This month TLF sat down with Bella Busby, the inaugural recipient of the QLS Graduate Lawyer of the Year Award to hear more about her path to becoming a lawyer, and how she has forged her own path in the legal industry.
Bella is one of two pro bono coordinators for Allens Brisbane and also coordinates the Brisbane Reconciliation Committee. Outside of work she is a Director of The Legal Forecast, and manages the sponsorship portfolio of its creative subsidiary: TLF Creative. Bella enjoys playing cello, piano and singing and has performed on all three instruments with the TLF Creative Law Orchestra (Lawchestra).
What is your job ?
I am a second year lawyer in the Employment and Safety team at Allens.
What sort of work do you get to do in this role?
Employment and Safety is a ‘front-end’ and ‘back-end’ team which means we work on matters that involve disputes as well as providing written advice, training presentations, working on due diligence matters, and a whole lot more. I was really drawn to this team because of the combination of the front-end and back-end work.
I also really enjoy the diversity of the legal issues we tackle. We assist with everything from drafting terms for employment contracts, to providing advice about work health and safety, underpayments and unfair dismissal. There is also a lot of opportunity to get involved in pro bono work, particularly discrimination and other human rights matters.
How did you hear about this opportunity?
I signed up to the Allens ‘Dive In’ program about halfway through my law degree because I wanted to learn more about commercial law. I had no legal contacts in my family or friendship groups so I had no idea what being a commercial lawyer actually meant, and honestly thought I would do the Dive In program to rule out commercial law as I thought it was all to do with Mergers & Acquisitions and I did not feel that was the area I was best suited to. When I turned up at the office on day one of the program I felt like a fish out of water because everyone else seemed so much more put together and confident. But as soon as I started hearing about the work Allens does, and after meeting lots of different people from within the firm I immediately felt that not only was this the work I wanted to do, but also the type of people I wanted to work with. All the people I spoke to had a very different energy and had vastly different life experiences. I felt very comfortable from early on in my Allens journey that my unique experiences could help me be a good commercial lawyer, even if my experiences looked a bit different to those around me.
Is there an internship / clerkship opportunity at your workplace?
Yes – Allens offers a summer and winter clerkship. You should apply when you are in your penultimate (second last) year of your law degree.
What do you like about working in commercial law / why would you recommend it to somebody?
A graduate program at a commercial law firm is a fantastic first role in the legal industry. You will get a structured training and development program, access to fantastic mentors, opportunities to work on big matters with exciting clients, and have opportunities to get involved in pro bono work and a wide range of different committees alongside your practice area. I have particularly enjoyed getting involved in pro bono work and the Reconciliation Committee at Allens.
Are there any myths or misconceptions about working in commercial law that you have found to be untrue?
100 per cent. The biggest one for me was thinking that you need a ridiculously high GPA, years of experience in a law firm and/or have to know someone at the firm to get your foot in the door. I came into the clerkship process having never worked in a law firm, had no contacts at the firm and had a reasonable GPA, but certainly was not on the Dean’s List every semester. The biggest lesson I have learned is to be true to your own story and speak to how your unique experiences will make you a great commercial lawyer. If you can demonstrate communication skills, time management, relationship management, presentation skills, leadership and initiative then you have the toolbox to be a great lawyer, regardless of how you developed the skills!
Do you find it possible to have hobbies / other interests alongside work?
Yes! This was one of my biggest concerns coming into the graduate program because I was an avid participant in extra-curricular activities at school and university. Throughout the graduate program I have been able to continue playing with the Lawchestra, participate in Board meetings for the Legal Forecast and get to my regular pilates class on weeknights. There are certainly times when matters require you to go the extra mile and stay a bit late after work, but I have found generally that if you can plan ahead, and communicate with the people in your team, you can absolutely keep up your hobbies and other personal commitments around working in commercial law.
Do you have a mentor in the industry? How did you connect with them?
Yes, I have a few people who I consider to be my mentors. In most cases I have worked directly with them, but you certainly do not have to share an interest in the same subject area to benefit enormously from someone’s mentorship. My best tip for building and maintaining a mentor relationship is not to be afraid to reach out and ask for feedback and/or ask someone for a coffee every now and then. I have found that people in the legal industry are largely very keen to share the benefits of their experience, so you just have to reach out to them and ask to catch up!
Authored by TLF Creative
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