Becoming a lawyer was a natural progression for Evans, who describes herself as a "people person" and one that is logical, practical and detail-orientated - the essential attributes of any lawyer, she notes.

"I'd always wanted to have a career in law. I thought it was a challenging career that involves people and I probably have the personality traits to be a lawyer," she says, laughing. "[But] if I wasn't a lawyer I'd probably be in human resources."

Evans' passion for human resources and employment law is obvious, reflected by her decision to major in human resources and industrial relations for her Bachelor of Business at the University of Newcastle. "I chose a lot of industrial relations subjects. I was really interested in that area," she says.

Joining Minter Ellison in 2006 as a graduate, Evans shyly admits that she loves coming to work everyday. "Despite the Gen Y cliché I really do love my job! I love coming to work, which is probably a bit sad, but I love working with the people that I work with."

And what she loves most is the challenge that being a lawyer presents. "[I love] problem solving and assisting clients through difficult times."

Evans also highlights getting to know the businesses of her clients and assisting them to meet their goals as one of the most enjoyable parts of her job. "Every day is different and I spend a lot of time laughing and enjoying myself."

The Newcastle graduate hasn't come across too many challenges in her career to date, but she admits a career as a lawyer will always be difficult due to the toll it can place on your personal life. But she points out that the long hours involved are bearable because she enjoys what she does. "If you're enjoying your work, I think you can overcome those challenges. It's swings and roundabouts with that anyway."

But Evans says an initial obstacle was the fact that she graduated from a regional university.

"In top-tier law firms it's not necessarily something they look to in their recruitment, but obviously Minters liked the fact that I had a different education and different practical skills," she says. Still, Evans believes Minters has been rewarded for its decision to recruit a number of graduates from Newcastle, which she says provides a very practical law program, and many of them now make up part of the firm's human resources and industrial relations group.

As for the future, next on the agenda for Evans is to simply keep enjoying her work.

"I want to keep loving what I do. Not to dread the Monday mornings and continue to be involved in interesting work, building strong relationships with my clients and continuing to learn."

Click on the images to read more profiles of the Lawyers Weekly 2010 Young Guns: