Life as a Sydney solicitor

So following on from here, let me give you a taste of what it was like to work as a young solicitor in Sydney.

The good old scales of justice

After three years working as a solicitor in Hobart, Sydney was a huge change of pace and style. In Hobart, personal injury matters were often mired in the court system somewhere, some even 10 years after the subject accident. The wheels of the justice system moved very slowly. That meant witnesses forgot their evidence as their memories dulled and evidence got lost. That made it hard for both sides to run their cases. Justice delayed is justice denied, so the saying goes. I found it rather frustrating.

In Sydney, however, 80% of the personal injury cases had to be finalised within 12 months of being lodged with the Court with the balance to be completed within two years. That meant a lot more had to be done in a lot less time, with long hours the result. That was a change after being able to leave work in Hobart at 5 pm each day. My days often ended at about 8 pm or later if I had a hearing on. I made many a dash to Circular Quay to hurtle up the gangplank just in time. I also spent an outrageous amount on taxis late at night after the ferries had stopped (most of which I had to pay for myself - not happy, Jan).

My trusty Sydney Ferries route map

Another main difference was that in Tasmania, law was a fused profession - you could practise as both a barrister and a solicitor.  Given the small population, that made sense. In New South Wales, however, the much larger population dictated the need for a separate bar.  I found it immensely entertaining to get to know a lot of Sydney barristers with all their talents, failings and eccentricities. There was a lot of politics involved in retaining a barrister which I found surprising and at times tricky to negotiate.

Good old black letter law

I specialised in defending public liability claims, mainly for councils all over New South Wales. That required me to travel 'on circuit' to places like Wagga Wagga, Orange, Bathurst, Newcastle, Wollongong and Port Macquarie, often in tiny little six seater planes.

Being on circuit meant that there was a list of matters to be reached during a two or three week period. I had to travel there with my barrister just before my matter was reached (lots of frantic last minute organisation was involved), loaded up with suitcases full of files and exhibits. Then I had to meet with and coordinate my witnesses and evidence and stay there until my matter was completed or adjourned to the next sitting if time ran out. I stayed in the local motels, having to report back to the office and our (often overseas) insurance clients at the end of a long day. It was a heady combination of hard work, long hours, stress and then unwinding over dinner with other solicitors and their barristers.  We worked hard but partied hard. I soon learnt the maxim 'What happens on circuit, stays on circuit' - so I'm sorry I can't elucidate on some of the shenanigans we got up to!

During our 11 years in Sydney, I adopted the Goldilocks Principle, working at medium sized, large and then small firms. Each had their own ethos and talented individuals as well as large egos. I learnt a lot, made some fabulous friends and found it quite stimulating. Some of my cases made the news. However, the relentlessness of time recording was unpleasant - imagine having to account for every six minutes of your day, five days a week. You had a minimum number of units you had to work each day to make your budget and your timesheets were strictly monitored and publicised to your colleagues. Isn't that an horrendous thought?!

By the time I went on maternity leave with India, my tank was empty. I was worn down by the unremitting pace, the politics, the schmoozing and the long hours. Given Sam was born when India was only 19 months old, I haven't returned to paid work since. What lies ahead is the subject for another post!

Jane