Jessica Hodgson

6.40 AM 

I've been officially converted to being a morning person! It's taken some convincing, but I now understand the hype around working out first thing, to get that endorphin hit and clear the mind before starting the day. Reminding myself of these benefits, I pull myself out of bed, throw on my activewear, grab my packed bag and power walk to the bus. 

7.25 AM

I arrive at my favourite gym near the office and enjoy listening to some tunes while I smash out my workout. You never regret getting some movement in before the work day begins, to achieve some important balance. 

8.25 AM

My workout is done and I'm feeling much more energised! It's time to shower and switch gears into work mode.

8.55 AM 

Riding in the lift up to level 25, I often bump into colleagues from other teams in the firm. It's a great chance to debrief about our week so far and expectations for the day ahead. When I arrive at my desk, I greet my team and begin going through my emails. These range from client queries, firmwide notices about upcoming events, training opportunities and committee projects, to news alerts about recent developments in the law. Generally, I use this first time block to action 'quick' items that I can move off my desk and progress with the relevant stakeholder.

For example, today I need to email a pro bono client and their caseworker, from the Women's Homelessness Prevention Service, to discuss the next steps, including liaising with police and gathering records for a victims' compensation application. I also need to email a fellow committee member about organizing an upcoming Reconciliation Week fundraising run/ walk event. Finally, I need to have a discussion with another junior lawyer in my team, as to our findings in relation to a research question about the new provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) regarding minimum standards for regulated workers. This is so that we can share our proposed advice with the instructing lawyer later today. 

9.40 AM

Did someone say coffee time? When lots of the team is working from the office, it is the perfect excuse to head to a nearby café to caffeinate, connect and get motivated for the day ahead. 

10.00 AM

Every day at 10am, my team has a short meeting to go 'around the grounds' and explain our priority tasks for the day. As a junior, this is a great forum for learning about a range of matters being worked on by the team and, consequently, opportunities to get involved in particular areas of interest: eg industrial relations, the whistleblower regime, transactional work.  

10.30 AM 

Allens has a range of committees that champion important causes, such as promoting cultural and linguistic diversity, supporting mental and physical wellbeing, and increasing awareness of pathways to justice for First Nations people. I have thoroughly enjoyed being an active member of these committees, as they are a great way to meet lawyers from across the firm, and strengthen leadership, teamwork and project management skills. For example, this morning the Women@Allens committee organized a guest speaker morning tea to raise awareness and funds for the Women's & Girls' Emergency Centre (WAGEC), which does incredible work supporting women and families in crises, and preventing gender-based violence.  

10.50 AM 

Feeling empowered after the guest speaker event, it is time to dive into the deep-focus part of my day. This is the time block where I aim to do my most difficult or complex work. Today, I am working on a research task that will ultimately feed into an email advice about the management of non-attendance by casual employees. Our client is concerned about the mismatch between casual availability and business needs, which is leading to significant practical and financial consequences for the business. I need to review a casual bidding proposal provided by the client, research the relevant case law and legislation to identify the key principles, and recommend steps to mitigate risks to the business, particularly given the upcoming Closing Loopholes No. 2 reforms to the legislative landscape.  

1:10 PM

My stomach is grumbling and my brain is craving a break! It's time to heat up my lunch and sit with colleagues in our gorgeous kitchen area. I will often also go on a short walk around the block or in the Botanic Gardens, to reset for the afternoon.  

1.45 PM

Feeling recharged after the food, conversations and sunshine, I'm ready to lock in again, with some more case law research and then summarizing my findings in an email advice format. I have learnt that is crucial to draft client advices using clear and succinct language, along with headings, dot points and tables, to make the information as digestible as possible. This is especially so when putting it in a form that can be easily passed to the client's management team. 

2.30 PM

Every Wednesday, our team has a meeting to discuss innovation and key learnings from the past week. We also have a team member present on a topical issue, so that we can stay across the latest legal developments and brainstorm key takeaways that we can apply to servicing our clients. 

3.00 PM

As new rotators in the team, we have been attending several training sessions each week for the past month, to learn from senior lawyers and partners about key areas of the law and practical skills. Today's session is about executive employment contracts and understanding the key rights and obligations contained in them, along with the more controversial terms that may need to be amended to suit the needs of a particular employer or employee. 

4.30 PM

After training, I joined a call with a senior lawyer from the Melbourne team, to discuss the casual employee research task that I was working on earlier today. We talk through my findings and finalize the advice to send to the client. 

5.15 PM

I attend another meeting, with a junior and senior lawyer who I am collaborating with on the minimum standards advice matter. We work through some complex issues arising from the particular client's needs and circumstances and brainstorm how they might play out over the coming months. We convert our thoughts into a clear email to the client and agree to set up a meeting with them later in the week to take the client through our recommended course of action to mitigate risk, particularly from a bargaining and competition law perspective. We also contact a lawyer in the competition law team, so that, in the coming days, we can get a specialist's perspective on the issue. 

5.50 PM

It is time to wind up the day by actioning any pending urgent tasks and writing a 'to-do' list for the following day. I find that this is an effective technique to collect my thoughts and make a calm plan so that I can come in tomorrow feeling mentally clear and ready to be productive. 

6.20 PM 

On days when I don’t have any evening plans in the city, I often choose to walk home to catch the final rays of sunshine. I might call a loved one or listen to an interesting podcast. I find this is the perfect way to get a few extra steps in and decompress from the day. 

7.00 PM

I arrive home and it's time to catch up with my housemates, make dinner, and unwind with some junky TV or a good read!  

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