On any given morning in Tully, a town of just 2000 people nestled in Far North Queensland’s cane country, graduate solicitor Yolanda Jenkins is likely working on matters that stretch well beyond the boundaries of a standard brief – farm sales, sugar supply agreements, and the long-term futures of local families.
At 22, Yolanda has chosen to begin her career not in a city firm, but in a region where the law is closely entwined with industry and community.
As part of the team at Ross Mangano Solicitors (known as RMS), she is helping service the Cassowary Coast, working closely with experienced practitioners who have encouraged her early involvement in complex commercial and agribusiness matters. Agriculture shapes both the work and the relationships that come with it.
Yolanda’s path to law began early. Born in Cairns into a family with Defence and farming backgrounds, she spent part of her childhood in Darwin after Cyclone Yasi. A school visit to a courtroom there left a lasting impression.
“I just knew that I wanted to be part of that world, problem-solving, investigating, finding answers,” Yolanda said.
Her interest in law was also influenced by popular culture, including Legally Blonde and Suits. While studying at James Cook University in Cairns, she secured a role in a family law firm in her first year, a move that helped shape her career direction.
“University teaches theory, but until you’re working in a firm, it’s hard to know where you fit.”
That early immersion also prompted a reassessment. Initially drawn to family and child protection law, Yolanda discovered that the emotional toll of the work did not align with her temperament. Instead, she gravitated towards commercial practice, an area that, in Tully, blends conventional transactional work with the intricacies of agribusiness.
Now based in one of the largest firms in the Cassowary Coast region, Yolanda’s caseload reflects the economic backbone of Far North Queensland. Sugar cane dominates, and with it comes a distinctly localised form of commercial law. Transactions often involve the sale or lease of farmland, but the underlying complexity extends far beyond standard conveyancing.
“You’re not just drafting a contract, you’re dealing with cane supply agreements, biosecurity requirements, mapping, dealings with industry bodies like Tully Sugar, and ensuring clients understand every aspect of what they’re committing to.”
In some cases, clients discover latent issues only through legal scrutiny, such as mineral rights attached to their land, underscoring the stakes involved.
“They don’t know what they don’t know, so it’s critical we do.”
Unlike city practice, where transactions may be swift and impersonal, the work here unfolds over months and demands sustained engagement. Deals can reach into the millions, occasionally involving multiple properties consolidated into a single settlement.
Just as importantly, the relationships endure.
“It’s not a one-off transaction, you help someone buy a farm, then you’re doing their will, their business structures, it becomes lifelong.”
Her effectiveness in this environment is not merely technical. Yolanda brings a personal understanding of farming life, grounded in her family’s long-standing cane operation in Garradunga, supplemented by citrus and tropical fruits. The rhythms of harvest and the pressures of seasonal income are not abstractions but lived experience.
“It’s their livelihood, so I can empathise with that stress.”
This affinity helps bridge a cultural gap that can challenge inexperienced practitioners. Farmers, she observes, possess deep domain expertise but may find legal frameworks opaque. The solicitor’s role, therefore, is not only to advise but to translate, converting statutes and conditions into actionable understanding.
The professional environment offers opportunities rarely available in urban firms. Servicing the Cassowary Coast for more than 30 years, RMS is a general practice, placing Yolanda among a small cohort of six solicitors and five support staff that collectively handle the Tully region’s legal needs.
The pace is fast-moving and rewarding, and the exposure is broad.
“You’re not pigeonholed; you can work across different areas and build a really diverse skillset.”
Equally significant is the immediacy of client interaction. In contrast to her earlier experience in a larger Cairns firm, Yolanda now deals directly with clients daily under the guidance of her supervising partner, Leah Mangano.
“People want to come in, pick up the phone, talk face to face, that connection matters.”
Outside the office, Yolanda exemplifies a form of civic engagement that underpins many regional communities. She serves on multiple local committees, including the Tully Tigers Leagues Club and the Cassowary Coast Women’s Business Network, where she acts as secretary.
Her involvement in RiverFest, a community festival in Innisfail, extends to organising entertainment, a portfolio that has included securing touring acts.
“I love a committee,” she admits, without irony.
Such roles are not ancillary but integral to the professional fabric of regional law. Networks are built as much through volunteering as through formal channels, and reputations travel quickly in small communities.
Despite broader concerns about the scarcity of lawyers in rural and regional Queensland, Yolanda sees opportunity rather than deficit.
The diversity of work, the strength of client relationships, and the lifestyle – proximity to beaches, waterfalls and islands all combine to form a compelling proposition.
“I’ve never felt isolated; there’s always something to do if you look for it.”
Her ambitions remain firmly anchored in the region. Yolanda plans to undertake a master’s degree to deepen her expertise in commercial law, but she envisages doing so without leaving Tully behind.
“I see myself here long term. There’s always something new to learn, and I want to be close to my family and the farm.”
That commitment manifests in small, telling routines: a morning coffee with her Nonna at the family property, conversations about the weather, an ever-present concern in agricultural life. It is a rhythm that blends personal and professional worlds, reinforcing a sense of place that many city counterparts may find elusive.
At a time when the legal profession is grappling with how unevenly legal services are distributed, and how difficult they can be to access, particularly outside major cities, Yolanda’s story offers a different perspective.
It suggests that the future of regional law may depend not only on incentives or policy interventions, but on people choosing to build careers grounded in community, adaptability, and a willingness to engage with the complexities beyond city limits.
Yolanda’s story is the first in a new feature series celebrating the next generation of practitioners making an impact across rural and regional Queensland.
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