Anu Aitken graduated from Sydney Law School in 2019 before continuing a legal career that began in family law, including roles as a Judge’s Associate and at Legal Aid. Over the course of her professional journey, she returned to complete her Master of Laws while balancing full-time work and motherhood, before transitioning into an in-house legal role in the higher education sector.
We sat down with Anu to chat about her experience.
What’s your favourite memory from your time at Sydney Law School?
Nothing will beat the moment that I graduated with my two-year-old and three-month-old in the audience. One of the speakers at the graduation ceremony acknowledged that it was not an easy degree and that the number of young families in attendance was a testament to our efforts, which felt so validating after four long years of hard work. To this day, I still feel proud that I earned a master’s degree from one of the most prestigious Law Schools in Australia.
How did you get started in your legal career?
I fell into family law early in my legal career, when I became a Judge’s Associate for Judge Altobelli in the then Federal Magistrates Court in Sydney. I had always wanted to go to the Bar, and being in court every day gave me the opportunity to watch and learn from some of the best advocates in family law. After 18 months, I accepted a Solicitor role at Legal Aid and jumped straight into the deep end, advising clients in family law and care and protection matters, attending mediation, and appearing in court. Although I loved the advisory side of legal practice, I soon realised that litigation was not for me, so after a couple of years I left Legal Aid and was fortunate to be able to return to my former Judge’s Associate role with Judge Altobelli.
Be open to every opportunity - you never know where it might lead or what it might teach you
Anu Aitken
Class of 2019 (Master of Laws)
Can you give us a brief snapshot of your career journey from graduation to now?
When I left family law practice, I was burnt out and had no idea what to do with my career. I decided to enrol in a Master of Laws at the University of Sydney so I could refresh my knowledge in other areas of law and decide whether to return to legal practice or shift into academia or something law adjacent. Studying part-time, working full-time as a Judge’s Associate, and becoming a new mum was the ultimate juggle (I will never forget the week I spent on the couch trying to finish an assignment for Heritage Law with severe morning sickness), but I soon realised that I loved being a lawyer and wanted to return to legal practice. Shortly after graduating, I accepted an in-house lawyer role in the higher education sector, and I haven’t looked back since.
What’s one thing you love about the work you’re doing now?
I currently work for Aspen Legal – an alternative legal services provider that supports in-house clients with the placement of secondees as well as operating as a law firm. My role at Aspen Legal involves a mix of legal advisory matters through the law firm and secondment or retainer work to assist in-house legal teams with overflow legal work or resourcing gaps. I love being on secondment and working closely with in-house legal teams and their stakeholders. The work is challenging and dynamic, and it requires a deep understanding of the business and its motivators, so that any legal solution also meets the business’ commercial needs and strategic goals. But it’s also rewarding when you earn the trust of the business and its key stakeholders, and they involve you in decisions collaboratively, rather than only coming to Legal when things go wrong.
What’s your top tip for current law students?
Be open to any opportunity that comes your way! It may not fit within your “career plan”, but you never know what it could teach you, where it could lead you or who you might meet along the way. My legal career path has been far from linear, but I think that’s what makes me the well-rounded lawyer I am today.