Lawyer Krista Mahoney of Thynne & Macartney has been named the 2012 University of Queensland Law Mentor of the Year.
The Honorable Justice Patrick Keane of the High Court of Australia presented the prestigious award to Ms Mahoney at the Law School Awards Ceremony on May 15.
Ms Mahoney graduated from UQ in 2009 and was nominated for the award by first year Bachelors of Science / Laws student Jocelyn Bosse.
Ms Bosse said the nomination was a way to thank Ms Mahoney for taking time out from her busy schedule to mentor her since last April.
“We’ve met every few months throughout the past year for lunch, and it has been fantastic to talk to her about her experiences,” Ms Bosse said.
“Her honesty gave me a better sense of what to expect in the future, and made me more excited about the career that awaits when I graduate.
In addition, Ms Bosse said Ms Mahoney’s help was invaluable in planning an exchange to the University of Birmingham, UK next year.
“Without her advice, I would not have been prepared to deal with some difficulties that can arise from planning an exchange,” said Ms Bosse.
“For all her efforts, Krista is definitely deserving of the Mentor of the Year Award.”
Ms Mahoney said that providing insight to future members of the legal profession was a task she looked forward to during her working week.
“When I was a student, I did not spend much time thinking about life beyond university; however, on graduating I quickly became aware of the wide range of options available as well as the day-to-day rewards and challenges of being a lawyer,” Ms Mahoney said.
“I became a mentor because sharing my experiences with law students can assist them in finding their own options and pathways.”
UQ’s Law Mentor of the Year award recognises the valuable contribution to the Law School by its alumni and legal professionals who volunteer their time as part of the UQ Law Mentor Program.
The program assists Bachelor of Laws students to cope with the challenges of law study and to negotiate the difficult transition from law school to the legal workplace by providing mentoring and career guidance.
Since its launch in 2007, hundreds of students have benefitted from mentoring provided by more than 100 local, interstate and international solicitors, barristers, judges, associates, registrars and academics.
Media: Melissa Reynolds, School of Law Marketing, (07 3365 2523, m.reynolds@law.uq.edu.au).
