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⚖️ Law Week is celebrated around the country from 17 – 23 May and is an important time to learn about the people who work to resolve legal queries, learn how & when the law can affect your life and stimulate discussion to help find answers to your legal questions. To celebrate Law Week 2021, the Central Australian Women’s Legal Service will be featuring some of our incredible staff and facts about women and the law you may not know…
🙋 Meet… Maddison Godwin, CAWLS Lawyer 👋
🤔 Tell us about your legal journey?
🗣️ “It was Year 10 when I decided that I wanted to study law and work for the United Nations. I thought that was the best way to help those who needed it (and maybe score some cool travel on the side). Plus, I enjoyed reading and there was a lot of reading involved. However, while at ANU I spent some time in Geneva at the UN and realised it was not for me, but I did really enjoy my time working at Legal Aid ACT. I enjoyed the more “person on person” approach, instead of working at the top level.
At ANU, I fell in love with the way legal language can be read and interpreted, and the way that can change, but also what it means to each person. I also learnt to think differently – to analyse each problem and solve it in completely different and unique ways. I graduated from ANU and obtained some amazing experience working in corporate and commercial law and international trade law where I was able to harness and develop my legal skills further, but I missed being able to help people with their everyday problems.
A lot of people will only interact with the law a few times in their life, for example when they’re buying a house, writing or acting as executor for a will, a speeding fine, or divorce, so it can be a really daunting experience. Sometimes, so much so that people can lose their voice in the process. For me, being there to guide and help people through these tough and often scary times, and give them their voice back, is a privilege and it motivates me to continuously improve my work.” ✊
