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The Ungatekept Guide to Legal Careers: Part One
Part One: Starting Smart
The truth about modern legal careers in Australia – before you commit to the debt
Law schools sell you prestige. I'm giving you reality.
This is the guide I wish I'd had when I left home at 19 to study law 1,500km away, not knowing a single lawyer or how the profession actually worked.
After fifteen years inside the profession – from law firm junior to General Counsel at a global tech company – I know what law schools don't tell you. I know the gap between what's promised and what's delivered. I know what you're actually buying when you sign up for a law degree.
I know you deserve to understand all of it before the debt is locked in.
This guide is for you if:
You're thinking about studying law but don't have a lawyer in the family to ask the real questions
You're already in law school and starting to realise the marketing doesn't match reality
You're a recent graduate wondering if you made the right choice
You're carrying HECS debt and not sure the return on investment will ever make sense
You want to understand the business of legal education before you commit more time and money
You're the first in your family to study law and navigating this alone (like I did)
What you'll learn in Part One:
Chapter 1: Welcome
Why this guide exists and who it's for (spoiler: it's for the people the profession wasn't designed for)Chapter 2: The Modern Legal Landscape
How the profession is actually changing, what the numbers really mean and what matters for your generationChapter 3: Law on Screen vs Law in Real Life
How pop culture and social media shape expectations about legal careers (and why that matters more than you think)Chapter 4: The Making of an Australian Lawyer
The Priestley 11, PLT, admission and the business of legal education – what you're actually buying and what universities aren't incentivised to tell youChapter 5: Let's Talk Money
Realistic salary expectations, student debt math and financial wellbeing across different pathwaysChapter 6: The Big Picture
Seeing your law degree as a toolkit
What makes this different:
Most legal career advice falls into two camps: polished recruitment brochures that oversell or cynical hot takes that tear everything down.
This guide rejects both extremes.
Law can be intellectually rewarding, financially stable and professionally meaningful. It can also be gruelling, isolating and structured around outdated hierarchies that privilege a narrow demographic.
Both things can be true at the same time.
This guide gives you the information to navigate that reality on your own terms. It doesn't tell you what to do. It shows you what your options actually are and helps you make decisions based on what matters to you.
Why I wrote this now:
I've been working on a comprehensive book about legal careers for months. The kind of thing that would look impressive on a shelf and take another year to finish.
Then I had a shower thought: how many people who need this information RIGHT NOW would have already made decisions without it? So I set aside my ego about the fancy hardcover book and asked myself what would serve my community better.
The answer: break it up. Make it digestible. Ship it as a series of focused guides that people can access based on where they are in their journey.
This is Part One. The foundations. Everything you need to know before you commit or before you make your next big decision.
Parts Two through Six will follow over the coming months: covering pathways, skills, and the real talk about surviving and thriving in this profession.
What you get today:
📄 80+ page comprehensive PDF guide
Download immediately and read on any device
💡 Unfiltered truth
Written in plain language, not legal jargon
📊 Real numbers and realistic expectations
Salaries, debt, timelines and what law schools won't tell you upfront
🎯 Strategic guidance
How to navigate law school, PLT and admission if you're doing it without insider knowledge
🧭 The big picture perspective
Why a law degree isn't a life sentence and what you can actually do with it today
What this is NOT:
This guide won't tell you which firm to join. It won't guarantee you a clerkship or a graduate position. It won't make legal careers look easy or glamorous.
What it will do is give you the information and framework to make those decisions yourself with your eyes wide open.
Investment: $10
The price of two fancy coffees for information that could save you years of wrong turns and tens of thousands in debt you didn't need to take on.
I kept the price low on purpose. This information should be accessible to the people who need it most: students without networks, first-gen lawyers and people navigating this alone.
If you're already working and want to pay it forward, consider buying a copy for a law student in your life.
Coming in 2026:
Part Two: The Structured Path
Big law, mid-tier firms, the Bar, government work, small practicePart Three: The Purpose Path
Community legal centres, regional practice, academia, advocacyPart Four: The Autonomy Path
In-house roles, legal tech, consulting, international opportunitiesPart Five: Career Skills Toolkit
How recruitment actually works, interview prep, surviving your first year, networkingPart Six: Big Sis Real Talk
Mental health, burnout, failure, redefining success, when to pivot, fixing what's broken
(Here is the waitlist so you are notified when each one drops)
A note from Mel:
I’ve spent fifteen years inside this profession. I've seen brilliant people burn out, talented lawyers leave because they couldn't see a path forward and far too many students take on massive debt without understanding what they were buying.
This guide is my attempt to change that.
You deserve to make informed decisions. You deserve to know what you're getting into before the debt is locked in. You deserve clarity.
I can't guarantee you'll love law or that you'll have a perfect career. But I can give you the information that most people only figure out after it feels too late to change course.
That's got to be worth something.
Mel
💖
Disclaimer: This guide provides general career information and guidance. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Career decisions are deeply personal and depend on your unique circumstances, values, skills, financial situation and goals. The information in this guide is current as of January 2026 and reflects the Australian legal profession. Always seek specific advice relevant to your situation.
