My career journey strayed a little from what I had planned at university. I had clerked at a commercial firm in Auckland during university and had planned to join the firm as a graduate, but in my final year Covid hit and the job market became less certain. I ended up applying to a few Sydney firms and landed a role at A&O Shearman in Sydney. Sydney was not on the cards when I was thinking about my career at law school, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. The work was interesting, Sydney is a great city, and I met so many new people.

I stayed at A&O Shearman for three years, specialising in commercial disputes. The last 6 months I've been travelling - starting in Western Australia before heading into Asia, Egypt, Jordan and then Europe!

Can you tell us a little about your journey since leaving university?

What challenges have you faced, and how have you navigated them?

As we all know, the journey to becoming a lawyer and then being a lawyer, can be stressful. To deal with stress I try to make sure I get a good routine including nutritious meals and exercise - sometimes easier said than done! Overall, a work/ life balance is important, with that obviously looking different for everyone.

What advice would you give to students and young professionals entering the legal profession today?

Taking initiative really can go a long way - as a junior, a big part of our job is making our senior's life easier. Also, take every opportunity that comes your way! Sometimes life doesn't follow your exact plan, but things always work out for a reason.

Outside of work, what brings you joy or keeps you grounded?

I love to exercise and travel. Thankfully, I have managed to fit in 6 months of travel so am now looking forward to getting back into working and a routine. I am sure once I start working again, I'll be planning my next holiday though!

What has been the most rewarding part of your career so far?

It's always rewarding to see a workstream that you had carriage over be successful in Court, especially when it is contentious. Prior to going on my career break I had carriage of a workstream that was very important for our client. We were trying to get orders that had never been ordered in Australia before (that we could find in any reported judgments), so it was a bit of an untested point of law. It was really exciting to get that across the line for the client, especially as it caused some sleepless nights to get there!

How did your time in Women in Law shape or influence you?

I loved the connections I made in Women in Law! Whether it was learning from experienced lawyers about the different types of law you could practice or connecting with fellow law students - WIL has given me a community that I still rely on to this day. I even ended up flatting in Sydney with two friends I made through WIL.

I know it sounds cliche, but having a network can really help in the legal industry. As a student it seems daunting, but building your network isn't hard, it's really just about meeting people and catching up every now and again for coffee.

Is there a mantra, value, or piece of wisdom you carry with you in your work?

"We are not saving lives" is an important mantra that all my friends used to say when the pressure was on.

When working to a deadline, it's easy to get swept up in the urgency of it all, but you need to remind yourself that at the end of the day ‘no one will die’ even if you push yourself to the point of exhaustion (and no one expects you to). You also need to have something left in the tank for the next day.

Ciara Connolly

SOLICITOR

‘Sometimes life doesn’t follow your exact plan but things always work out for a reason.’