A law degree combined with passion provides endless opportunities

Ella quickly steered her career towards her "passion for making the world a better place", starting out as a lawyer in a top tier commercial firm where she became active in the pro bono space. Today, Ella is a Pro Bono Senior Associate at Makinson d'Apice Lawyers, and she was recently seconded to Justice Connect helping coordinate the pro bono response to the bushfires and COVID-19.

Ella's career highlights reflect her dedication and include working in a refugee camp in Greece, winning the Lawyers Weekly 30 under 30 award for pro bono in 2019, and being a Rising Star finalist in the 2019 Australian Law Awards.

Ella has shaped her career around her passion and commitment to helping people who are experiencing disadvantage, and she recognises that the networks and friendships established during her time studying law have helped her move forward in her career.

"It was wonderful to study alongside and make lifelong friendships with people who share my passion for making the world a better place."

"The networks I made during my time at Sydney Law School have been incredibly valuable. As a pro bono coordinator I need to have strong relationships with the social justice and community legal sectors. This is largely where pro bono work comes from. Many of my contacts in these sectors are people that I met during law school."

Ella's advice to new students or recent law graduates:

"You’re in an incredibly privileged position to be (or to have been) a student at Sydney Law School. With privilege comes responsibility. Wherever you end up, I would encourage you to seek out pro bono opportunities. Something that is relatively simple for you can make the world of difference to someone in need."

Ella's combined degrees and passion have paved the way towards a fulfilling career and achieving her lifelong goal to help "people experiencing disadvantage in some shape or form."