Inside Thomson Geer (QLD)
Nathan Batty, Graduate, Brisbane
I am a graduate in Thomson Geer's Planning and Environment team in Brisbane. The Planning and Environment team engages in a broad range of work consisting of a combination of both Court based and advisory matters.
At the beginning of my third year of university I commenced work as a part-time paralegal in the Planning and Environment team at Thomson Geer. This was an invaluable experience which confirmed my desire to become a lawyer. In 2017, I entered the Thomson Geer graduate program which consists of two rotations over a 12 month period. The rotations provide an opportunity for law graduates to experience working in different areas of law and learn the different ways senior legal practitioners approach matters.
My daily activities can range from drafting a Notice of Appeal for a company against the refusal of a development application, assisting a local government with the prosecution of a person who has committed a development offence, to drafting an advice for residents on the prospects of appealing a nearby development approval. The variety of work provides for a constantly evolving work environment and every day brings a new and different challenge. However, Thomson Geer has an established core of senior lawyers who are more than happy to assist with the learning curve of law graduates.
The highlight of my job is instructing Counsel at Court. Watching Counsel cross-examine a key witness or summarise a case in their closing submissions provides for a high paced and interesting work environment. The satisfaction of achieving a successful outcome for your client after the highs and lows of a case is well worth the hard work.
