ALT Trainee Solicitors Applications Open

ALT Gabriella (Gabby) Raetz, DBTLA- Corporate and Insolvency. Background. Looking back, I think I’ve now clocked my third career. While still working as a dancer in The Australian Ballet I decided to try my hand at university. After a few years of studying between rehearsals and the interval of a show, I left the theatre world to work in policy. After much soul-searching during my maternity leave, I returned to the Australian public service but this time as a government lawyer. As a family we wanted a change of scenery, so when my partner was offered a job in the UK, we jumped at it. I feel very fortunate to have found such a good fit.

ALT Gabriella (Gabby) Raetz, DBTLA- Corporate and Insolvency. Biggest work achievement. My biggest career highlight was a secondment in the Pilbara, a region of north-west Western Australia, to work for an Aboriginal traditional owner corporation. Most of my policy and legal experience has been in Indigenous land rights and native title, an area I feel quite passionate about. There’s so much to learn, it’s deeply political, legally complex, extremely interesting and central to Australia’s colonial history. Learning from traditional owners, working with brilliant colleagues and exploring the remote Pilbara region, a remarkable part of the world, was an enormous privilege.

ALT Gabriella (Gabby) Raetz, DBTLA- Corporate and Insolvency. What are some challenges you faced at the start of your career and how did you overcome them? My biggest challenge at the start of my career, and at each big job change, has been a lack of confidence and at times it has got the better of me. My advice to aspiring lawyers at the beginning of their career is: have an open mind, soak up all opportunities to learn new things, build healthy work habits… and hang in there.

ALT Liz Coleman, Business Partner- Commercial with Trade and International. Biggest work achievement. I still feel really proud of myself for gaining my CIPD qualification and getting my Chartered membership. I am not naturally academic, I did not attend university, I did not really enjoy school until it was too late. However, I have a degree – the first in my family to gain one. That still gives me worth in myself. 

ALT Liz Coleman, Business Partner- Commercial with Trade and International. What are some challenges you faced at the start of your career and how did you overcome them? I came to HR in my 30s following various operational and management roles. The difficulties I had were shifting career mid-life with no specific HR experience, skills or qualifications. I decided I wanted to become CIPD qualified. However, my employer would not allow time off to attend classes or exams. I was not put off, I got a loan and studied whenever I could whilst working full time. It was difficult, I failed my first exam and had to re sit, ultimately passing with merit. As a woman who struggles with imposter syndrome,  I learnt to push myself out my comfort zone and speak up.

ALT Liz Coleman, Business Partner- Commercial with Trade and International. Who is your biggest inspiration? There have been a number of people I have worked with throughout my career. Each one has taught me something different. My first manager taught me to be patient, weigh up the options then make a considered decision – I am still practising that. My mentor encouraged me to think outside the box, horizon scan, consider risk equally with opportunity and gave me belief in myself.

ALT Helen Robinson, Lawyer, DCMSLA - Culture, Sport and Civil Society Do you have any advice for aspiring lawyers at the beginning of their career? It’s worth thinking carefully at the outset about what sort of work might interest you and find out as much as you. But if, like me, you find yourself in a job which isn’t right for you, remember you have a whole career ahead of you to find the right fit - and be open minded about opportunities you might not have originally considered. 

ALT Helen Robinson, Lawyer, DCMSLA - Culture, Sport and Civil Society What are some challenges you faced at the start of your career and how did you overcome them? I started my career with a training contract in a big corporate law firm, which wasn’t a great fit for me. I was also at that time suffering quite serious mental health problems, and was diagnosed with severe obsessive compulsive disorder halfway through my first seat, as a result of which I had to take 6 weeks off while undergoing treatment.  Once I had admitted I was struggling and sought help, the situation improved hugely, and I went on to successfully complete my training contract and qualify with the firm. However, I knew that the culture and type of work there would never really suit me, and 9 months after qualifying I left to join the Government Legal Service.

ALT Helen Robinson, Lawyer, DCMSLA - Culture, Sport and Civil Society Biggest work achievement  I couldn’t choose a single piece of work, but I’m very proud of the statutory instruments I’ve drafted. It’s a huge privilege to write legislation, and it’s an exacting task requiring a lot of attention to detail and logical thinking. I’ve drafted regulations on subjects as diverse as protection of pensions, the definition of ‘treasure’ and permitted development rights under planning permission rules - I love the process of digging really deep into a subject and looking at it from every angle to make sure your provisions are robust and don’t result in unintended consequences in scenarios you hadn’t initially thought of.