Lucy Ross
Ask me about
- What it's like working as an in-house lawyer compared to in a firm
- My experience working in the renewable energy industry
- What I enjoy most about my role
About me
During high school I had no idea what career path I would take – I had a passion for dancing (at one point I actually thought I wanted to pursue that full time) but also enjoyed academics. I ended up studying a dual degree of Journalism and Law at university – not because I knew I wanted to be a lawyer (that actually terrified me) but because I thought aspects of both of these degrees might interest me and work to my strengths. To my surprise, I soon realised that I enjoyed my law degree much more than my journalism degree. I then obtained a part time job as a paralegal in a general practice with a focus on residential conveyancing.
From here I developed an interest in moving away from residential transactions and into the commercial world. I moved to a firm specialising in commercial property and after 5 years of developing my skills and building up my knowledge, I wanted to be where the action was – inside a company talking to people on the ground and providing advice that I could actually see play out in real time. This is how I ended up as an in house lawyer working for a renewable energy company.
About my role
- Confident
- Curious
- Decisive
- Logical
- Personable
An in house lawyer in the renewable energy industry is an employee of the renewable energy company (differing from working for a law firm and being engaged by the company as a client). Specialising in property and development means the lawyer has main focus in securing all land rights to support energy projects for their full life cycle. The role involves: 1. Providing legal advice to various areas of the business in the development, construction and operating phases of energy projects with a specific focus on approvals and land tenure. 2. Co-ordinating and managing the engagement of external legal counsel when required on matters of law that fall outside of in-house expertise. 3. Negotiating land tenure and access arrangements with host landholders. 4. Drafting and reviewing various contracts.
Education
- Queensland Certificate of High School Education
- Bachelor of Laws
- Bachelor of Journalism
- Diploma in Practical Legal Training
Subjects
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- English
- General Mathematics (Maths A)
- Legal Studies
Hobbies
- Gym
- Hiking
- Pilates
- Reading
- Seeing family and friends
- Travel
15 year old me!!
My career journey
-
Got into my chosen course at university
-
University trip to New York
-
First job in a law firm during university
-
First full-time job in a law firm after graduation
-
Transitioned to in-house lawyer
My typical day
My employer
