Each of the finalists – Mary Aidonopoulos, Giorgia Maiorana, Courtney Remington and Melany Toombs – spoke to Protégé about what being a finalist in these awards means to them, what their future plans are and why more young lawyers should get involved.

Ms Maiorana will be providing responses to the below questions at a later time at which point we will update the article.

What does it mean to be a finalist in this year’s Women in Law Awards?

Ms Aidonopoulos: To be a finalist means a lot to me and it is an honour to be recognised by such a prestigious awards program and to be nominated among so many incredible women.

As a self-professed science enthusiast with dreams of becoming a doctor and who did not complete the Legal Studies subject in VCE, studying law was the most significant opportunity and risk I have ever pursued and what ultimately set me apart as a student. Being a finalist is confirmation that this risk paid off and that my hard work within law school has been recognised on a national scale.

I am also incredibly thankful to be representing La Trobe University on a national scale and was fortunate enough to have countless opportunities throughout my degree locally and aboard and incredibly guidance from my lecturers and tutors.

Ms Remington: To be a finalist means the world to me – to be recognised for my influence in the legal profession, against many other outstanding women, is an absolute honour. It has not been an easy start to my career in law, with many health setbacks, so to be recognised as a finalist in this year’s awards shows that my hard work is paying off. I strongly value gender equality, which makes being a finalist in the Lawyers Weekly’s Women in Law Awards even more special.

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Ms Toombs:  I am thrilled to be selected as a finalist in such a well-respected and diverse awards series. Being selected as finalist is wonderfully affirming, particularly regarding the sometimes less mainstream paths I have chosen in my studies and career.

I have striven to honour God and to love others through the ways I spend my time and my energy, so being selected as a finalist is an encouragement to continue investing in others through my prospective career choices, research and community activities – such as promoting women’s cycling. I look forward to meeting the other finalists who represent such a talented and dedicated portion of the legal profession.

How do you hope to begin/continue promoting gender equality to ensure more women are recognised for their contributions to the profession? 

Ms Aidonopoulos said she was fortunate enough to be surrounded by “powerful and talented” women from the beginning who taught her to be confident. She said by the time she graduated high school, she had a mindset of being able to accomplish any of her goals for the future, with no barriers to those goals.

She began her degree in a position of strength and went on to be recognised for her hard work at many levels. Ms Aidonopoulos spent four years on the La Trobe Golden Key Chapter committee and two years as president. In that role, she could recognise other women for their achievements and award them for it.

“I am very passionate about helping other law students obtain these qualities [like having a point of strength] and believe that they can accomplish anything they set their minds to and that their gender is not a barrier to this,” Ms Aidonopoulos said.

For Ms Remington, surrounding herself with successful women has given her a unique opportunity to familiarise herself with how best to promote gender equality in law. She has fond memories of being mentored at university by barrister Katherine Brazenor – an experience that left her inspired and willing to pass on what she learnt.

At her firm, Law Compliance, Ms Remington said she is lucky enough to be guided by “amazing women” – boss Natalie Franks, supervisor Teresa Racovalis and colleague Lisa Souquet-Wigg – who have helped her gain insight into how they juggle careers, being mothers and maintaining a healthy social life.

“The culture at my workplace supports gender equality and achieving gender targets. Many executive positions are occupied by women, which is why I chose to start at Law Compliance as this is a culture that I believed I would thrive in,” Ms Remington said.

Ms Toombs said she is motivated to promote gender equality through building up other women and students. That means sharing resources, interview tips and essay writing workshops with younger students but looks different depending on the person.

“I have really appreciated meeting with women who are further along in their careers, to learn from their experiences in the legal profession (and I hope to do the same for others!). I hope to promote women with combining interests in innovative ways through legal research and practice,” Ms Toombs said, adding that by highlighting their work, she can build a culture and network of “women building up other women”.

Ms Toombs also hopes to gradually improve the structures that shape the experiences of women in law. Several research projects and legal roles have related to exploring and promoting gender equality, “and I see this continuing”.

“The more that I discover about how the law itself can entrench or alleviate gender inequality, the more possibilities I see for myself and others to lead change,” she said.

What are some of the areas of the law that you’re most passionate about? 

Ms Aidonopoulos is currently in a corporate mergers and acquisitions team at King & Wood Mallesons where she is currently completing rotations. She said M&A was always an area of interest and she is “thoroughly enjoying being able to experience this dynamic and exciting area of law”.

