Powered by
MOMENTUM
MEDIA
Just three weeks into her career as a lawyer, a Melbourne woman has been fired following a controversial TikTok.
Natali Curukovski was fired one week following her TikTok about junior lawyer burnout that went viral, after refusing to take it down.
Having completed seven years of study along the way, Curukovski commenced her journey as a lawyer at a Melbourne law firm, after having been admitted as a solicitor just over a month ago.
‘There’s no freedom’
Speaking on her TikTok on 3 August – which has amassed approximately 600,000 views as of the time of publication – Curukovski said that there was a lack of liberation as a junior lawyer, noting that she hadn’t seen her pet dog due to the heavy workload being put on her.
“There [are] constant deadlines, pressure, the working after hours, doing all these CPD events, reading extra books,” Curukovski said via her TikTok page.
“It’s like I did seven years of all of this to just go back and do the same thing; there’s no freedom.
“You barely take a lunch break, you’re overworked and underpaid for the amount of study you put into all these years into becoming a lawyer.
“I can’t even have my puppy with me at home because I’m in the office five days a week.”
‘It really is a soul-sucking job’
Curukovski added to constant global scrutiny over the profession’s traditional work practices, leading to burnout as young professionals challenge longstanding expectations regarding work/life balance, or lack thereof.
“Being a lawyer isn’t supportive of a lifestyle; you don’t really have a lifestyle,” Curukovski said
“You don’t have flexible work arrangements unless you have a child, and you’re in your 40s and you’ve had years behind you to be able to have leverage.
“It’s just a high burnout industry; and honestly, like I don’t wanna subscribe to that.
“It’s a soul-sucking job. It really is a soul-sucking job.
“I would think, again, if you wanna go to law school, and we’re also young and aspirational, wanting to go to law school to make a difference, change the world, help all these clients out.”
‘I haven’t actually put the firm in disrepute’
Around one week later, Curukovski announced via a follow-up TikTok that she had been fired by the firm where she worked.
“I got fired from my job as a lawyer because I posted a TikTok that got a lot of traction about the experience of junior lawyers,” Curukovski said.
“I officially received my termination letter yesterday at around 9am. It was effective immediately, and I just want to preface this by saying I didn’t make that TikTok to put the firm in disrepute.
“I haven’t actually put the firm in disrepute; I didn’t mention names, I didn’t mention client files, I didn’t mention the firm and the name of the business, I didn’t mention anything.”
‘I was threatened that I will no longer be employable’
Despite being urged to remove the video by her employers, Curukovski refused to budge, leaving the TikTok up, which has more than 580,000 views in just five days.
“I got terminated from my role as a lawyer. I will make a second video about exactly how it went down, but I was willing to walk away from that role,” Curukovski said.
“The second I started getting more engagement [on TikTok], and I was fully aware that my TikTok could come back around to [the firm], and it well and truly did come back to them.”
Having had a discussion with the firm, Curukovski noted the uncomfortable nature of the interaction, with the firm even implying that she may struggle to find a job in the future.
“It was a very awkward conversation, very confronting; I stood my ground, I was asked to take it down, and I was even threatened that I will no longer be employable,” she said.
The debate comes as law students and graduates increasingly question whether the traditional path into the profession leaves enough room for wellbeing, balance and personal development.
Lawyers Weekly has contacted Curukovski for further comment.
