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Protégé: Why declaring your goals early can transform your legal career

One sentence. One moment. One career-defining shift. Here, Jessica Thurtell reveals how speaking your bold goals out loud early in your career and aiming high as a law graduate can completely transform the trajectory of your legal journey.

January 27, 2026 By Noemie Veñegas
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In a recent episode of The Protégé Podcast, host Grace Robbie speaks with Jessica Thurtell, a consultant at Clyde & CO, about the defining moment early in her legal career when, during her first graduate rotation review, she declared her ambition to become a partner, discusses the reactions from those around her – from family members to fellow graduates – about her bold declaration and explains why saying yes to as many opportunities as possible can be crucial for building a successful legal career.

Thurtell also emphasises the importance of young lawyers setting ambitious goals early and sharing them with those around them, explores which career goals are worth pursuing and how to balance achievable short-term milestones with long-term ambitions, outlines habits and strategies for staying on track despite inevitable setbacks, and highlights the power of mentors in guiding and supporting goal achievement.

 
 

If you have any questions about the episode or if there are any topics that you might want us to look into, please reach out — we would love to hear from you!

We’re also always open to new guests, so if you have an exciting story to tell, if you’re standing out as a student or graduate, or if you can offer some tips for our young lawyers, get in touch.

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