Part One: Starting Smart
The truth about modern legal careers in Australia – before you commit to the debt
Law schools sell you prestige. I'm giving you reality.
This is the guide I wish I'd had when I left home at 19 to study law 1,500km away, not knowing a single lawyer or how the profession actually worked.
After fifteen years inside the profession – from law firm junior to General Counsel at a global tech company – I know what law schools don't tell you. I know the gap between what's promised and what's delivered. I know what you're actually buying when you sign up for a law degree.
I know you deserve to understand all of it before the debt is locked in.
This guide is for you if:
You're thinking about studying law but don't have a lawyer in the family to ask the real questions
You're already in law school and starting to realise the marketing doesn't match reality
You're a recent graduate wondering if you made the right choice
You're carrying HECS debt and not sure the return on investment will ever make sense
You want to understand the business of legal education before you commit more time and money
You're the first in your family to study law and navigating this alone (like I did)
What you'll learn in Part One:
Chapter 1: Welcome
Why this guide exists and who it's for (spoiler: it's for the people the profession wasn't designed for)Chapter 2: The Modern Legal Landscape
How the profession is actually changing, what the numbers really mean and what matters for your generationChapter 3: Law on Screen vs Law in Real Life
How pop culture and social media shape expectations about legal careers (and why that matters more than you think)Chapter 4: The Making of an Australian Lawyer
The Priestley 11, PLT, admission and the business of legal education – what you're actually buying and what universities aren't incentivised to tell youChapter 5: Let's Talk Money
Realistic salary expectations, student debt math and financial wellbeing across different pathwaysChapter 6: The Big Picture
Seeing your law degree as a toolkit
What makes this different:
Most legal career advice falls into two camps: polished recruitment brochures that oversell or cynical hot takes that tear everything down.
This guide rejects both extremes.
Law can be intellectually rewarding, financially stable and professionally meaningful. It can also be gruelling, isolating and structured around outdated hierarchies that privilege a narrow demographic.
Both things can be true at the same time.
This guide gives you the information to navigate that reality on your own terms. It doesn't tell you what to do. It shows you what your options actually are and helps you make decisions based on what matters to you.
Why I wrote this now:
I've been working on a comprehensive book about legal careers for months. The kind of thing that would look impressive on a shelf and take another year to finish.
Then I had a shower thought: how many people who need this information RIGHT NOW would have already made decisions without it? So I set aside my ego about the fancy hardcover book and asked myself what would serve my community better.
The answer: break it up. Make it digestible. Ship it as a series of focused guides that people can access based on where they are in their journey.
This is Part One. The foundations. Everything you need to know before you commit or before you make your next big decision.
Parts Two through Six will follow over the coming months: covering pathways, skills, and the real talk about surviving and thriving in this profession.
What you get today:
📄 80+ page comprehensive PDF guide
Download immediately and read on any device
💡 Unfiltered truth
Written in plain language, not legal jargon
📊 Real numbers and realistic expectations
Salaries, debt, timelines and what law schools won't tell you upfront
🎯 Strategic guidance
How to navigate law school, PLT and admission if you're doing it without insider knowledge
🧭 The big picture perspective
Why a law degree isn't a life sentence and what you can actually do with it today
What this is NOT:
This guide won't tell you which firm to join. It won't guarantee you a clerkship or a graduate position. It won't make legal careers look easy or glamorous.
What it will do is give you the information and framework to make those decisions yourself with your eyes wide open.
Investment: $10
The price of two fancy coffees for information that could save you years of wrong turns and tens of thousands in debt you didn't need to take on.
I kept the price low on purpose. This information should be accessible to the people who need it most: students without networks, first-gen lawyers and people navigating this alone.
If you're already working and want to pay it forward, consider buying a copy for a law student in your life.
Coming in 2026:
Part Two: The Structured Path
Big law, mid-tier firms, the Bar, government work, small practicePart Three: The Purpose Path
Community legal centres, regional practice, academia, advocacyPart Four: The Autonomy Path
In-house roles, legal tech, consulting, international opportunitiesPart Five: Career Skills Toolkit
How recruitment actually works, interview prep, surviving your first year, networkingPart Six: Big Sis Real Talk
Mental health, burnout, failure, redefining success, when to pivot, fixing what's broken
(Here is the waitlist so you are notified when each one drops)
A note from Mel:
I’ve spent fifteen years inside this profession. I've seen brilliant people burn out, talented lawyers leave because they couldn't see a path forward and far too many students take on massive debt without understanding what they were buying.
This guide is my attempt to change that.
You deserve to make informed decisions. You deserve to know what you're getting into before the debt is locked in. You deserve clarity.
I can't guarantee you'll love law or that you'll have a perfect career. But I can give you the information that most people only figure out after it feels too late to change course.
That's got to be worth something.
Mel
💖
Disclaimer: This guide provides general career information and guidance. It is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as such. Career decisions are deeply personal and depend on your unique circumstances, values, skills, financial situation and goals. The information in this guide is current as of January 2026 and reflects the Australian legal profession. Always seek specific advice relevant to your situation.
