Episode 201 – Equal partners in the common venture of life with Bridget Cullen

The Happy Lawyer Happy Life Podcast

In this week’s episode of the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life Podcast’ I had the pleasure of interviewing one wonderful lawyer, Bridget Cullen. I fell upon Bridget last year when she was awarded the Leneen Forde AC WLAQ Woman Lawyer of the Year Award and delivered a speech that was quite something! I heard that speech and knew I needed to get Bridget on this show and a year later here we are!

Bridget has had a really interesting career in law- from private practice to the Bar, to Academia and now as a Member of the AAT. Life has not been smooth sailing for Bridget and it is her outlook and her suggestions around perspective and relationships that I really enjoyed in this interview. I knew last year when I first heard Bridget speak that she was one great woman and this interview just confirmed it for me!

In this interview, Bridget and I also chatted about-

• Bridget has always wanted to be a lawyer and loves the law.
• Bridget grew up in Minnesota USA, and shares how romance led her to migrating to Australia.
• She always had a desire to have a professional career and made the choice to follow law during her College education in the US.
• Comparing life as a lawyer in Australia vs the US.
• Bridget needed to start over in her legal career and completed an associate clerkship in Australia.
• In December 1998, Bridget started a position at Griffith University in Brisbane, and finally became a permanent resident.
• The process of migrating to Australia in the late 1990s.
• The impact and the differences between the health care system (among other things) in Australia.
• Bridget has always been at Griffith University in either a study or teaching capacity since arriving in Australia and the joy these roles bring her.
• Bridget’s husband Andrew, is also a lawyer and the advantage of him ‘understanding the language’.
• Andrew and Bridget’s relationship dynamic as they raise a blended family together.
• Family life in the Cullen household which consists of 8 children.
• The impact of Bridget’s son’s disability and how her other children help in the day-to-day.
• 2019 Leneen Forde AC WLAQ Woman Lawyer of the Year.
• A day in the life of an Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the migration aspect to her role.
• Happiness in the law and Bridget’s keys to finding contentment in the law.
• Hardship builds resilience and perspective.
• In those small moments of solitude Bridget loves to Bake.
• Bridget’s Happiness Tip.

Sit back and enjoy this interview with Bridget Cullen.

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Learn more here about upcoming events and courses and connect with Clarissa Rayward at the ‘Happy Lawyer Happy Life’ knowledge centre- A community for lawyers who want to make the best out of their life in and outside of the law.

Listen to last week’s episode here

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