29 / Aug / 2018 | Podcast
Episode 103 – Barrister and Mediator Rachael Hempling on why Gap Year(s) might be the key to happiness for us all!
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In this week’s episode of the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life Podcast’ I had the pleasure of interviewing my good friend, Barrister Rachael Hempling. This was such a fun conversation for me perhaps because Rachael and I share many common passions from performing arts to dance and of course a little bit of law on the side!
Rachael is a Barrister who has carved her career primarily working in prosecutions with the DPP but over the past 12 months she has decided to pivot away from litigation and instead towards mediation, dispute resolution and education- a decision largely driven by a desire to pursue the things in her career that make her happiest.
As the daughter of a police officer, it is perhaps no surprise that Rachael found her way into law but it was not her initial choice- she began her studies in performing arts. A change of path saw her heading off to law school and working with the DPP. A few ‘gap years’ turned into a few years of overseas practice and after another gap year or two (I have learned Rachael is the queen of the gap year!) Rachael found herself practicing back in Australia and taking the leap of faith to leave the DPP and find her way to the private bar.
As a mother to 3, Rachael shared with me the joys and challenges of mixing career with motherhood and shared some sage advice for us all along the way as well. Rachael is another example of a great lawyer who has found her path in law while enjoying lots of fun adventures along the way!
Rachael Hempling and I also spoke about:
- If Rachael was not a lawyer she would have been a performer!
- After waiting tables more than working as a performer Rachael decided perhaps law might be her calling!
- How Rachael’s performing arts training was not wasted in her career in law.
- Rachael’ early life in Tamworth.
- Her father was a police officer, and one day she attended court with him and fell in love with the court room dynamic.
- Rachael has had ‘a few’ gap years and encourages everyone to take a break to find out what you want in life.
- Rachael’s early career in the DPP.
- Another ‘gap year’ adventure had Rachael living and working in London as a criminal defence lawyer.
- What Rachael has loved about her career in criminal law and her experience in Australia vs England.
- After living in the UK for many years, Rachael and her husband Mark, wanted to start a family and decided to move back to Australia where they ended up on the beautiful Gold Coast (with another gap year in Malawi on the way…)
- The transition of going from ‘Law Land’ to the world of parenthood and Rachael’s decision to leave prosecutions for the private Bar.
- The transition from being a lawyer in a criminal court to being a Barrister in the area of family law.
- Rachael’s decision to leave the Court room behind and focus her practice on mediation and education and how she has made this transition.
- The choice to ‘say no’ to litigation work and the effect it has had on her family life.
- Rachael’s upcoming creative project of writing an online course for separating families and the joy she has found in writing the course.
- Supporting others around us who are starting something new and taking pride in encouraging them.
- Using our current skills in different ways to be creative.
- Being brave enough to take a step out of your comfort zone and take a risk on a dream.
- And of course Rachael’s Happiness Tip
Sit back and enjoy this interview with Rachael Hempling.
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