill’s own mood contagion - one of generosity, observation and insight.
In this episode of Friends in Law, Bill Ash shares some of his own work and life experience, his thoughts on leadership and seniority and navigating personal and professional relationships.
He chalks it all up to “taking notice”.
“When I look back on my career, the important things have been the relationships I’ve had in that career - you know I’ve done this, that and the other projects but it’s the relationships (that are important).”
“I’ve been very lucky with the leaders I’ve had, they’ve probably never been to a leadership course in their life but they’re fabulous leaders because they’re human, experienced and relational.”
“I just encourage everyone to make those requests .. senior people love to be asked.”
TOPICS
- Leadership
- In-house lawyers
- Alternative careers
- Effective communication for life, work, and family
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Bill Ash
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
How many times have you said or heard, everything happens for a reason?
When Kara Cook was a Judge’s associate, sitting through highly detailed cases before the Planning and Environment court, she couldn’t have foreseen that one day she’d be part of making the very decisions developers appeal.
At that time, early in her legal career, she was more concerned about matters of social justice like domestic violence and fair representation for women who’d lost their power and their voice.
Now a Brisbane City Councillor, Kara Cook’s path to politics was not via the well-worn journey of student politics or volunteers and advisors, which is one reason she wasn’t ready for the brutality.
But as you’ll hear, her legal career readied her for the fight.
“I constantly remind people around me that the political environment is not the real world and how people behave and act in that environment is not what would happen in a regular organisation.”
“You can be empathetic and still be a good leader.”
“I was never the smartest kid in the class but my husband jokes to me, that I’m like the little engine that could.”
TOPICS
- Women in politics
- Alternative careers in the law
- Agents of change
- Social Justice
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Kara Cook
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
Philosopher John Dewey said, “Education is not preparation for life; education is life itself.” For Ann-Maree David, who once imagined she’d be a teacher, studying law is how she discovered her outlet to educate.
The 2018 Agnes McWhinney Award winner is Executive Director at The College of Law where she has dedicated the past two decades to other lawyers’ career paths.
From the danger of perfectionism, to the nuances of networking, Ann-Maree tells Alex Correa about her own non-traditional legal career, her drive to boost equality and how the current generation simply won’t follow the mistakes of the past.
“We can actually be humans at work, that’s a big lesson for people to learn and if you’ve been a career lawyer for 30-50 years that’s not something you’re going to give up readily because it’s what you know.”
“That armour still exists .. We’ve seen a lot of people leave the profession over the last few decades because they couldn’t maintain that armour, it was too heavy.”
“We can be very good at our jobs but we can also accept that we are fallible humans.”
TOPICS
- Career alignment through values and purpose
- Perfectionism in the workplace and the shift toward being our authentic selves
- Cultivating the next generation of legal talent
- Diversity & Inclusion
- Alternative careers in law
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Ann-Maree David
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
Suzy Cairney has seen a lot of shipping containers in her time but the most memorable one was in the foyer of a French shipping agency, transformed into a giant shark tank.
“That was brilliant advertising, you knew exactly what you were getting into when you negotiated with those guys.”
The former European Legal Counsel for the Port of Singapore, has worked in several in-house roles in Australia and overseas and is now a partner at Sparke Helmore in Brisbane.
She speaks to Alex Correa about the family priorities which saw her choose Australia over her homeland Scotland, how helping build something is better than endless litigation and why her eyes light up when she talks about supply chains!
Suzy also details the diagnosis which changed her approach without ever changing her attitude.
“I would not suggest that cancer was something anybody wants .. however, I'm actually quite grateful for the experience.”
“You do mature, maybe grow into yourself a little bit and I really think that changing perspective is something that has been a surprise for me.”
TOPICS
- Working in-house for multi-national companies
- Practicing law in Europe, Asia, and Australia
- Life as a law firm partner
- Women in engineering and construction
- Maintaining wellness while practicing law
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Suzy Cairney
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
“You don't have to do things the way people have done them for 50 to 100 years."
“We’ve got legal rules that confine us, but we don't have to be confined with the way in which we deliver those legal services.”
