A quick chat with...
Jodie Flowerday, Senior Policy & Compliance Advisor, University of Canterbury - Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha & ILANZ Committee member
How long have you been on the ILANZ Committee for? A recent addition, since the May AGM.
What do you hope to achieve as a ILANZ Committee member in the year ahead? Create new ways to support in house lawyers, or new professional development opportunities.
What do you do? I work in the state sector, within a tertiary education institution working in the area of legislative and regulatory compliance. Most of what I do day to day is assist in drafting compliance documents that reflect and communicate relevant requirements and obligations.
What do you like most about your job? The scope of my role, it covers all areas of business operations, so I learn about different functions and areas of my organisation’s business as I do my work. It’s never the same thing day to day.
What is a career highlight so far? Presenting at a sector conference in Australia last year on how to effectively communicate legislative and regulatory obligations using policy documents.
What are some challenges or issues that you think in-house lawyers are facing today? I think in-house lawyers increasingly need to be business minded as businesses in general need to be innovative and can swiftly change direction. Working in-house can also be quite isolating, especially when you don’t have your own team, so expanding your influence and finding opportunities to innovate in order to show your value to the organisation can be difficult.
What are some fallacies that you have heard about in-house lawyers? That you have to work in private practice for any length of time before you can go in-house. I always thought that working in-house was only something that experienced lawyers could so. While many in-house lawyers can be and are experienced lawyers from private practice, this isn’t the only pathway into working in-house.
What are your hobbies? Going to art exhibitions, baking sourdough bread, travelling to interesting places.
Anything else you would like to add? It’s a real privilege to be a part of the ILANZ committee and I am really looking forward to seeing what contributions I can make to the in-house community on their behalf.