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In this week’s episode of the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life Podcast’ I had the pleasure of interviewing lawyer Kiará Tarrant and this was a lawyer (and a career!) that I loved learning all about!  Kiará began life in beautiful Ireland and her life and her career have taken her from Ireland to London to Holland to New York to South Africa, back to London, back to Ireland and now all the way to Australia! (I may have missed a few stops in there but I think you get the picture!)

Kiara is currently working as a Lead Legal Counsel here in Brisbane for the Virgin Australia Group.  I suspect her daily life as a lawyer and mine are very, very different but I came to learn that when it comes to happiness, joy and generally enjoying all that we have, Kiará and I have much in common.  An early career in prominent international law firms coupled with meeting her now husband who hails from South Africa, saw Kiará travelling the world but fast forward a few years and Kiará and Craig have found a home for their family here in sunny Brisbane.  We chatted law of course, studying and working abroad as well as Kiará’s reflections having worked in private practice, in house, in research and government along the way as well.

Kiará shared what brought her to law but importantly identified the reasons she has stayed.   For her, it is the ability to do something meaningful and through her work, in many different areas in law, she has seen the difference law can make to individuals, societies and of course now in business.  We spoke a lot about the importance of unlocking and understanding your bigger purpose and how we all need to allow space for self reflection- the opportunity to remind yourself if the path you are on is still the right one for you.

In this interview, Kiará Tarrant and I also chatted about-

• If Kiará was not a lawyer she would have been a photographer.
• Kiará is originally from Ireland – right near the film set for the Game of Thrones (which neither of us watch so that didn’t go far!!)
• Kiará started her legal studies in London at UCL, and then bounced between living in London, South Africa, Netherlands, and even some time in New York!
• Kiará has been in Australia for 9 years now and loves living in Brisbane.
• The importance of family to Kiará, both by heart and by blood.
• The reason that Kiará wanted to study law after being told she shouldn’t.
• Kiará’s experience early in her career working in policy and with Amnesty International in South Africa.
• Becoming an in-house lawyer for lawyers and the difference between in house work and private practice.
  
• Kiará has found time gives perspective and the different roles in her career that influenced her direction.
• The importance of flexibility in your planning and mindset.
• Kiará currently works at Virgin Australia as the lead legal counsel and her experience now in working within a business vs within a firm.
• Modern business is more than just the business itself, it is the people who work there.
• Kiará has seen a trend change in the business world – clients now want more information about the values and the big picture goals of a business.
• The importance of values in business, big or small and making commercial decisions with the values in mind.
• An average day in the law life of Kiará.
• Kiará’s interesting aspects of working in-house, including no time sheets!
• Kiará has worked in vastly different size firms and her perspective on the differences.
• When Kiará is not a lawyer she is working on her hobby farm and running triathlons!
• Kiará’s perspective on joy and happiness in the legal profession.
• Kiará’s Happiness Tip.

Sit back and enjoy this interview with Kiará Tarrant.

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Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa Rayward at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre-  A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.   

Listen to last week’s episode here