Why I did a Jawun secondment to connect with the indigenous community

As an insurance lawyer, my day job requires me to engage with insurer clients, insureds and combative co-litigants. Unfortunately, this reality means there is little room to build a strong sense of social conscience. I would venture to say that I am not alone among my colleagues in admitting that, at times, I am overcome when I ask myself how I can contribute more to the community.

So when an email landed in my inbox seeking expressions of interest for a Jawun secondment, I didn't hesitate to apply.

This opportunity has seen me uprooted from my usual role in the insurance litigation team of Norton Rose Fulbright, Brisbane and parachuted into Tranby National Indigenous Adult Education & Training, an Indigenous community organisation situated in the Inner Sydney suburb of Glebe, for the past six weeks.