What inspired you to choose law?
I suppose like many Leaving Cert students, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to do after school! I was considering a few different options ranging from teaching to social work. In the end I decided to try and go with my strengths. Some of my best subjects in school were English, History and Business, plus I was a keen debater, so law seemed like a good fit for my interests.
Starting in university, I had no idea if I would enjoy studying law but after the first few lectures, I knew I had made the right choice.
Where did you study and why?
I studied law in Maynooth University. Being from Kildare, Maynooth was easily commutable, and the degree offered a lot of flexibility which was a big draw. I initially started by studying a BCL Law and Business degree but ended up loving law so much that I switched to studying a pure Law LLB degree in my second year.
A nice element of studying in Maynooth was that I got to take part in a year-long placement as part of my third year. I did my placement in the Debt Recovery department of MHC and it was a really interesting experience. It was great to work in a busy litigation department, gaining insight into the work of a big firm and in particular I got to experience the law in practice, which was a fantastic learning opportunity. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Maynooth, made great friends and discovered my passion for law.
What department are you working with in MHC?
I’m currently working with Health and Prosecutions which is a very busy litigation department. I’ve been involved in a variety of work ranging from drafting to research and its an extremely interesting area of law to see in practice.
What pastimes do you enjoy?
While my sporting career never reached any dizzying heights (Naas C Team GAA…) I still enjoy the odd kick-about with friends. I love reading and writing too; I am currently reading Strumpet City by James Plunkett which is a real classic of 20th century Irish literature. Like everyone, over the course of lockdown I got into long walks and it was nice to get re-acquainted with the lovely countryside all around where I live.
What's your favourite place you've ever visited?
As a favourite I think I would have to say Rome because its…well, Rome but I have been to a few really nice places. One place I really liked was Ljubljana in Slovenia. I ended up there visiting one of my friends who was on Erasmus, and I had no idea what it would be like but I was really pleasantly surprised. It’s a lovely, compact city with some great architecture and the entirety of the city centre is pedestrianised which makes it perfect to walk around. You can also easily get to Lake Bled which is gorgeous. Only thing I’d recommend is visiting in Spring/Summer – I went in December, and it was -5°C!
What was your first job?
My first job was in a Spar in a service station near the N7. While my role was mostly behind the tills, I also was required to do a variety of (often grim) tasks – the forecourt petrol fumes haunt me to this day…
First impressions of MHC?
One of the things I’ve noticed most about MHC is that it’s such a friendly firm and people are always open and helpful. This also makes it easy to ask questions or look for advice which is great when you’re starting out. Another thing I was struck by is how organised and busy our intern schedule was. Whether its training, talks, departmental work or the group project, we are always kept busy. Obviously, it’s a challenge running an internship programme remotely, so it’s been great to have so many different things to do.
Applying to the MHC internship was one of the most straightforward processes I have done so far, all that was needed was your CV, cover letter and a couple of basic details. It’s a much better application process than other places that can take hours of your life answering all sorts of bizarre questions. The interview was friendly and conversational, which made it so much easier to talk about my CV and to get a sense of the firm.
If you weren't a law student, what would you be?
Probably a secondary school teacher – although at this stage I honestly can’t imagine not studying law!
