Legally trained, financially planted - The grass is greener where you choose to water it

When I joined Accensis in 2023, I was stressed. I kept wondering, ”How would I survive in a purely numbers environment?”

I was afraid of not performing according to typical audit/accounting standards.

However, after working at Accensis for almost two years, I’m sure that this career move was vital for my professional growth. When you tell people you’re a lawyer working in an audit/accounting firm, they look at you like you’ve accidentally walked into the wrong lecture hall. Some of my fellow legal professionals may even question if such a setting limits their growth, fearing that a firm focused on financial services might underutilize and overlook legal expertise.

However, this perspective underestimates the value and breadth of opportunities that exist at this crossroads.

I am currently employed as the Fiduciary Manager within the firm. In the traditional sense, this entails delving into the world of trusts, designing tailored estate plans, analysing shareholder rights, ensuring compliance with Company Law and, of course, sprinkling in a little legal fairy dust wherever needed.

My job isn’t boxed in. As I have come to realise, my role at the firm is dynamic.

I have been exposed to a variety of opportunities within the firm. I’ve honestly learnt more than I ever did studying for my LLB in a lecture hall with dodgy Wi-Fi.

Every day brings about a different application of my legal training, from commercial agreements and legislative compliance to labour relations and corporate consulting. I am constantly reminded that law as a profession does not consist only of litigation and court appearances, and that there is a vast amount of choice when it comes to utilisation of the LLB Degree.

I have learnt that in order to thrive, one must be able to recognise the unique soil that they stand on, and make an active choice to cultivate it.

In application to my own career journey, I quickly realised the opportunity to learn about various aspects of the law and applied those principles to situations that clients faced.

In this way, I sharpened my legal skill set while gaining a vast amount of insight from my colleagues and directors.

From the tax wizards to the audit ninjas, I’ve built a powerhouse network across departments. We collaborate, and we solve real business problems together. This is a value add for clients, who in normal circumstances would have to otherwise engage two different sectors to achieve a common goal. 

Accensis didn’t just give me a desk and a job title. They gave me space to grow. My experience at Accensis truly reflects the phrase “The Grass is Greener Where YOU Choose to Water it”.

I made an active choice to explore the opportunity as it arose. Once “on the ground”, I then chose to cultivate my growth under the support of the partners and colleagues who offer professional support in the most nurturing manner. The firm has allowed me to progressively develop my legal skill set, and continues to support my professional journey.

Pursuing a legal career in an accounting/audit environment might not have been the dream for every law graduate, but those who embrace it often discover that it offers fertile ground or personal and professional growth.

The grass isn’t greener somewhere else; it’s greener where you water it.

For the forward-thinking legal professional, an accounting firm can be the perfect place to cultivate a fulfilling, dynamic, and resilient career.

To any young professional—especially my fellow legal sisters—who feels unsure about exploring non-traditional spaces: do it. The grass isn’t greener on the other side. It’s greener where you water it, babe.

Learn more about alternative career paths for lawyers and law students. Discover a work-life balance

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