And with that, Helen Kay set out to create a very different law firm from the ground up.
The Managing Director of Rise Legal shares her journey from the UK to Australia, starting in one of the biggest firms and eventually working for herself as a sole-trader, only to find that what she needed, and wanted, was somewhere in between.
“It started as a niggle and that niggle was, don't like the mahogany desks, I don't like hourly rate billing, I don't like this part of it.”
“I had a goal in mind and I needed to build a network of people who I knew, liked and trusted and who were going to know, like and trust me, ready for when I wanted to start my own law firm and I knew it was going to look different this time.”
“So I didn't say no to anything. That was a sort of taboo word .. even if I was exhausted, even if I had four other things on that week, I never said no.”
TOPICS
- Goalsetting and the business of law
- From big law to the evolution of new law
- Entrepreneurship, networking and building a profile
- Client service and KPI's - a new measure of success!
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Helen Kay
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
Do you remember when lawyers didn’t even have computers at their desks?
The opportunity for robotics and automation and how that will impact the future of work is an issue across all industries, including the law.
Alister Fitzgerald, CEO and founder of Field, is at the forefront, providing a digital platform that is already reshaping legal work within the property industry.
But can technology reduce the all-consuming nature of being a lawyer and make for a more sustainable, enjoyable career?
Quotes
“I'm very interested in technology and how it can change the way things operate for the better. I'm a systems person, and not in the sense necessarily of the micro level, but I like things that should connect to work better.”
“I don’t think everyone needs to know how to be an expert software developer but the threshold to learn to do some simple coding isn't that high. And I think they're probably skills that are useful, if only to have an understanding and empathy for people who are going to be very relevant in the profession.”
“(By 2050) I can't imagine lawyers doing what lawyers do now .. but I would hope that the thinking and the intellect and the morality of the processes that find themselves into software are directed by people with similar intelligence and application in the legal profession as they do now.”
TOPICS
- The Future of Law and automation
- Legal tech, client delivery, and career fulfillment
- Partnership, big law, and life outside of private practice
- Lawyers who are entrepreneurs
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Alister Fitzgerald
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
When Antonia Mercorella first turned her back on a career in law to pursue a life in the arts, she couldn’t have imagined her job title now - CEO of the Real Estate Institute of Queensland.
“I got a clerkship at a highly regarded commercial law firm in Adelaide. But I really didn't enjoy it. And I left to join the State Theatre Company.”
“I remember people saying to me, you're mad. And a few times in my career that's happened, where people have judged me and said, ‘What are you doing? You're all over the place.’"
As the first female CEO of the REIQ, Antonia is determined to right the gender imbalance in leadership and thrives on settling the disputes that inevitably brings.
QUOTES:
“I feel a responsibility now as a CEO, I have women ask me, how did you do this and how do you manage it? And I try and be really honest about the fact that it's a real challenge. You know, juggling everything is a real challenge. And there's no perfection in any of it.”
“I have mixed feelings about it. At one level, I feel extremely privileged to be the first female in 103 years. And at another level, it really disappoints me that it's taken that long for a female to lead REIQ.”
“We were labeled anti-tenant, and we were labeled as heartless. And that was challenging because I actually have a very strong social justice slant.”
“Why are you apologising for being pregnant? There's no need for an apology. And I think it's really disappointing that that occurs, and yet I've been there myself, I'm guilty of it.”
TOPICS
- From private practice to the C-Suite and industry-shaping
- Authentic leadership, parenthood and quotas
- Diversity, inclusion and organisational change
- Traditional legal career path vs a flexible/divergent path
This podcast tackles the topic of quotas for women. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Antonia Mercorella
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
“So many people I’ve spoken to say their concern is, a career in law is just not sustainable.”
It’s not a new issue to regular listeners of Friends-in-Law, however in the past this fear around career longevity and career intensity has mostly been a wake-up call from working parents.
So if it’s not about children, what kind of work-life balance are young lawyers looking for? And what do firm managers need to understand in order to get the best from early career lawyers?
