Queensland Law Society Legal Practice Director Judy Hayward is a quiet achiever. Working in the Ethics and Practice Centre, she is a regular visitor to firms around the state, quietly going about her business assisting others.
What she also tried to keep quiet yesterday was her 25-year practise milestone however CEO Matt Dunn and her colleagues were not about to let that important achievement pass.
Matt said because Judy’s connection to the Society, it was appropriate to present her silver QLS membership certificate and 25-year pin at a morning tea.
While Judy was not keen on a speech at the morning tea, she did answer some questions from Proctor (after some convincing).
What first attracted you to law?
“I initially wanted to be a musician. In high school I was allowed to explore my interest in music, across a number of instruments, but I was also encouraged to study and do well academically ‘just in case’.
“My parents both placed a lot of value on education – it was something that wasn’t available to them growing up – and they saw it as a way of opening other opportunities for myself and my siblings.
“I wanted to be a solicitor before I even really knew what a solicitor did. I pursued it as a career partly because of the incredulous eyebrow raises people would give me when I said I wanted to be a solicitor and partly because law fitted well with my love of reading, language, history, sociology and sense of justness.
“I worked and studied hard to qualify for entry to law and then I applied that same level of commitment and tenacity to completing my studies, securing articles of clerkship and gaining admission.”
What do you enjoy about being a lawyer and your role at QLS?
“Like most lawyers I enjoy helping people, or thinking that I am helping people.
“For me, my career has been a lifelong commitment to helping people when they are at one of their more vulnerable stages of life – grieving the loss of a loved one – partner, parent or child.
“I believe a benchmark to aspire to is the ability to attend to your client’s legal needs without fuss – this means knowing your client, how to communicate with them; and knowing the law and how it applies to your client’s situation. Ideally the legal process should be one of healing, not inflicting further harm or trauma.
“I was extremely grateful for the opportunity to work at QLS. I like to lead quietly, and this role enables me to do that. As practitioners we have a duty to the court and to our clients – but somewhere along the way of serving others we often forget about ourselves. I particularly love visiting practitioners across the state in their practices, listening to them and supporting them in various capacities.
“Sometimes I am a sounding board, sometimes I am an advocate for change, a conduit for feedback, a guide, a counsellor, a mentor, a devil’s advocate, but I am most proud of my role as an encourager – placing value back on our practitioners to support them in their careers and practices – my attitude to these practice visits is ‘let’s find a way or make a way’ (ethically of course!).”
What does receiving the 25-year QLS pin mean to you?
“Receiving the 25-year pin is a significant career milestone – I think it recognises my long-term commitment to the profession, my colleagues and to the Queensland Law Society.
“The pin and certificate of themselves are not significant (we joked today that I’d scan the certificate for an electronic copy and then recycle it) – but they symbolise memories of the friendships forged, tenacity over adversity, and many, many opportunities for learning experienced over the years.
“They also symbolise the relationship the Society has played in supporting me, as a practitioner, through all the stages of my career:
“1. Initially as an articled clerk – where I would routinely fax research requests to the old QLS library;
2. As a newly admitted solicitor seeking opportunities for learning and networking through seminars and conferences;
3. As an accredited specialist – wanting to pursue excellence in knowledge and practice;
4. As a committee member – encouraging me to give back to the work of the society and the profession
5. As a principal practitioner – completing the Practice Management Course and receiving resources (trust accounts and ethical guidance) to support me to manage my practice.”
And while Judy is not a speechmaker, she did have some thanks to pass on to: my QLS colleagues – Level 5 for celebratory morning tea to mark an occasion which otherwise may have been missed; Geoff McLeod for the photo – having my picture taken is not my favourite thing to do; especially the QLS Members who welcome me into their practices and my heartfelt thanks go out to my close family and friends, without whom none of this would have been possible or continue to be possible.
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