PATHWAY TO HERBERT SMITH FREEHILLS RACHEL LEE
In 2019, I undertook a four month secondment to an employment legal role within Coles. It was great to be involved in strategic projects (involving food!) behind the scenes of a top brand. A highlight was having the Masterchef contestants cook our team dinner using Coles products paired with Coles wine, and a Mexican themed parade through the office to launch a new product.
Also in 2019, I undertook a pro bono secondment through the Jawun program to Mirima Dawang Senior Associate, Employment, Industrial Woorlab-gerring, a language and culture centre in Relations and Safety Kununurra in the East Kimberley. My role was to support an Aboriginal-run organisation to develop governance How did I get here? frameworks. This required me to experiment with I am a Senior Associate in the Employment, Industrial different communication and consultation strategies Relations and Safety team. I started in January 2014 than we would use in a commercial law firm, including as a vacation clerk and then as a graduate. Prior to by developing ideas through painting. clerking I was uncertain whether I wanted to work in I am currently on secondment to the BHP Group government, criminal law, commercial law, community employee relations legal team. My role involves advice law or perhaps something entirely different. and representation on strategic projects and litigation One of the key reasons I chose to work at a large across BHP’s Australian assets, with a particular focus commercial law firm is the opportunity to work with on COVID-19 response. This has again been a great smart, dedicated people who challenge you to become new challenge to further build my professional network the best lawyer possible. I have met great mentors and understanding of how one of our firm’s key clients here who have helped me shape my career direction operates. and discover new interest areas. I have also had the opportunity to balance my passions for working on Senior Associate challenging, large “front page” commercial matters I became a Senior Associate in July 2020. This and pro bono human rights matters. presented an opportunity to take a greater leadership role in my team with mentoring junior Secondments lawyers and also take on more challenging work. Some of the other key experiences that have shaped In particular, I have run a few merits hearings in the my career journey are the secondments I have been Fair Work Commission as advocate, involving crosson. This has enabled me to diversify my experience examination of witnesses. I also project managed a and develop understanding and empathy for the large matter that involved enhancing a client’s sexual harassment response frameworks to support them to client-side. In 2015, I undertook a six month graduate secondment ensure a safe and respectful workplace, at a time to our London office. The clients that I worked with when this issue was of great focus in the media. included pharmaceutical manufacturers, FMCG companies and self-driving cars. I worked with top QCs, assisted with a Court of Appeal hearing and worked on market leading advice for emerging products (including research on Twitter Tweets for a matter!). I provided EU migration law advice to vulnerable people including trafficking victims, prepared human rights law position papers on issues such the rights of the children of prisoners and an appeal of a murder case from the Caribbean to the Privy Council. 188
A key difference to firm life from law school is that you have people sitting in front of you with a real problem – often involving millions of dollars and non-legal commercial risks and pressures to factor in – and no clear answer. This can be scary, but it is also what motivates you to do the best work and give a clear, commercial answer to help the client. My advice is to always be genuine, be a person of integrity and pick the area of law that is aligned to the kind of professional brand you want to build within