She is also interested in intellectual property and has a science degree majoring in biochemistry and chemistry. She was first exposed to a crossover between science and law during university after hearing that former president Bill Clinton said that no one could patent the human genome.

Ms Remington is most passionate about personal injury law where she can help clients ease financial burdens and emotional turmoil from injustices. She said it is also equally vital to help clients prevent these injustices from occurring by ensuring organisations – with national and state legislation and regulation – are abiding by their obligations.

“At Law Compliance our focus is on helping clients ensure compliance with legislation and regulations, as well as product safety standards that apply to them,” she said. “I’m passionate about helping clients understand legislation so they can avoid injustices.”

Since working at the Family Court of Australia, Ms Toombs has become passionate about the ways that family law can form a nexus between a range of complex problems. She is fascinated by questions of unacceptable risks, the dynamics of family violence and what is in the children’s best interests.

“I have the utmost respect for decision-makers in this field who are consistently faced with intensely difficult decisions, such as the Honourable Justice Gill whom I have had the privilege to learn from for almost two years,” Ms Toombs said.

Ms Toombs is also passionate about the “endless ways that law intersects” with other disciplines, such as feminist legal theory, critical legal theory and law and humanities.

What are some of your goals for your career/your dream role?

Ms Aidonopoulos wants to change the experiences of individuals entering the legal profession and make it easier for them. She said she is passionate about being able to help other law students navigate the process of clerkships and law schools.

“I recognise that this is a large goal as I am still new to the legal profession and can only talk to my experience. However, the feedback I have received illustrates how beneficial speaking to other students can be and ultimately every person I can help and mentor is one step closer to achieving this goal,” she said.

Ms Aidonopoulos also hopes to one day work overseas. She was fortunate enough to complete an internship in New York City during her degree and would love to do that again.

“I grew so much as a law student and obtained so many new skills. It is my goal to one day challenge myself again after graduating law school with this exciting opportunity so I can develop and grow to become the best lawyer I can be,” she said.

For Ms Remington, her dream role is in running her own legal firm and using all of the knowledge and expertise she learnt from throughout her career to assist those from a low socio-economic background or those with a disability who may have trouble finding legal help. She would also want her firm to take on pro bono cases where it can.

In the short-term, Ms Remington hopes to better her skills in legal interpretation, giving legal advice and to “continue learning from the outstanding women who surround me”.

She also hopes to one day learn sign language to help those struggling with language barriers: “From my own personal experience of not being able to speak properly for a few months after surgery, I realised how important it is to be able to be understood. It sparked my interest in wanting to learn sign language and advocating for equal rights for those with a disability, particularly women with a disability who are marginalised.”

For Ms Toombs, her passions lie in combining law, justice and critical thinking. For this moment, that means family law, but she is keen to find environments where she might best direct her skills and enthusiasm while continually learning and being challenged.

Her long-term goals include leading a team of lawyers and legal researches and aims to study overseas so that she can gain “comparative perspectives on best practice to develop the technical skills and research networks to facilitate long-term ambitions”.

Why do you feel it is important that more young lawyers are getting involved in awards and similar opportunities like this?

Ms Aidonopoulos said it is important for young lawyers to get involved in awards as it is an “invaluable way to join the legal community”. It also means standing out in a competitive profession where it can be “hard to distinguish yourself”.

“The more women that apply for awards such as this, the more it inspires others to do the same. I encourage anyone who is reading this to be courageous and take any opportunity that is given to them,” Ms Aidonopoulos said.

To Ms Remington, young lawyers are the “future of the industry” and, as such, deserve to be recognised for their achievements “in order to build us up”. She said that it would not only better the industry through a higher standard of service provided to clients but will also help people achieve justice and solutions to their issues in an innovative way.

“Young lawyers bring fresh ideas and an enthusiasm to the legal industry,” she added. “This should be recognised and awarded to keep us inspired to achieve more.”

For Ms Toombs, more recognition for female lawyers will provide a “wonderful platform for women to connect with other women in the industry”. She said awards like this one can have the ability to shape norms and be a positive influence.

“I think that the process of applying for awards like this is really valuable in itself. It’s a great way to synthesise what you are passionate about, take stock of how you actually contributed so far and recalibrate your goals for the future,” Ms Toombs said.