Minnie Hannaford is an Associate at Holding Redlich and newly appointed President of the Queensland Law Society’s Future Leaders Committee.
“As much as we do want to progress in our career .. We also want to have lives outside of law and outside of work.”
“We struggle with knowing how to say that without it being a career limitation, without it sounding like, you’re not committed to the work.”
“I actually think it’s quite the opposite, we want to have a balanced and joyful life so we can perform at work.”
TOPICS
- Early career lawyers
- Managing and Leading Gen Y Lawyers
- Mid-Career drop off
- Sustainability of a career in law
- Mental health
This podcast tackles the topics of mental health and ageism. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Minnie Hannaford
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
Peter Smith spent almost half his career denying himself the chance to share who he really was at work, unaware that the truth would not only set him free, but lead the charge that was slowly taking over the corporate world.
“You felt like you were living a lie everyday of the week .. it’s quite exhausting.”
“Later when everything had changed, I remember a client for the first time ever said, ‘So what’s your partner Gregory doing?’”
In 2020, Peter was named Queensland’s Lawyer of the Year for Insolvency and Reorganisation by Best Lawyers.
As a champion of change, Peter speaks candidly to Alex Correa about the real leadership required to achieve Diversity and Inclusion.
His career also chronicles the trend away from litigation, so how does this litigator-at-heart find joy in his work?
Key Quotes:
“In my day if you picked up a CV and someone had moved three times you would not have looked at the person .. now it’s actually a blemish on a CV if you haven’t done a number of things.”
“We want really diverse teams because all the empirical evidence proves that if you’ve got a diverse team they do better than a homogenous team .. you can see the penny dropping when you see the proof of this.”
“Because I was openly out at work, it was no big deal so a number of us led that and that was just so successful across the firm and changed the way people were at work .. within a year or so everyone just walked the talk.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised if there're a whole lot of women in a similar situation finding it really tough at home, particularly with a lot of littlies, but then having to come to work as if there’s nothing wrong.”
TOPICS
- Diversity and inclusion in the law
- Career paths beyond partnership
- Health and wellbeing
- Alternative firms to big law
This podcast tackles the topics of pride in law and health. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy! * Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts * Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify * If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here * Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Peter Smith
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young
As a highly skilled commercial litigator and legal consultant for KWM Connexion, Sarah Frost has spent years working from home.
Her observations and insights of “the laws imposed by COVID” are not just about the workplace but career progression as well.
Sarah believes COVID has increased workplace flexibility, improved communication and productivity but firms can’t be entirely run remotely or the baristas of the world might go crazy! Why?
Sarah Frost explains as she looks at the future of work, the pressure to climb the ladder and that old favourite, networking.
“Half the battle of working flexibly was the client piece .. Now that clients have had to do it themselves, they’ve seen that it actually does work.”
“What Covid did for me was it gave me permission to actually stop connecting and stop doing, because I’m a doer.”
“I was able to take a step back from everything .. and that’s from every aspect of my life, not just work.”
“There may be a career after law - I don’t know what that will look like or when.”
“The message that was sold to me is no longer the message I accept.”
TOPICS
- Insights and observations of the impact of COVID
- Changing workplaces + changing career trajectories
- The definition of success
- Opportunities from trusted networks
- Billable targets and client expectations
This podcast tackles the topic of flexible working. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Sarah Frost
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb)
Produced by Bern Young
Tara Hastings is a self-described sports fanatic, that is, she’s a professional spectator. So a role as Senior Counsel at Cricket Australia was in many ways a dream job.
But Tara’s career is built on variation and versatility, whether it’s in high viz at a gas plant or perusing supermarket shelves understanding the finer details of breakfast drinks. (That’ll make more sense later!)
Tara shares her career path overseas in a global business and then home again, with all the possibilities that have opened along the way.
And she’s candid about the pros and cons of working in the sports industry where everyone is passionate about the game.
“The risk is that you fall in love with the glamour of sports law. It is for the most part, just like working anywhere else.”
“For me, what I am most passionate about is being an in-house lawyer .. you have to be prepared for everything.”
