Jacqueline Campbell

 

Jacqueline Campbell is a partner at a specialist family law firm and graduated with a double degree in Arts/ Laws from Monash University in 1985. 

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What does the normal (work) day look?  

 

Busy - but I like it. Juggling - client legal work and client and court expectations, supervising junior family lawyers, billing and keeping cost estimates up to date to comply with the Uniform Law, managing a law practice (including financial aspects, HR, office administration and IT), writing for subscription services (CCH/Wolters Kluwer and Thomson Reuters) and writing papers. 

 

What are the most satisfying aspects of your job?

 

As above. I like learning. I love reading High Court decisions on family law - they are very rare - and writing about them. I like being busy. I like mentoring. I like building relationships with staff and clients. 

 

The most beneficial experience that you have had (professionally).

 

It is very difficult to define one.  I receive much pleasure from achieving good outcomes for clients. I try to avoid the financial and emotional costs and risks of trials. When a matter reaches a trial, it confirms my view that clients should be encouraged to settle before trial. I like the fact that family lawyers have to deal with many aspects of the law - such as contracts, tax, superannuation, conveyancing (don't ask me what I think of PEXA). I like seeing my clients grow. People often think that family lawyers have to deal with crying clients all the time. That is not true. I see them move on with their lives and physically and emotionally change. I see them become happier and more content. 

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What was your first job after graduating?

 

Articled clerk at Littleton Hackford and Malkin in Morwell. Gaining general articles in a country law firm was a fantastic opportunity to be exposed to a variety of work and decide what I wanted to do. I had good articles. 

 

Favourite experience/memory at Monash.  

 

At Monash: My involvement in the Monash ALP Club. Many happy times. 

In the Law faculty: my involvement at Springvale Legal Service both as a volunteer and a student doing Professional Practice. It was my first exposure to practising law and meeting clients and practising lawyers.  

 

Any additional measures they would recommend students take in the current legal profession climate?

 

I tell all the law students I meet either through employing them at Forte or otherwise that they should do Tax in their undergraduate degree. I didn't realise when I was an undergraduate how much tax permeated every aspect of law. Much easier to learn the basics in a law course than try to catch up with self-education. Take all the opportunities that Monash offers to be exposed to the real world. It will help you work out what you want to do and to develop practical skills that you can use wherever you end up. Monash Law's Practical work guarantee is a great initiative but there are other opportunities which you should consider as well, such as moots and alternative dispute resolution. Take them.  

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How did you find your passion?

 

It took me a while but in retrospect I can see the progression. I tried out several things - country, interstate, suburbs, city, private firm, generalist, legal aid, community legal service. I was lucky that even though I didn't know lawyers to ask for advice that I worked in firms with good reputations.  After taking a job in Legal Aid - which I thought was my dream job - I realised that I missed family law. So, I discovered what I wanted to do by doing a job where I didn't do it. I was lucky though as I managed to obtain a job in a generalist private firm in a role which was partly family law. I developed that role to be more of a family law role. I doubt that then or now a junior lawyer could move directly from Legal Aid to a specialist family law firm. My general experience has been beneficial to me as family lawyer.