Mikayla has officially become a Solicitor!

We’re proud to celebrate an exciting milestone for another member of the Godfreys Law team. Mikayla has officially become a Solicitor!

Mikayla joined Godfreys Law as a Law Clerk in August 2024 while completing her Bachelor of Laws at the University of Canterbury. Following her admission as a Barrister and Solicitor of the High Court of New Zealand, Mikayla is now practising in our Employment and Commercial teams.

To mark the occasion, we sat down with Mikayla to talk about her unexpected path into law, her journey through university, Admission Day and what comes next.

Mikayla, what got you into studying law?

I chose law on a bit of a whim. I was originally enrolled to study engineering at UC after spending my final years of high school taking calculus and the sciences!

Growing up, I had always had an aptitude for English and writing and loved public speaking, but I think I deliberately moved away from those areas because I wanted to challenge myself.

When it came time to start university, I wasn’t feeling confident about going into engineering and decided to trust my gut and change direction. At the time, law somehow felt like the less scary option – which seems slightly ridiculous looking back!

I wish I could give my 18-year-old self the biggest high five for making that decision, because I am over the moon with where it has led me today.

Tell us about your law school journey.

Being Christchurch born and bred, I went straight to the University of Canterbury after finishing high school.

Throughout the first few years of my degree, I was flatting with friends around university and working nights in hospitality, which took up a lot of my time. I was then lucky enough to join Godfreys Law as a Law Clerk in my third year. Being able to start my legal career while I was still studying gave me invaluable experience and, thankfully, meant I could start enjoying my spare time a little more too!

I am still incredibly grateful for the opportunity.

What has surprised you so far about working in a law firm?

How nice and helpful everyone is, and just how people-focused the profession actually is.

At university, you understand on paper that legal work is based around a client’s instructions and what they are trying to achieve. Seeing that play out in practice is completely different. Being able to focus your problem-solving around achieving the outcome your client really wants is something I find incredibly rewarding.

I have also learned never to underestimate a lawyer’s memory or task management abilities. The amount of multitasking that goes on in a law firm is genuinely unreal!

What advice would you give to someone thinking about studying law?

To just go for it! I could not recommend an LLB enough.

It is an interesting, rewarding and incredibly expansive degree that can open the door to so many different career paths.

I would also say to make the most of everything university has to offer. Go to the events, meet people and put your hand up in tutorials. You really do get out what you put in.

What did Admission Day look like for you?

Admission Day was a frosty June morning. My younger sister, who studies in Dunedin, was well accustomed to the cold. My older sister, who had flown over from Brisbane for the ceremony, was considerably less impressed!

I really enjoyed the ceremony. It was lovely hearing everyone’s stories and signing the roll of barristers and solicitors was probably the coolest part of the whole experience.

Afterwards, we went out for brunch and spent the rest of the weekend celebrating.

Having my sisters there alongside my Mum, Nana and my partner was what made the milestone so special. I feel like I only made it to that point because of the support they have given me along the way.

What special people do you have to thank from over the years?

I could not have made it without my whānau and hoa.

They have always been there with steadfast encouragement – giving me reassurance when I needed a lift and giving me space when I needed to lock in and get things done.

The past five years have been some of the biggest of my life, with plenty of ups and downs along the way. I feel incredibly privileged to have made it to where I am today because of the family and friends I have around me.

So, Mikayla, where to from here?

For now, it is head down, tail up as I get stuck into practice – and I am absolutely loving the work I am doing in the Employment and Commercial teams.

Being able to put years of learning and training into practice and see real outcomes come from the work I contribute to is still surreal.

I am looking forward to continuing to deepen my knowledge of employment law while growing my experience across other areas of commercial practice. There is so much still to learn and so many positive outcomes for clients to contribute to, and I am incredibly excited for what is ahead.

Congratulations, Mikayla. We are proud to have been part of your journey from Law Clerk to Solicitor and cannot wait to see where your career takes you next.

Real People. Real Solutions.