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Associate energised by field of law

Jones Day Partner Dan Howard and Associate Sophie Macleod congratulate Ally Clark on her admission. Photos: Supplied

A stint as an environmental law research assistant opened up a world of possibilities for newly admitted lawyer Ally Clark.

The Jones Day Associate and Honours student was admitted last month to the Supreme Court of Queensland along with more than 130 new solicitors at Brisbane’s Banco Court.


Ally was part of the Jones Day Graduate Program.

“From early on, I was drawn to work that creates meaningful change, particularly in the area of environment, project sustainability and corporate responses to climate change,” Ally said.

“During university, I gained valuable experience working in law firms and working as an environmental law research assistant at Queensland University of Technology and elsewhere. These experiences gave me insight into the vast opportunities a legal career can offer and how I can make a genuine contribution in my legal practice.

“Today, I feel incredibly fortunate to be working with the Energy, Transaction and Disputes teams at Jones Day on energy and resources projects including energy transactions for global energy corporations, renewable energy projects that enable project developers to meet mandatory emissions reduction targets as well as achieving ESG compliance.

“These are important and dynamic areas which present significant opportunities to make a meaningful positive impact to energy supply in the current global energy transition environment.”  

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Ally’s admission was moved by Jones Day Partner Dan Howard, who said the energy practice offered many opportunities for young lawyers.

“Obtaining honours in her law degree is wonderful, however, it is Ally’s commitment to understanding how law is applied in a global law firm setting, that is a real stand-out,” Dan said.

“Queensland lawyers have the best training ground globally to develop their energy, transaction and dispute resolution legal skills given the wide range of energy and resource operations, energy transition projects and advanced regulation that are found in this jurisdiction. 

“It is great to see so many prospective lawyers like Ally, taking a keen interest in practising law in these areas and progressing to make valuable contributions around the world.”

Ally said she asked Dan to move her admission because he had been “an incredible mentor”.

“As a Partner in the Energy Practice, Dan has consistently supported and guided me, starting from my time as a paralegal over three-and-a-half years ago,” she said.

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“He is not only an exceptional lawyer but a great leader and I am very inspired by the work that he does and the kind of person he is. One of the great things about working with Dan is his willingness to take time to teach and mentor me. Dan makes a genuine effort to involve me in meaningful work and provide constructive guidance, which has been invaluable to my growth and development as a lawyer.” 

Dan said it was a “great joy” to move an admission “because it really is the culmination of years of significant effort and it is an honour to be asked to share in that special time”.  

“In this case, it was even more rewarding because I have been able to see first-hand the hard work and dedication that Ally has put into her professional development over a long period of time at Jones Day,” he said.

“As a regional Queenslander, Ally had to move away from home to study at university and find the time to juggle study with part-time legal work. This is not an easy task, so it is great to see future lawyers like Ally, coming from regional centres, embracing the challenge and carving out their career in the law.  

“Working closely with Ally, firstly as a part-time paralegal and subsequently as a full-time member of the Graduate Program, I have been fortunate to see Ally develop from a student of law to someone that participates in providing excellent client service; so it was a significant pleasure to be able to contribute to an important milestone day in Ally’s journey as a first-class lawyer.”

And Ally’s parents made the trip from the Sunshine Coast to celebrate their daughter’s milestone.

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“The admission ceremony was an incredibly special moment for me. It was very meaningful to have my family take time off work and other commitments to drive down from the Sunshine Coast to attend the ceremony,” Ally said.

“They have been such a huge part of my journey and my biggest supporters, so having them in the courtroom while I took the affirmation of office was truly special and an unforgettable moment.

“My plans for the future are to continue building on everything I’ve learned over the past years. I want to keep developing my skills, gaining new experiences and making a real difference through my work.

“Law offers such an incredible opportunity to work in industry sectors that at the forefront of global change and I am excited to work more in these areas in the future as this is what I’m deeply passionate about. There is still so much to learn, and I look forward to embracing new challenges and making a tangible impact through my work.”

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