“You have to continue to believe in yourself .. you’re never going to get it right all the time, no-one does.”
TOPICS
The UK experience and making your way home again
Finding your fit - in-house or private practice
Developing a gut instinct
Pros & cons of working in a field of passion like sport
Versatility and adaptability when changing industries
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Tara Hastings
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb)
Produced by Bern Young
Joanna Brand is a true global citizen, born in Brazil, she’s lived in Trinidad, the United States, the Netherlands and Australia.
Her time at Duke University in North Carolina and later, Harvard Law School was punctuated by the sudden and tragic death of her father, a loss which continues to resonate as she weighs up some big questions.
Her approach to networking matches her thoughts on board positions - it’s not simply who you know, it’s about trust and who can vouch for you.
“Networking can be a dirty word but I’d say the last 6 or 7 jobs I’ve got were not advertised .. how do you stay front of mind for people but in a way that’s authentic?”
“You run with someone who’s faster than you, you can run faster so I like being the dumbest person in the room .. because that’s how you learn.”
“(Recognising your mortality) it starts to tip your decision making about how you want to spend your time and what’s important - so they’re big questions.”
TOPICS
Breaking into boards - your place in the collective
Networking with authenticity
Harvard Law and the US college experience
Matching your values alignment - it’s not always what it seems
The career trajectory - when isn’t it onwards and upwards?
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Joanna Brand
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb)
Produced by Bern Young
The typical career progression for a barrister involves admission to the bar after paying your dues as an instructing solicitor.
Margo Harris is not your typical barrister.
Her work in-house, both in the highly specialised field of maritime law in London and as a generalist in Australia, has given her a depth of knowledge that is, without a doubt, an extra tool on her belt.
It’s not how she planned her career, because Margo never had a business plan for her career.
Her move to the bar at a later stage in her life was the new challenge she craved and the opportunities that followed, include ticking off roles she’d only ever dreamed of.
“I was wanting a change I wanted to do something different as a new way of refreshing or finding a new challenge”
“As a young solicitor I thought wouldn’t it be marvelous to work at the United Nations and how sexy that would be but how thrilling would that be to meet all those people from all over the world .. I just thought, I’m just a kid from the bush, as if I’d get a look in.”
“You can never have too much experience and whatever ghastly job someone asks you to do, instead of thinking how ghastly is this? Think about what I can learn from this.”
TOPICS
Specialist versus generalist
Women at the bar, do they get fewer briefs?
The overseas experience - an Australian lawyer abroad and the return ticket
Networking and finding the next brief
The role of chance in career plans
Transition from solicitor to barrister
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Margo Harris
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young and thanks to Amelia Rees for the inspiration and nudge.
Adrian Moffatt describes himself as an entrepreneur, trapped in a lawyer’s body.
As General Counsel (Asia Pacific) at Ausco Modular, Adrian proves that an in-house lawyer’s value goes beyond their legal advice.
Adrian’s heavily involved in business development and his enthusiasm is evident when he speaks of how a simple conversation about women playing AFL turned into a multi-million dollar opportunity for his company, which he was able to lead.
Through booms and busts in the mining industry, the growth in modular classrooms for schools and the explosion in women’s elite sport, Adrian’s ability to connect people and opportunities has given him job satisfaction well beyond a traditional legal role.
“I think lawyers are often seen as roadblocks, as just negative people because we’re looking at the risk all the time.”
“We’re so fortunate that we have visibility across the whole organisation .. you can build relationships right down in the organisation.”
“You’ve got to know what the drivers of the business are, what the goals of the business are, how the business works.”
TOPICS
Building and leveraging relationships at all levels within and beyond a global organisation
Connecting people within the legal field and executive networks
Leadership with passion and enthusiasm
Fostering partnerships and finding purpose
Identifying and mitigating risk while finding alternative solutions
Developing legal talent with job plans for engaged, high-performing lawyers
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Adrian Moffatt
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young and thanks to Amelia Rees for the inspiration and nudge.
