alternativecareersinlaw

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! 

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• 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 

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 

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 

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.