Johanna Byrne never dreamed of becoming a lawyer. Less than a decade ago the mother-of-seven owned and ran a flourishing flower shop in Coffs Harbour, a career she had been growing into for 16 years. But life had other plans when her oldest son, who has an intellectual disability, fell into legal trouble and Johanna's inborn determination, practical intelligence and fierce love for her family combined to set her on an incredible new path.
Recognising that her son wasn't getting the legal support he needed, Johanna stepped in to ensure he was considered under 32 of the Mental Health (Forensics Provisions) Act 1990 NSW. At first, she couldn't find a solicitor who was willing to run an application due to the extra work involved. But she persisted and eventually found someone willing to help — as long as she agreed to collect all relevant information and do all the work to build the case. She did.
"My son got in trouble, and I needed to help him," Johanna says simply, with the tone of someone stating an undeniable fact. "People with mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities, we keep putting band aid solutions on those issues. But I knew I was able to help."
Johanna impressed the solicitor she worked with enough for him to encourage her to enrol in law, and, thanks to her first taste of helping someone in need through the legal system, she followed his advice.
"He said, you're not bad at this," Johanna recalls, in her humble way. "So, I thought I may as well study it."
Johanna enrolled in 2014 at Southern Cross University as an undergraduate. In 2016 she was recognised as the National Indigenous Law Student of the Year for her passion and commitment to improving justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians. She finished in February 2017 with honours. In between, however, the road was far from smooth.
Within six months of enrolling, Johanna's husband Jamie passed away suddenly. With seven kids and a full-time job running her floristry businesses, it would have been impossible for her to continue without access to online study, the dedicated support of the university, Indigenous Tutorial Access Scheme (ITAS) tutoring, a proven belief about what law can achieve, and her tenacity — a trait she says has always been a part of her nature.
During the week Johanna studied at night when her children went to bed. On the weekends, she would take her laptop and textbooks to the park and study while her kids played. The convenience of online study allowed her to listen to lectures remotely and participate in 'Collaborates', a web-based version of tutorials, supplemented by some compulsory-attendance workshops.
"The university was so supportive, and I would not have been able to achieve what I have without that. I had extensions, and one of the lecturers gave me lessons one-on-one at times that were more convenient," Johanna says. "The ITAS mentoring was also so important. I could not have got through my degree without a mentor."
While still studying, Johanna was offered a coveted graduate position at top tier law firm Lavan, in Perth. Six months before completing her Bachelor of Laws, she moved to Western Australia — a 4,000km car trip to a state she had never set foot in.
"I drove five kids, a cat and a dog over there," she says, adding with a laugh: "I am a determined person, but that's something I'll never do again!"
In 2018, Johanna was honoured once more by Southern Cross University and named School of Law and Justice Alumnus of the Year.
Now living in Launceston, Tasmania, and working as a Senior Associate for Estate Administration and Civil Litigation with law firm Rae & Partners, Johanna advises on legal issues ranging from wills and estate settlement to commercial matters, as well as offering pro bono work to clients in Western Australia and mentoring Indigenous law students at Southern Cross University.
"This is my way of giving back and supporting Indigenous students after all the support I was given," she says. "I tell them that there is a lot of help out there, and I've never had anyone say no when I've asked. Asking for help is always the hardest part."
For Johanna, working in estate administration is an opportunity to lend a legal hand to clients during one of the most challenging times of their lives.
"I really relate to people dealing with these things, because of the mounds of paperwork I had to do after my husband passed away," she says. "I love to help people with it in a way that they understand, so that it's fair to them."
Through her commercial work, Johanna can assist those starting their own businesses to empower themselves. She tells the story of one Indigenous client who 'came from nothing' and is now the owner of 49 per cent of a corporation that connects Indigenous people to employment in the mining industry and with government agencies.
"To me, helping her with that also helps Indigenous employment. It has that knock-on effect," Johanna says. "There is sometimes this expectation that an Indigenous person working in law would want to work solely in criminal law. But any help, support or intervention that can stop people going down the wrong path means breaking that cycle."
