Crown Law welcomes three new graduates in 2024

Crown Law welcomed three new law graduates to our practice through our 2024 graduate program.

Lauren McHugh, Jessie Goldsworthy and Stephanie Mccann-Hoey (pictured left to right) will rotate through Crown Law’s four legal branches where they will develop the technical knowledge and interpersonal skills required to be a successful lawyer.

Meet our new graduates

Lauren McHugh

After graduating from the from the University of Queensland with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) last year, Lauren joined Crown Law as a graduate.

Prior to Crown Law, Lauren worked in a regional legal practice in the areas of wills and estates, criminal law, commercial law, and dispute resolution. She also undertook pro bono work for the Supreme Court of Papua New Guinea, Queensland Advocacy Incorporated and the Refugee and Immigration Legal Service.

Lauren is currently undertaking her first rotation in the WorkCover Team.

‘An interest in public law and the diverse exposure offered through Crown Law’s graduate program prompted my move to the public sector’.

‘I have had the opportunity to dive into several complex and interesting matters so far and am enjoying the hands-on nature of the work’, Lauren said.

In rare moments of free time, Lauren enjoys hiking, foraging, and studying languages.

Jessie Goldsworthy

Jessie graduated from the University of Queensland in 2020 with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours).

‘I didn’t have a clear reason for choosing law initially – I just sort of drifted into it and was lucky enough to find it interesting’, Jessie said.

After graduating, she worked as a case manager in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) registry and later as an Associate at QCAT. This experience cemented her interest in administrative law and the importance of finding practical solutions to legal problems.

‘I applied for Crown Law’s graduate program because, while working at QCAT, I saw some of the matters that Crown Law was involved in and it seemed like there was a lot of variety’.

‘My current rotation is in the Administrative Law Team, which definitely has the variety I was hoping for. It’s been great being exposed to both advice work and litigation work, arising from administrative decisions made under a wide range of legislation’.

‘Outside of full-time work and full-time Practical Legal Training, I play weekly social soccer and go camping with friends or have games nights every so often. I’m also a big fan of collecting more books than it’s possible to read’.

Stephanie Mccann-Hoey

Stephanie’s journey to law has been through a lifelong dream to be a lawyer, with a small detour to study performance theory to explore her passion for theatre and writing. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of New South Wales and a Bachelor of Arts (Performance Studies and and Socio-Legal Studies) from the University of Sydney. She was admitted as a solicitor in the Supreme Court of New South Wales in April 2023 and has since been admitted in the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia.

Prior to joining Crown Law, Stephanie’s experience was primarily in judicial administration, native title, and constitutional law, having been a Senior Legal Case Manager (Native Title) at the Federal Court of Australia between 2018 and 2022 and an Associate at the High Court of Australia in 2023. Stephanie also has experience in the criminal and refugee law sectors having worked in not-for-profit organisations with those focuses.

‘I am excited to be a part of the Crown Law graduate program to develop my skills as a young lawyer and experience practice areas from a State perspective. I am undertaking my first rotation with the Constitutional Law Team and am thoroughly enjoying the breadth of work and am greatly appreciative of the guidance and support of my colleagues’, Stephanie said.

Outside of work, Stephanie enjoys watching AFL, going to ballet class, reading and exploring the hiking trails around Brisbane.

About our graduate program

Crown Law’s graduate program has been comprehensively designed to provide graduates with the necessary competencies that are required to work as a lawyer in the public sector. The key focus of the program is to offer on-the-job training including both technical and non-technical skills.

Law graduates at Crown Law can expect to experience the following:

• access to a wide variety of legal work
• the opportunity to work directly with clients to develop skills on unique and real legal challenges affecting the Public Sector and the State of Queensland
• learning and development activities, attendance at our monthly Continuing Legal Education sessions and the departmental mentoring program.

Graduate vacancies are advertised on the SmartJobs website and through universities in September/October.