Helena Scholes

7.15 AM

A morning person I am not, so I have my alarm set at the latest possible time that still allows me to have breakfast, yarn with some of my flatmates and make myself presentable before I leave the house to head into work. If the weather is good, I’ll try and walk in through Hagley Park and listen to a podcast or two (I’m currently working through the back catalogue of You’re Wrong About and highly recommend it). If it’s far too cold for that, or I’m running late I’ll catch the bus in.

8.30 AM

I’ll usually arrive at the office between 8.00 am to 8.30 am, and take my lunch up to the kitchen before heading to my desk. I try to get any admin tasks out of the way first thing before moving onto other work. So, most mornings start with clearing any emails that have come in and reviewing what work I have to do and what the deadline is for completing it. Currently, I am drafting a shareholder agreement, preparing a research memo and doing due diligence among other things.

11.00 AM

Without fail, 11.00 am is time to head to the staff kitchen to pick up a stock of fruit for the week. Lane Neave has fresh fruit delivered fairly regularly, and there are quite a few of us on the email list for reception to notify us of its arrival.

1.00 PM

Most of the firm breaks for lunch around 1pm and if the weather is nice, I often will head out to have lunch by the river or go for a quick walk around the city to enjoy the fresh air. Otherwise, I’ll make my lunch upstairs in the fifth-floor kitchen. Every couple of weeks as part of continuing legal education, someone from the Corporate team will present a seminar and the team will be treated to a catered lunch. The most recent one was on shareholder agreements (handy!).

2.00 PM

I almost always take my full hour for lunch so I’m able to return to my tasks with a clear head. Now I find is a good time to move onto some internal work. Since the Lane Neave website publishes articles quite regularly and the Corporate team writes monthly newsletters, there is always demand for content reporting on relevant legal changes and developments. While this can sometimes feel like being back at university trying to get an assignment done, the topics are often interesting and an opportunity to learn a lot.

3.30 PM

After chipping away at articles for a while, I’ll move back to client matters to ensure I meet the daily budget and am prioritising my workload. As one of the matters on my to-do list recently, I have been working on a large application to a government department. Because today I am the only one in the Christchurch office of the group working on this matter, I have been tasked with heading out to collect some material in support of the application from merchants nearby.

6.30 PM

If my workload is fairly light and I feel up for it, I’ll have gone for a run around Hagley Park by now to get some exercise in before it gets too dark. Otherwise, I’ll go to the gym in the CBD after work to counteract having spent the day sitting down in the office. After this, I head home on the bus and get some reading in.

7.30 PM

Since my flat is a mix of students and people working full time, dinner time is really the only time all six of us are together. Often a few of us will play some games of Monopoly Deal, talk about the pits and peaks of the week, or get way too invested in some reality tv show. Earlier this year it was The Bachelor, and now we’re gearing up for the return of Love Island UK.

9.30 PM

After this I’ll have a shower before bed and figure out a plan for tomorrow, namely what to wear, what to pack for lunch, and whether I’ll need to make any changes to my usual routine. Once I feel organised, I’ll do some stretching, reading or watching whatever series I’m currently working through.

10.30 PM

I always try to turn my lights out by 10.30 pm during the work week, but more often than not get distracted and end up staying up a bit longer. In any case, I still try to get to bed early enough to get a full 8 hours so I can make the most of each day.