Lara Jennings Interview with Joanne van der Plaat

Lara interviews Joanne van der Plaat, the keynote speaker of the UNELSS Ball, about her career in studying and practising law.

Show Notes

Another interview featured on Lara's fantastic show, Joanne van der Plaat is the keynote speaker for UNEs Law Students’ Society Law Ball Charity Gala on the 23rd July 2022. 

Joanne is a solicitor with more than 10 years’ experience in general practice, acting in workplace relations disputes, property and planning and wills and estates. Joanne was a long-standing partner of Blaxland Mawson & Rose, in Cooma, and is a prominent advocate for the recruitment and retention of lawyers in rural, regional and remote areas and the importance of business development and succession planning in rural and small firms.

Joanne has been a member of the Law Society since 2009 and actively involved with the Society for more than a decade. She currently serves on the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee, the Disclosure Committee and Rural Issues Committee and has previously chaired or been a member of the Professional Conduct Committee, Employment Law Committee, Property Law Committee and Human Rights Committee.

Joanne holds a Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University and is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Director of Lawcover, and has previously held board positions in the aged care, early childhood and education and social justice sectors. 

Questions Asked of Joanne

1. Did you always want to be a lawyer when you were growing up?

2. What is your most favourite job you’ve ever held?

3. If you could go back in time to meet the person you were when you were studying law, what advice would you give yourself?

4. What was your biggest career failure - what did you learn from that experience?

5. Where was one place that your career took you that you didn’t expect?

6. In your opinion, what is the most important strength someone would need to have to be a successful lawyer?

7. What do you think the legal industry will look like in 5 years? What about 50 years?

8. If you could have dinner with any historical figure who would it be and why?

9. If you had to write a book tomorrow, what would you write about?

10. If you could be remembered for one thing, what would it be?

Tickets to the UNELSS Charity Law Ball can be purchased HERE up until Saturday, July 16.

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Finally they were successful, and put together a studio in the Milton building. Then on that fateful day, April 27th 1970, Dick Mutton muttered the words “Radio UNE, the time is 7 o’clock”.