Who Is Kate?
I was lucky enough to grow up with a father who was a brilliant and hard working solicitor and a mother who was a passionate horticulturist. I admire them both deeply. They showed me, as a young girl, that with hard work and discipline anything is possible. This ambition and drive is embedded in the fibre of who I am today.
Another defining feature is my love of sport, both spectating and participating. There is something about sport that unifies people no matter what is going on in their lives or in the world and I think that is really special. Tennis and running are my favourite sports but I am also a proud (and long suffering) St Kilda Football Club member.
During the pandemic I was able to combine my love of sport with another passion of mine, which is giving back to the community. I do this through the Koala Kids Foundation. Koala Kids is a volunteer driven organisation that provides small things that make a difference to the lives of children and young adults in cancer treatment and their families. Together with the Koala Kids Gala Committee that I co-chair, we started the "Happy Run" so that during lockdowns we could keep raising funds for the kids and young adults that Koala Kids helps.
The centre of who I am will always be my commitment to serving others and trying to inspire young people to do the same. Aside from that, I am usually found at the theatre with my mum, speed reading the latest book for book club, or hanging out with my friends.
What Does An Associate Actually Do?
I am currently working as an associate to a judge in the Commercial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria. The role of an associate is generally a transient job, lasting between 12 to 24 months, which is usually undertaken by junior solicitors or university graduates. The aim is to gain experience behind the scenes, learning about court procedure, how judges make and write their judgments, and observing barristers in action.
The day-to-day varies. It can mean doing legal research and writing memos for Judge, helping with the production of judgments and presentations, proof-reading, editing, and preparing court orders and material for Judge to use in court.
My favourite duty is sitting in court for trial. That's where Judge will undertake a formal examination of the evidence by listening to each barrister, who is acting on behalf of their respective clients. The barrister will make oral arguments and ask questions of witnesses to prove why their client's version of events is true. Judge then decides, after considering all the evidence, which party is correct on the basis of the law.
Most of my friends think my job is super boring, but I love it. There is never a day where I don't learn something new or have to exercise my brain in a way which is fulfilling.
How Did Kate End Up Working For A Judge?
I was probably always destined to become a lawyer as most of my family are lawyers, however I definitely resisted it for a while. After school, I enrolled in a Bachelor of Environments majoring in Architecture at the University of Melbourne with dreams of becoming an architect. However, it soon became apparent that I was not very creative and architecture was not for me.
My parents always instilled in me the idea that once you start something you should finish it. So I decided to complete the degree despite knowing I was never going to become an architect, and I am really glad that I did. I found it extremely difficult, but it taught me a lot about hard work and how sometimes you have to do things in life that you don't really want to do.
Shortly after, my dad got me a job working as a paralegal for a friend of his that ran her own law firm. This was a turning point in my life and I remember after my first day I came home and told mum I was going to enrol in law school. I love the way a client's problem is like a complex puzzle to be solved.
After law school, I worked as a solicitor in a commercial law firm in Sydney. I decided to return to Melbourne and take a job as an associate so I had more time to complete my Masters of Laws and study for the Bar exam. My ultimate career goal is to become a barrister.
What Is Kate Most Proud Of?
In 2015, I began volunteering in the Koala Kids office a couple of days a week with Amanda Mandie, the Executive Director of Koala Kids. Mandy brought to me the idea of reaching out to young adults in cancer treatment, since at the time Koala Kids was working with children from birth to 15.
With the help of my co-chair Nick Mandie, the idea grew into the Young Adults Koala Kids Committee, now called the Gala Committee. Together we have organised five black tie events, with some "Happy Runs" in between, to raise money for the new age bracket of cancer sufferers we wanted to reach. Amazingly, we have raised more than $400,000 for Koala Kids over the years. This is one of my proudest achievements to date.
Got questions?
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An associate helps a judge run their courtroom. Kate does legal research, writes memos for the judge, helps prepare judgments, and sits in court during trials. She doesn't decide cases herself - the judge does that - but she helps the judge get ready to decide them.
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No. Kate started a university degree in architecture and was planning to become an architect. She finished the degree even after she realised it wasn't for her, then her dad helped her get a paralegal job at a law firm. After her first day she came home and told her mum she was going to law school.
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Most courtrooms in Australia are open to the public, which means you and a grown-up can quietly sit at the back and watch a real case happen. Check your nearest court's website for which courtrooms are open that day, dress neatly, and follow whatever the staff at the door tell you.
