Emma Russell continues her series charting the stories of former Whanganui students who have gone on to success in the big, wide world
When Megan Christie started out as a young lawyer in Whanganui, law firms were dominated by “old-school blokes”.
And now Whanganui is thriving with fresh young lawyer talent.
Last month the former Whanganui Girls’ College student made a jump in her career becoming Dewhirst Law’s new senior associate.
She left secondary school to work as an administrator at another law firm in town.
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Miss Christie said it was there that she decided she wanted to aim high and pursue law.
She studied a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Victoria in Wellington and later scored a graduate position at another law firm in Whanganui.
“I was open to being swayed by the big law firms in Wellington but to be honest Whanganui’s slow paced living really appealed.”
Now, the 31-year-old said the River City is booming with young talent.
“Not just Whanganui returnees but, because of the job shortages in the industry, newbies are migrating here as well which is cool.”
In August 2015, Miss Christie started working for Dewhirst Law when it was first established and nearly two years later she has been promoted.
Her boss, Michael Dewhirst, described Miss Christie as a “quality nut” who has worked extremely hard to get to where she is.
“She is diligent and works at a high level to get good results. Her super powers are problem solving, finding the flaws in arguments.
“There is a new age of law emerging and Whanganui is becoming a lawyered-up town. There is an opportunity for those 30-something year olds to take over law firms which is exciting,” Mr Dewhirst said.
Dewhirst Law has four lawyers and one administrator and specialises in property and business.
The promotion for Miss Christie means she will become a key anchor in the firm’s decision making as well as taking on a seniority position.
Miss Christie said it felt really good to be recognised for her hard work.
“I chose law because I wanted to help people manage their life and it is really special to be doing that in the town you grew up in.”