I really enjoy the law, the legal research and reasoning, and the way we can help our Council officers solve problems. I also love the history - the law is usually about trying to solve a problem, a societal evil, or a need of the people. I really enjoy researching why particular legal principles exist and how those historic principles can shape what we do today. As an example, I recently had to do some research that drew upon a case from 1601, which was during the reign of Elizabeth I. I find it amazing that the decision of a judge back then is still relevant to advice that I might provide today.
I started at Sutherland Shire Council back in 1997 – not as a lawyer, but as a Compliance Officer. I’ve worked at Council as a Compliance Officer, Research Officer, and as a Lawyer, and ended up in one of the best teams. Like Daniel said, there’s never a dull day, and we deal with such an incredible variety of matters, from property to litigation to contract to corporate advice work.
I really enjoy the team I work with – and particularly working with Daniel. Lawyers have quite a few responsibilities and I hope that I can help him avoid many of the mistakes I’ve made over the years. These responsibilities form part of the theoretical learning of the law and still have a real practical application every day in the workplace.
Council has always given me autonomy in my work and lots of trust. It’s also been a great place to work while we’ve raised a family – my youngest is now 14 and is pretty independent but there were definitely lots of moments where I was able to be there for school assemblies, sports events and formals. Council is a great place to work, very family friendly - so good in fact, that my wife started here a few years ago.
One of my proudest moments concerned a property transfer that went off the rails in a big way. A elderly woman wanted to bequeath part of her backyard to Council which adjoined a Council reserve. We had the plans drawn up, submitted them to the Land Titles Office who made a big mistake in the transfer of the land.
We were able to handle the matter carefully and sensitively, and the Office reversed the mistake. I was quite proud that the team and I were able to not upset an elderly person and solve the problem in a kind way.