Local lawyer sets her mind abroad
A local lawyer will set off to join a global law firm at their London offices.
She will pack her bags and be ready to go.
But first, she is throwing a going-away party before leaving for London at the end of September.
“I will be working for one of the top law firms in the world. This is such an amazing opportunity.”
Nikita Culhane, born and bred in Krugersdorp, will pursue her new job in London England as an associate lawyer at Clifford Chance, a global law firm with 36 offices in 26 countries across the world.
The 26-year-old Pretoria University LLB graduate and Krugersdorp High School alumnus’ father is also a lawyer. She saw what her father was doing and wanted to do the same.
“Law has always been what I wanted to do when I grew up. So I set my mind to it and now I’m working at a great firm in Gauteng.”
But Nikita had to get her things in order very quickly as Clifford Chance made her an immediate offer after two Skype interviews to work at their corporate commercial department.
“I will not appear in courts, I will work with clients who have a common goal.”
Nikita loves law, because as it can break down, it can also build relationships.
Monica Culhane, Nikita’s proud mother, told the News that whatever Nikita set her mind to she would achieve.
“She was among the top three students of her year at university.”
For this young lawyer, life is full of opportunities. And as a South African, Nikita feels that you should never undermine your ability to ‘make it’ outside of South Africa.
“You have as much right to be at a top company as a Harvard graduate. I will be working with the best legal minds in the world,” Nikita says.
Did you know?
The terms lawyer, attorney and advocate are sometimes misunderstood.
• A lawyer is an umbrella term for legal representatives.
• An attorney is someone who completed their two year articles and has been admitted to the Law Society of South Africa.
• An advocate is an attorney who completed a one year pupillage under another qualified advocate.
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