Two minutes with...Sarah Byrne

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staff profile

TWO MINUTES WITH...

Each edition, we profile a staff member who is an integral part of the Proximity story. Today we meet, Principal Advisor, Sarah Byrne.

Tell us how you came to join the Proximity team?

I had good experiences with Proximity as a client, and had a high opinion of the lawyers there when looking to backfill in my Branch. When I left the APS to go to the Bar, I had a few months between passing the Bar exam and starting the practice course in Sydney, so Sean (King) asked if I’d be interested in a few months’ secondment. I found all the flexibility, autonomy and variety I’d been looking for - and loved it so much I stayed.

What is the best advice you’ve ever been given?

‘The thing that makes you awesome is the thing that makes you suck.’ That is to say, it’s important to realise that sometimes the characteristics that make a person shine come from the same place as the characteristics that annoy you.

What is your proudest moment (in a professional context)?

I’m fortunate to have a few to choose from - I’ve been around for a long time. I am proud to have been the first General Counsel for a central agency, when I was appointed to build the Finance legal branch from scratch. I am proud of an advice I wrote for the Registrar of Plant Breeders’ Rights that was cited and followed by several international courts. I’m proud of the ACT Sexual Assault Reform Program, a long and difficult project involving multiple stakeholders, that has genuinely improved the experiences of survivors of sexual assault. And I was very proud of passing the hideous Bar exam!

What is the best thing about working in the national capital?

Non-Canberrans don’t get how much is going on here because they expect everything to be centred in the CBD. I love how much theatre we have here,

and how good it is. Some weeks there is so much going on I literally cannot get to all of it. 2018 was a slow year - I only saw 88 shows - most years I average well over 100. (And, of course, Canberra is where I met my husband, another massive theatre wonk.)

What advice do you give to someone starting out in a career?

You don’t get participation awards in real life - you will be expected to do more than just show up - you need to make a contribution. And find a job where the culture matches your values - it will save you a lot of misery.

If you had your time again what would you have done differently?

My main career missteps have been where I found myself in an ethical dilemma and did the right thing. I would not change any of those decisions, but

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engagement

I might have been more tactful about them. The standards that you walk past are the standards you accept, but I could have been more diplomatic, on occasion, without necessarily walking past poor behaviour.

What keeps you awake at night?

I hate not knowing things. While I’m drifting off I will suddenly realise I can’t name all of the moons of Jupiter, or remember the order of Agatha Christie’s novels, and I have to turn the light on and look them up, because someone might ask me that tomorrow, and how embarrassing would it be if I didn’t know?

With an eye to the future, what does success look like for you?

Success is to love my work, be respected for the quality of my work, and to have the time and resources to look after myself and to do the other things I love.

Away from work, what is your passion?

I have many extra-curricular passions, but the first two are theatre and crime fiction. Every year I make what I call the ‘Bouchercon and Broadway Tour’ - or the Mysteries and Musicals tour - where I attend Bouchercon (the World Mystery Convention), usually in the US, and then spend a week in New York visiting friends and seeing shows. I’ve just stepped down as a judge of the Canberra Area Theatre Awards, but I’m still on the panel of judges for the Australian Crime Writers Association (“Ned Kelly”) Awards for crime fiction (it rotates), and I often speak at writers festivals and conventions. I used to sing jazz professionally, too, and still love jazz, but now I am mainly in the audience when my husband lets loose on any of bass, tuba, sousaphone or assorted percussion.

HOW TO ACCESS PROXIMITY

Proximity has entered into parcel arrangements with many key Australian Government clients. If your agency doesn’t have a purchasing agreement with us, here are the best options for engaging Proximity.

PROXIMITY IS AN APPROVED SUPPLIER ON THE FOLLOWING PARCELS:

Department of Industry, Innovation and Science General Legal Advisings Parcel

Department of Industry, Innovation and Science Secondment ParcelDepartment of Human Services Secondment Parcel

Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Corporate, Commercial Law and Dispute Resolution Parcel

Department of Home Affairs Secondment Parcel

In addition to the legal parcels listed above, Proximity is a regular supplier on a number of government panels, supplying a range of commercial and governance services.

Proximity is an approved supplier on the following panels:ABS – Privacy Services PanelACT Government – Light Rail Stage 2 Advisory Services PanelAirservices Australia – Procurement and Resources PanelDepartment of Defence – Defence Support Services PanelDepartment of Defence – Negotiation Services PanelDepartment of Home Affairs – Consultancy and Business Services PanelDepartment of Human Services – ICT Contractor Services PanelAustralian Federal Police – Capability Support Services Panel

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