Meet Ava Cadee

Tell us about your time as a seasonal clerk at Maddocks. What teams did you rotate through, and how did the program support your development as a lawyer?

My experience as a seasonal clerk was my very first introduction to Maddocks. It must have been a good one as I am still with the firm!

I clerked in the Dispute Resolution and Litigation team, where I got to engage with various research tasks, drafting and even telephoning into the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (as it was then known) to observe proceedings.

I also rotated through the Probity team, which was a great experience as I got to understand the decisions behind how significant Federal government policies and projects are made and then implemented.

Throughout the program, I got to take part in various trainings and events which deepened my understanding of the law, and gave me a real taste of what it was like to work day-to-day in a law firm. The program supported my development as a lawyer by allowing me to try lots of different experiences and learn from responsive and on-the-job feedback.

Which practice areas have you experienced as a Graduate? What did you learn from those rotations?

As a graduate, I rotated through the Privacy team, the Dispute Resolution and Litigation team and the Commercial team.

The Privacy team was a great crash course in legal drafting for different clients, as the team puts together a lot of reports and assessments for various Australian government agencies, as well as providing ad-hoc advice on areas such as data protection and Freedom of Information. That means you might be drafting notes to sophisticated legal clients one moment, and then preparing privacy resources for the general public the next. Privacy is such a fascinating area, particularly as the Australian government grapples with the sharp rise in AI capabilities - so it was a wonderful learning experience.

In the Dispute Resolution and Litigation team, I assisted lawyers in both large scale litigation in various Supreme Courts across the country and administrative and merits review matters in both the federal and local tribunals. I got to draft various court documents, sit in on counsel meetings to observe, and prepare plenty of research memos. This helped give me an understanding of a busy litigation practice and how to juggle lots of different balls in the air.

My final rotation was in the Commercial team under partners Gavan Mackenzie and Caroline Atkins. This team works predominantly on ICT procurement projects, but also provides general commercial advice for Australian government agencies. The greatest learning experience I had in this team was sitting in on the negotiations led by the senior members of the team. It was really valuable to see the commercial issues in action, and all the preparation of reading and understanding documents right down to a granular level pay off.

What’s one skill or lesson that has helped you grow most as a junior lawyer at Maddocks?

Never assume anything. Even as I progress in my legal career, I still make sure to ask questions and clarify expectations as I find ill-founded assumptions often lead to mistakes. I think as you develop and grow, it is also important not to assume you don’t like something or you can’t do something if you have never tried it.

What matters to you at Maddocks?

The best thing about working at Maddocks is the people. I know this is the most cliché answer but it is probably a cliché for a reason! In the years I have worked at Maddocks I have been able to learn from so many amazing legal experts, develop friendships with the fellow juniors, and find lifelong mentors in the amazing Canberra team.

What advice would you give a potential seasonal clerk?

Talk to everyone! Spend your time getting to know, and working for, not just the partners, but also juniors, support and administrative staff. This gives you a true picture of what a law firm workplace is like. Treat your brain like a sponge and soak up every experience. You aren’t expected to know everything, but you should want to go out and learn as much as you can.