Louise Young’s early career was guided by three key themes: a love of sport, a passion for culture and travel, and a commitment to learning. Since graduating from Loreto Coorparoo in 2005, Louise has pursued these passions through her tertiary studies and learned how to integrate them into her remarkable career as a lawyer.

Following her time at Loreto, Louise commenced a Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Queensland, majoring in psychology and philosophy. After a year, she transferred her tertiary studies to the Queensland University of Technology, where she commenced her law degree. Shortly after, Louise was awarded a scholarship to the University of Mobility in Asia and the Pacific. Having discovered a love for travel during her time at Loreto after taking part in the inaugural Loreto German exchange trip, Louise was quick to seize this opportunity and undertook a semester abroad at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Canada. Louise graduated with first-class honours in Law and completed her Bachelor of Arts degree with honours.

Louise began her legal career in 2011 with the international law firm Ashurst. Here, she grew her expertise in construction and commercial litigation and was given an opportunity few lawyers experience in their careers – successfully defending on appeal to the High Court of Australia. During this time, Louise undertook a Master of Construction Law at Melbourne University and was promoted to Senior Associate at Ashurst.

Whilst at Loreto, Louise was a keen sportswoman, participating in many sports offered by the college. Her passion for sport and successes in her legal career lead her to a unique and exciting opportunity to combine the two. In early 2016, Louise joined the in-house legal team for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Organising Committee. This experience opened her eyes to the range of opportunities available through major sporting events across the globe.

Following this opportunity, Louise shifted her career to focus on her three passions – travel, sport and lifelong learning. In mid-2018, Louise moved to London, where she currently practices as Senior Legal Counsel for Formula 1. After ten years of legal practice, Louise has shifted her passion for learning to teach others by sharing her expertise and mentoring junior lawyers in her office.

Louise has contributed to the legal profession through the authorship of various articles published in journals such as the Building and Construction Law Journal  and the Queensland Law Society. She has won several prestigious and notable awards, including the Young In-House Lawyer of the Year at the 2017 Australasian Law Awards.

Looking back on her life experience, Louise attests to the pivotal role that travelling and experiencing culture has played in her life and her successes thus far.

Author: Taylor Doherty, Coordinator, Communications and Marketing, Loreto Ministries

Feature Image: Louise Young, Senior Associate, Ashurst