Aptum comprises a team of values-driven legal and business professionals who share a passion for making litigation a better experience both for clients and the people who work in it.
In this series, we highlight some of our graduates to explore what drove them to the law, their experience of working at Aptum, and the kind of lawyer they want to be.
Here, we spoke with Nicholas Gibson, Law Graduate (2025 Litigation Graduate Program).
Nicholas joined Aptum in February as part of our 2025 Litigation Graduate Program. Nicholas began his legal career working as a paralegal at several boutique litigation firms in Canberra, whilst completing his law degree at ANU, gaining experience across personal injury, public law and commercial disputes.
At what age did you decide you wanted to be a lawyer?
I suppose it started when I did legal studies in year 12, which actually happened by accident…
How so?
Well, I didn’t choose it to begin with, but two of my other subjects clashed, so I had to drop geography for legal studies. Maybe there’s an alternate reality where I’m a geographer… But I suppose that set me on this path. I ended up studying law and international security studies at uni.
In my second year I started working at a law firm, and once I was exposed to legal work, that was it. I was just really drawn to it. It probably stems from enjoying arguing as a kid, and I suppose I’m just applying that in a professional environment now, being able to argue and discuss complex legal problems. The problem-solving element of the law works well with my brain.
What interested you during your law degree? How did you decide to focus on litigation?
Working in litigation law firms during uni definitely pushed me towards litigation.
Law school is very much geared towards litigation—at least at ANU where I studied. You read a lot of cases, answer legal problems, deal with different factual scenarios, which is what litigation is all about.
I also have a background in team sports, so the competitive nature of litigation appeals to me. Other than in a sporting environment, litigation is the only job I can think of where someone else is being paid a lot of money to be directly opposed to you. There’s something interesting about that.
What attracted you to Aptum?
The litigation speciality, for sure, but also the culture of excellence which I learned about through the application process. I appreciated the focus on making sure that the quality of work is extremely high, which sounded liked a good environment to learn in.
What is a good day at work for you?
I love a day when I can get stuck into something substantive, a long form piece of work. A good example is the work I’m doing at the moment to prepare for a mediation. I’ve been doing a lot of work on outlining how we’re proving our case, comparing the evidence against our pleadings and seeing whether the material supports our arguments, what the risks are and how strong our position is. I like this kind of deep, analytical work where I’m thinking about a case as a whole.
I also really enjoy the team element of working in litigation. I get along well with everyone here and all the small day-to-day interactions with the team make it enjoyable to come to work.
Have you had moments where you doubted yourself? How were you able to work through them?
I’ve been really lucky with the litigation experience I had prior to starting at Aptum that meant I wasn’t starting completely fresh, which I think has helped my confidence from a work perspective. Of course there’s also been a big learning curve which has been tough to navigate at times. But there’s a good working culture here and all the seniors are really approachable. To an extent I don’t see them as different to any other staff members.
What is an achievement that you’re proud of?
I hope this doesn’t sound like too much of a flex, but doing the Sydney marathon last year was a big one. Training through the cold winter months in Canberra wasn’t easy. In fact, I’d say that was harder than the actual race.
It was a great feeling finishing in front of the opera house and celebrating with my friends. We went to the pub afterwards and I was feeling pretty good, but I could barely walk for the next week or so. I had stairs in my house at the time, which was brutal. There are a few of us at Aptum training for a half marathon later this year so hopefully another milestone coming soon.
Moving to Melbourne from Canberra is another. Committing to move to a new city was a big step, especially after just returning from a 10-week Europe trip and with nowhere to live, but it’s worked out well!
Do you have a favourite courtroom or legal film?
Ooo, I’ll say Legally Blonde—the first one, though the sequel was good, too.
My mum likes to quote the character David Kidney’s introduction to his Harvard classmates … “I have a masters in Russian literature, a PhD in biochemistry and for the last 18 months I’ve been deworming orphans in Somalia”—unfortunately I am zero for three on those metrics.
What kind of lawyer do you not want to be? What kind of lawyer do you want to be?
A transactional lawyer… I probably shouldn’t say that. Oh well, leave it in.
I guess a lawyer that settles for mediocrity. I want to be continuously intellectually challenged. I don’t want to just settle for a job that’s easy and doesn’t challenge me. I’m sure there are cushier jobs out there in the law than being a litigator.
I want to be a lawyer that clients trust, someone that thinks about the law broadly, and hopefully someone that benefits society, being able to have an impact on inequality.
Favourite place to eat in Melbourne?
I haven’t explored a whole lot of Melbourne yet, but I went to a really good Thai place the other day called Nora Thai in South Yarra. Best green curry I’ve ever had, and I’ve been to Thailand.
Do you have any long-term ambitions for your legal career?
Nothing concrete, but I’d consider going to the Bar one day.
For more information about Aptum’s graduate program, learn more here.
