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 Stephanie Slade, Law Graduate (2024 Litigation Graduate Program).
Steph joined Aptum in February as part of our 2024 Litigation Graduate Program. Steph began her career working at the South Australian Attorney-General’s Department, first in the Victims of Crime unit, and then as a paralegal in the Legal and Legislative Services branch, before working as a law clerk in the civil claims division of the Australian Government Solicitor.
At what age did you decide you wanted to be a lawyer?
It wasn’t until high school, maybe year 11, when I did Legal Studies, that being a lawyer felt like something I really wanted to do and that I could achieve. I had a really great teacher who was super passionate. Plus, I was always pretty good at arguing with people – I’m the eldest of three girls – so being a lawyer felt like a natural progression.
What interested you during your law degree? How did you decide to focus on litigation?
Initially, I had my sights set on criminal law, so much so that I studied a double degree with criminology. At uni, I unsurprisingly gravitated towards subjects I thought were more ‘human oriented’, like criminal law, employment, sports, or family law. At that point I steered clear of tax and commercial subjects. It wasn’t until I started working in litigation, I realised that in practice, commercial law is inherently very people focused, resolving disputes that have a huge impact on people’s lives. When you just read about it in cases and textbooks, it can feel removed and very technical, and you don’t really get a clear understanding as to how it impacts people. But it really does – it’s much more than just disputes over numbers and contracts – it revolves around people’s businesses, passions, and livelihoods.
I also really enjoy the critical thinking that comes with working in litigation. It feels a lot more legally complex than transactional work. It also keeps you on your toes – you’re forced to keep up with new developments constantly.
What attracted you to Aptum?
I chose Aptum because of the opportunity for juniors to have direct client contact, which is not necessarily the case at other firms. I think if I were elsewhere, I may not have had the opportunity to have as much input on strategy. From what I understand, in more traditional firms you tend to be given work in a vacuum, without much context, and so it can be hard to actually see the impact of the work you do on the course of litigation. Whereas at Aptum, I feel like I can actually make a mark – no matter how small it is, it’s still tangible – and I can sit back and see how the work I’m doing plays into the client’s end goal.
And also, having worked in litigation in the past, I saw the need for a different approach. I’ve worked on matters previously where the same litigation had been running for more than a decade. I saw Aptum as a cutting-edge firm and thought, yeah, I can see myself in that.
What does a good day at work look like for you?
Meeting with my mentor, Josh, on a weekly basis is always great. We check in and chat about our priorities for the week. If I have any issues or need help with anything, or I don’t know how to approach a task, I can ask Josh.
Other than that, on an ideal day, I’d be sitting in on client conferences, and drafting – letters, correspondence with the ATO, complex payment plans, remission requests etc. in the tax space. On the commercial side of things, I’d be examining another party’s pleadings, maybe helping to draft our own clients’ pleadings, organising service of court documents, and putting together chronologies.
I really enjoy drafting correspondence to the opposing side. It’s often quite a strategic task – we have to think about the pathway we’re taking for the client and how that piece of communication fits into the puzzle, how we can advance things for them. I enjoy that part of it.
Also, Steph Wong – the other grad – and I got to attend court during our first week at Aptum, which was pretty cool. It was the Monday after I started, and it was for a trial for one of Aptum’s matters. We got to watch opening submissions in the Supreme Court, see how Nik – one of our Senior Associates – went about instructing counsel, and meet counsel ourselves. It was great to see the finished product of the work that happens behind the scenes and the positive outcomes for our clients.
Is there anything you didn’t expect to learn at Aptum?
How approachable Nigel and Tuan are! I know at a lot of bigger law firms, the partners or directors might not be as willing to assist, and my contact with them as a grad would be limited. Nigel and Tuan hot desk alongside everyone else and are always around for a chat.
Have you had moments where you doubted yourself? How were you able to work through them?
Of course – I think this is a natural part of being a grad. I’ve had to work through tasks where I didn’t quite know how to approach them. I was particularly unsure about how to strike the right tone with client communication because I didn’t have that experience of communicating directly with clients. At the beginning, I was quite nervous to ask for help, but pretty soon I figured out that everyone here is pretty approachable. So now I just ask – no matter how ‘dumb’ I think the question is! Things quickly become more familiar – for example, I feel a lot more confident now about sending an email without feeling like I need the whole firm to triple-check it!
What is an achievement that you’re proud of?
Being from Adelaide, I am proud to have moved to a new city this year. I’m also the first woman in my family to go to uni – so I’m really grateful to them for pushing me to study law even though it wasn’t something that anyone in my family had done before.
I’m also proud of having worked on the National Redress Scheme for victims during my time in criminal law.
Do you have a favourite courtroom or legal film?
The Castle! Such a great movie. The crusade to the High Court when Daryl gives it a red-hot go up against the big wigs (literally) is really cool – I think that always inspired me when I was young. Danny Denuto was also a great lawyer in his own way. He’s really passionate. Just lacks the expertise… On a more sentimental note, it’s a great reminder that at the heart of litigation there is always someone flighting for their own “castle”.
What kind of lawyer do you not want to be? What kind of lawyer do you want to be?
I don’t want to be Danny Denuto! No, I’m joking… I never want to be the type of lawyer who lacks empathy. A lawyer who loses sight that each dispute involves real human stories and emotions. I want to be the type of lawyer who listens, understands and advocates with compassion, knowing that in practice, empathy is just as essential as legal expertise.
Favourite place to eat in Melbourne?
Good Times pasta bar! I’m there way too often – it’s right around the corner from my house. Good pasta, cheap wine – which is way better than its price tag suggests!
Do you have any long-term ambitions for your legal career?
Well, I’m not admitted yet. So, admission is a good goal! I need to become a lawyer before I think about anything else!
But I think as long as I’m enjoying what I’m doing and I can see that there’s room to grow and develop, I’ll be happy.
For more information about Aptum’s Graduate Programs, learn more here.