How many people can honestly say they feel confident walking into a dangerous situation, knowing they have what it takes to get it under control? That was Carly Traeger in a former life and she loved every moment of it. So why did she walk away from her dream job to become an employment relations lawyer?
A career path isn’t a simple linear journey. There are pressures you can’t foresee and hard decisions you have to make.
In this conversation Carly talks a lot about confidence. She talks about having it, losing it and finding it again. She shares some of her greatest joys and her toughest times, in search of the secret formula to being a better wife, a better mum and a better lawyer.
TOPICS
Mid-career exit points for women climbing a career ladder and pursuing a family
How do firms better manage a working parent’s career progression
Transition points and transferable skills
Redundancy meets opportunity, dreams meet reality, hard times meet courage
“I didn’t want that label, I didn’t have a mental health Issue. I was just someone who’d worked really hard and overdone it and was just exhausted and emotional.”
“My experience was not unique, it was actually quite common and everyone has their different ways of getting through it.”
“To be comfortable and confident in the advice that you’re giving .. you need to be able to back yourself.”
“I learnt great interview skills, how to ask questions and keep asking questions and that silence, at times, is golden.”
“I learnt to be suspicious, very suspicious.”
This podcast tackles the topics of mental health and parenthood. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
Enjoyed the podcast? Share and Enjoy!
- Please don't forget to leave a rating via Apple Podcasts
- Never miss a drop by subscribing on Apple Podcasts or Spotify
- If you want to talk about your career in law reach out to us here
- Or why not connect with Alex on LinkedIn
Credits
Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Carly Traeger
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young and thanks to Amelia Rees for the inspiration and nudge.
In this candid conversation with Alex Correa, Nyadol Nyuon talks about the complicated conversation of racial and cultural identity, earning your place through merit and the juggle of home and work while adding in media and community commitments. She talks about failure, success and finding the courage to speak out.
Born in an Ethiopian refugee camp, the daughter of a South Sudanese freedom fighter, she was schooled in a Kenyan refugee camp. As a teenager, she was inspired by watching the work of the UNHCR and knew she wanted to be a lawyer.
So what could Hodor from Game of Thrones have to do with Nyadol’s journey as a lawyer, from refugee camp to one of Australia's most influential women?
“I’d always known that lawyers would fight for justice, I never saw myself like my Dad picking up a gun, instead for me it was picking a pen and education.”
TOPICS
Managing a community profile with the day job and how the firm has helped
The partners whose words and actions have made a difference
Juggling the load of motherhood, lawyer, community advocate and commentator
Where to find inspiration and where to find strength
“There have been times when I’ve thought I just want to be a lawyer, I just want to put my head down, I don’t want to be trolled online.”
“I do believe a lot of us go to law school with a core belief of justice, sometimes they lose it along the way but I think the majority of us maintain it as lawyers.”
“The rule of law doesn’t make sense without a sense of fairness or justice.”
This podcast tackles the topics of racism and social justice. Visit Developing Talent if you are looking for fun and innovative ways to build confidence and capability around these issues of diversity and inclusion within your organisation.
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Credits Host: Alex Correa - Career Coach in Law
Brought to you by Alex Correa Executive
With thanks to our guest : Nyadol Nyuon
Friends in Law is edited and engineered by Cold Ghost (aka Fletcher Babb) Produced by Bern Young and thanks to Amelia Rees for the inspiration and nudge.
Friends in Law is a podcast about lawyers, for lawyers. Hello, I'm Alex Correa and over the past two (and a bit) decades, I've been incredibly fortunate to meet so many talented lawyers. Whether it's been while supporting them as they negotiate and carefully plan out their careers, or in 'landing' that dream role, it's often against the backdrop of very full, and at times challenging personal lives.
In my role as career advisor, I've been priviledged to enter into their 'cone of silence'. To gain insights into what motivates and drives them. To better understand their successes, their fears and their aspirations.
As I bring together, my Friends in Law, they will share with you 'the collective experience' of so many lawyers. You will hear from those working in and outside of private practice, in government and corporate and learn more about what's shaped their lives and their careers.
Find other episodes here and if you enjoyed, don't forget to subscribe and share with your friends in law.