ERROL PARKER | Editor-at-large | Contact

As the clock struck midnight last night, the lights were still on at Oakbridge Carter & Webster and four young lawyers were sat at their desks – each waiting for another to leave first.

As it is every night of the week.

The firm’s website indicates office hours are 9am to 6pm but staff are often there well before and well after that.

But for the firm’s youngest and brightest, it’s often much, much longer.

Speaking to our reporter on the roof of Remienko House on Daroo Street (where Oakbridge Carter & Webster and The Advocate both lease office space), one of the youngest on staff at the firm explained that she’s been locked in a battle with three other young lawyers over who’ll leave the office first.

For the past 23 days.

The corporate legal professional, who asked to remain anonymous, said she hopes the standoff will end soon.

“I came to work one morning in September and I haven’t been home since,” she said.

“For the past three weeks, I’ve been sleeping under my desk and washing my only set of clothes at night time in the kitchenette dishwasher. But so have the others. I hope the partners realise this. I hope to be one by the time I’m 29,”

“But yeah. It’s common knowledge that if you’re a lawyer under 25 and you go home before 8pm, your bosses will think you’re lazy. And guess what happens when your bosses think you’re lazy? They pigeonhole you into property law and force you to play on the inter-firm mixed touch team,”

“I’d rather have children than do that.”

The polite young solicitor then lit another cigarette with the butt of the last one she had, explaining that the others had gone to get food so she had time.

More to come.