With more than 20 years of local legal expertise, Jayne Law remains a proud resident and advocate of Shepparton — her home and birthplace.
In 2005, at 25, she became one of the most senior lawyers at one of the region’s oldest law firms.
Since then, she has built an extensive list of clients while mentoring many lawyers and being a role model to those aspiring to enter the field.
With deep roots in the Goulburn Valley, her journey began some years earlier.
Like her parents, she was born and raised in Shepparton and has lived in the city almost all her life, leaving only to obtain her legal qualifications.
“I went to Monash Uni in Melbourne for five years, and that’s the only time I’ve lived away,” she said.
Ms Law attended Bourchier St Primary School and then Notre Dame College, during which time she got a part-time job at a local law firm, Camerons Lawyers.
“I started working (at Camerons) in an administrative role when I was 15,” she said.
Once she graduated from the college and relocated to Melbourne for university, she would often return to Shepparton and work at the firm during this time.
“I was coming back and forth to work at Camerons during that time,” she said.
After completing her studies in 2001, Ms Law returned to the region and began working at Camerons as a lawyer, and in 2005 she became one of the firm’s partners.
“In 2007, we changed from a partnership to a company, so I became a director,” she said.
Her passion for the law stems from her youth.
“It sounds frivolous, but it probably did come from the TV shows like Law and Order and things back in the day,” she said.
Like many professionals in her industry, her drive and lust for her job come from the relationships she has built with her colleagues and clients.
“I have some clients that I’ve been acting for for more than 20 years,” she said.
“It’s the most rewarding part (of my job).”
While many people struggle with several obstacles in the early stages of their careers, Ms Law said she felt “fortunate” to have worked in a positive environment and had reassuring mentors.
“The partners that I worked with at the time were really supportive (and) really helpful,” she said.
“They were very generous with their time in terms of my legal training and introducing me to clients, but also to other professional people.”
With a career spanning more than two decades, Ms Law’s advice for young lawyers is that they need to “reach for the stars” and learn from others to work their way up.
“You need to be prepared to start at the bottom, and you need to be prepared to learn from people that might not be senior to you,” she said.
“Something that I always say to junior lawyers that have worked in the office is, you know, you’re not senior to an administrative person.
“We all work in this office together.
“This administrative person might be able to teach you more than I as a senior lawyer can teach you.”
At times, Ms Law sees graduates who “will come into the office with a law degree, and they’ll be pretty confident”.
“Sometimes they won’t recognise that there’s an admin person that’s worked in the office for 30 years that has some real value in terms of what that new lawyer can learn,” she said.
Ms Law highlighted that it was about teamwork and learning from everybody.
“It’s not about putting yourself above other people,” she said.
Having built a successful career, Ms Law is looking to spend more time with her family.
Ms Law is married to Shepparton local Tim Sessions.
Together they have two children: Logan, 11, and Hudson, 8.
“We’ve got a really good little family unit,” she said.
Hudson attends Grahamvale Primary School and Logan is a student at Goulburn Valley Grammar School; both are passionate sport lovers.
“They love their soccer and their badminton,” Ms Law said.
“There’s a lot of running around after them.”
Ms Law also has two stepchildren in their early 20s who work at their father’s business, Sessions Builders.
“I work really hard and spend a lot of time at the office,” she said.
“I’d really like to focus on spending some more time with the kids and getting involved in their schools and their sports.
“It’s something that I haven’t been able to do before.”
While Ms Law hopes to spend more time with her family, she will continue to support her clients.
“I’m not saying that I’ll be working less, just have a bit of ‘me time’ and a bit of time for my kids outside of business hours,” she said.
Besides her family and job, Ms Law has great pride and love for the region.
“I think, in general terms, we’re very lucky here in Shepparton,” she said.
“We’ve got a really good community, with a lot of professional people.
“(Residents) don’t always have to go to Melbourne, whether it’s for legal or medical advice.
“Shepparton gets a bad rap in the media at times, but I don’t see a lot of that.
“I see the positive Shepparton, and I really like being here and don’t have any intention of moving on from here.”