Chapter 1: Planting the Seed

Keturah didn’t always have her sights set on law. In high school, she thought she might become a teacher. But the idea of law was planted early, with her friends and family teasing her with, ‘Why do you have to argue so much? Why are you so argumentative?’

The seed became real at fifteen, when her father suddenly passed away. In a small rural town with no prior exposure to the legal system, Keturah and her family found themselves sitting in lawyers’ offices, trying to make sense of her dad’s estate. The experience left her with compassion for those facing loss while also wrestling with what she describes as a system that can be ‘quite ridiculous at times.’

Her draw to Succession Law deepened years later, studying the elective at Monash University. She was fascinated by the ‘intersection between so many subjects’ such as property, equity, trusts, criminal law, business law, administration, and corporate law. But beyond the intellectual breadth, it was the human side that captured her. ‘I like the human experience,’ she says. Being able to have a great ‘person-to-person connection’ where she can collaborate with her colleagues and clients, while also being clever and creative in her legal reasoning were huge draws to Succession Law.

Chapter 2: From Rural Town to City Life

Before moving to the city, Keturah grew up in the rural town of Gippsland. Leaving home to study at Monash University was no small step, but it marked the beginning of a new chapter. Back in Year 12, she had thrown herself into theatre, joining a youth theatre group where she performed in an adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing and even took the stage at a Shakespeare festival in Stratford. The performance was so well received that the group earned the chance to perform in the UK. It was a highlight she still remembers fondly.

After falling just short of the ATAR required to study law directly, Keturah began with an Arts degree at Monash. Determined to make the switch, she worked hard, built up her WAM, and eventually transferred into Monash Law while continuing with her Arts degree on the side. She shifted her focus to a major in Literary Studies and a minor in Theatre, blending her love for performance with a discipline that sharpened her writing.

Looking back, she says the double degree became a kind of ‘buffer,’ teaching her how to balance different workloads and juggle competing demands. That experience, she believes, laid the groundwork for success in practice. Literary Studies, in particular, gave her a solid foundation in writing. This is a skill she recognises as one of the most challenging but vital parts of a legal career.

Chapter 3: Legal Experience from Paralegal to PLT

During university, Keturah first stepped into the legal world as a paralegal at Landers & Rogers. She was brought on for a particular file they were running involving trusts, deeds and constitutions. Her job consisted of doing thorough checks of the AI summaries and ensuring that they were accurate. She notes that this was a very unique paralegal role, with it being entirely remote and revolving around one particular file.

After graduating, Keturah immediately started her Practical Legal Training (PLT) with Leo Cussen. Structured around rotations through different areas of law, the PLT placed students in simulated practice with ‘fake’ files and compulsory tasks, alongside electives. ‘PLT was great!’ She says, adding that it’s something students can genuinely look forward to.

Chapter 4: Boutique Culture

Keturah found her first full-time legal role by scrolling through the PLT Career Board and sending in an application. Soon after, she stepped into the world of Succession Law in a boutique law firm. While she describes herself as ‘a competitive person’, she is quick to draw the line. She says, ‘No thank you,’ to competing with colleagues over work, the kind of atmosphere she associates with larger firms. As such, a boutique firm was a perfect environment for her.

In a boutique, Keturah says, the learning curve is steep in the best possible way. Instead of being tucked away at the back doing grunt work or lumped in with the paralegals in a large firm, she gets to roll up her sleeves drafting letters, appearing in court, and working side-by-side with a highly respected principal Nathan Yii. Working in a boutique firm ‘can just be the world changing experience that you need,’ she reflects.

There’s also the culture. Her office shares space with another boutique practice – five lawyers there, plus her own firm — and together the juniors make up a lively, social crew. Lunch isn’t a lonely desk affair. It’s everyone around the table, trading stories and laughter.

Of course, Keturah admits the boutique life has its limits. The practice areas are narrow, and there aren’t different teams to bounce ideas off. In a tiny group (say two lawyers, a paralegal, and a principal) the dynamics could feel awkward.

But for now, the trade-off is worth it. Keturah relishes the hands-on exposure, the quicker and more involved feedback, breadth of experience and the harmony of a close-knit team. For a junior lawyer, she says, ‘I definitely wouldn’t say don’t try… get[ting]… experience in a boutique firm.’