When Warrnambool's Jess Mulcahy attended a moot court at Sovereign Hill in primary school, she knew law was a career path she would enjoy.
Now, more than a decade later, the Lake Bolac-born mother-of-three has been admitted as a lawyer.
Ms Mulcahy attended her admission ceremony last month at the Supreme Court's Banco courtroom.
The ceremonies are a 135-year-old tradition for new lawyers.
The feat comes after years of balancing full-time study at Deakin University's cloud campus and part-time work as a legal assistant at Warrnambool's Brown McComish Solicitors.
But Ms Mulcahy said her journey into law was in no way traditional.
After graduating from high school, she studied events management before starting an accounting degree.
"I started working as a bookkeeper, had a couple of young kids and what I thought was a stable career but I just didn't love it and I knew I had to do what I enjoy," she said.
"In grade five or six I went to a school camp at Sovereign Hill, there was a little moot court there about the Eureka rebellion and the murder of a miner and I remember thinking that was really cool."
Ms Mulcahy said she started a new job as a legal assistant at a Ballarat firm in about 2017 before relocating back to the south-west two years later.
"We used to come to Warrnambool for holidays growing up so I thought it would be a nice place for a fresh start," she said.
"I cold-called a couple of people and sent a few emails out to firms here and when Pat (McComish, founding partner of Brown McComish Solicitors) got in touch, everything just sort of aligned."
Ms Mulcahy, who now has three kids aged eight, six and 10 months, said she was passionate about family and criminal law.
"I've been through my own experiences with the family law system and I think between that and the criminal side of things, it would be quite rewarding knowing you're helping people."
Ms Mulcahy is also keen to continue Brown McComish's advanced working knowledge of personal injury litigation and legislation.
"The best thing about a regional firm is you're not pigeon-holed into one area," she said.
"You're able to have a go at a few things and figure out what you're good at, and what you enjoy."
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Jessica Howard
Email: jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
Email: jessica.howard@warrnamboolstandard.com.au
