Andriana Nikopoulos

5.15 AM

Wake up time. I like to start my day early to make the most of it. I jump out of bed (today, less enthusiastically than other days) and head straight to the gym.

6.45 AM

Gym time. Nothing prepares me for the day ahead like sweating it out at the gym and boosting those endorphins. I am officially awake!

8.30 AM

I make my way into the office (coffee in hand, of course) and head straight to the kitchen. I put my lunch in the fridge, grab some fruit from the delicious fruit platter that we get delivered daily and make my breakfast - avocado on toast is my daily must!

8.45 AM

I head to my desk where I go through my emails, check my calendar and prepare myself for the day ahead. I review my to-do list that I created the day prior and add any additional items that require my attention. This morning I am off to court with a senior member of my team, so I check-in to see if I can assist with any final preparation.

I am currently working in the General Insurance team and litigation is a big part of our practice.  I started at Landers in March 2019 as a Graduate in the graduate program, which is 12 months in total. During that time, we are given the opportunity to rotate through four different practice areas. I'm currently in my final rotation (which is hard to believe as it feels like only yesterday that I was in my first!)

9.30 AM

Off to court I go. Today, we are off to Supreme Court of New South Wales for the hearing of a medical negligence matter. Once we arrive at court, we meet with the Barrister that we have briefed for the matter to discuss our client's position and confirm the orders that we want the Judge to make. We then engage in some discussions with the representatives of the other parties to the case. Essentially, we relay the orders that we are seeking and discuss some issues in dispute, with the intention of reaching agreement regarding some aspects of the case before we appear before the Judge.   

10.00 AM

There are typically several matters in the Judge's list at the same time, so we sit inside the court room and wait for our matter to be called. This is a great opportunity for a junior lawyer like myself to observe the way in which matters are run. Once our matter is called by the Judge, all parties approach the bar table and announce their appearance. Throughout the hearing, I take detailed notes so that we have an accurate depiction of the hearing for our file and, more importantly, to ensure that we can relay any developments to our client and comply with the directions of the Judge.

11.30 AM

I return from court and I am back at my desk. I am required to prepare a letter to our client updating them of the court event and outlining the appropriate next steps to advance their matter. You never know when you're going to be tasked with updating a client following a court event, hence why it's important to always take detailed notes.

12.30 PM

Time for lunch and a catch-up with some friends from work. Today (like most days) its chicken, rice and veggies.

1.30 PM

I am asked by a senior member of the team to assist with some research for a particular matter. As a junior lawyer, research is a typical area that I am asked to assist with. I spend some time reviewing case law and secondary materials using our legal databases and prepare a summary of my findings. Research tasks are often time consuming but rewarding. Your findings often add value to a file and may potentially dictate the legal advice that we give.

3.30 PM

I spend the remainder of the afternoon reviewing medical documents that we have received from various treating practitioners and make notes of anything that may be of relevance to our case. This is an interesting exercise as it requires you to apply your legal knowledge and work out what evidence we can rely on to strengthen our case. The temptation of another shot of caffeine or that something sweet always kicks in around this time of the afternoon…

5.45 PM

I finalise my time recording, check my emails one last time and re-visit my to-do list. As a lawyer, organisation is key to a productive day, so I make a point to allocate around 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to review my outstanding tasks, organise those tasks in order of priority and create myself a to-do list for the following day.

7.00 PM

I get home where I eat dinner, spend some quality time with my family and unwind. And I never say no to dessert.

9.30 PM

Bedtime. Time to get some much-needed sleep and recharge for another jam-packed day ahead!