Warning: You will not be the slightest bit wiser about any point of law (or lawyering generally) at the conclusion of this blog post. In fact, your idea of what a lawyer actually does will perhaps be even less clear. You see, this is somewhat of an explanatory post. A blanket response to two questions I’ve been repeatedly asked lately:

  1. Where the hell are you?
  2. What’s so great about working at Rankin that you guys won a Law Institute of Victoria Wellbeing Award?

Answers:

  1. I’m working remotely from Verona, Italy at the moment.
  2. See response to question 1 above.

You see some months back, my partner and I decided to tear our kids away from their school, friends and family for a short stint in Italy. The idea was to enjoy a European summer, give our kids a bit of life and travel experience and make the most of our European passports. My partner had just finished some further study and a combination of career opportunities and timing aligned. Our kids are also young enough not to resist too much so it was a bit of a now or never moment. The only seemingly apparent impediment was the fact that lawyers don’t just take off to sip prosecco in the Venetian sun. We are not travel bloggers, fiction writers or digital nomads who work from anywhere. We’re soulless crusty bookworms who get their jolleys from reading dry judgments about the interpretation of bland legislation whilst sitting in a depressing 2×4 metre office cubicle on the 27th floor, aren’t we?

Luckily the firm showed an unwavering commitment to supporting me in ticking this off my bucket list and allowed me to continue to work while away. So with the aid of some great technology (as well as some late nights and early starts) I’m continuing to work and I don’t need to put my career on hold for the sake of this incredible experience. The result: Thus far, clients are happy, work progresses and the world has (surprisingly) not imploded.

Ok sure, you may say, I understand why your wellbeing is up- you’re sunning it up in fair Verona while we’re all here freezing through an interminable winter- but what about the wellbeing of the other employees at Rankin?

Whilst I can only speak from my own experience with the firm, I expect that the flexibility of working in the way which best suits them is integral to the team’s wellbeing also. However, I suspect their present state of wellbeing has more to do with my answers to questions 1 and 2 above.

Joseph Carneli, Senior Associate