13 Jul 2020

Law is one of those careers that appeals to a whole bunch of people.

Whether you're a Suits fan who wants to chase the wild success and glory that comes with being at the top of your game, or you want to stand up for people who don't get a say in society, or you just like the feeling you get from helping others - chances are you've imagined what it'd be like to be a lawyer.

Meet Margaret Cunneen

Meet Margaret Cunneen SC, a pro within the industry who has done wonders in criminal law. We recently chatted with Margaret at the last Year13 Expo, where she answered a bunch of live questions sent in by you guys.

In the webinar, Margaret shared her story and detailed what life is really like when you work in the legal profession.

In the clip below (taken from the webinar), Margaret explains some of the pros and cons of working in prosecution versus defense in criminal law.

Margaret is one of Australia’s most influential and powerful women. One work experience student described spending the week with her as “pure gold”. For 28 years she worked as the Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor at the Crown Prosecutors’ Chambers, helping put away some of Australia’s most notorious criminals like Bilal Skaf and the "Butcher of Bega" Graeme Reeves.

During her career, she was appointed to the Attorney General’s Expert Panel to advise on the Commonwealth Integrity Commission and Commissioner to the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse. Now she’s on the other side of the Courtroom, taking on the role of criminal defence barrister. Her dominance in the legal profession inspired a generation of women to take up law and in 2019, Margaret was named the 40th most influential person in Sydney.

If you wanna view the whole webinar, you can check it out here.