Celebrating world Public Service Day

The Victorian Government Solicitor's Office (VGSO) has a proud history dating back to 1839, serving as a vital part of the public service since before Victoria had its own government. Our people are united by a shared purpose: serving the rule of law exclusively for the State as the Victorian Government’s trusted legal adviser.

This World Public Service Day, our Lead Counsel in the Litigation and Dispute Resolution branch, Sylvia, reflects on the value of working in the public sector and the opportunities it brings.

Sylvia started her legal career in Darwin, completing her articles of clerkship in a private law firm after finishing university.

"I never set out to join the public sector, but after working in a private law firm for five years I wanted to give it a try," says Sylvia.

She joined the Northern Territory Department of Local Government and Sport in a legal officer role and has never looked back.

"After leaving private, I realised that working in government was more me. Private work was interesting, but in the public sector I was doing something for the community and it felt like more meaningful work."

Sylvia went on to work in a range of roles including in the Office of the Solicitor for the Northern Territory, across government departments including the Department of Health, where she worked in a series of senior roles.

After moving to Melbourne in 2019, Sylvia continued her career in the public sector, joining the Country Fire Authority (CFA).

"Working at the CFA gave me a really different sense of the public service. Dealing with volunteers in the emergency services sector was something I hadn't done before, but I really enjoyed it."

Alongside usual legal work such as reviewing agreements and contracts, Sylvia says there was such a variety of work and at times it was unpredictable. This was magnifyed when the Black Summer Fires hit.

"All of a sudden I was involved in dealing with large donations coming into the CFA at the time. Famous people were setting up GoFundMe pages raising money. CFA had a team responding to it all."

Sylvia then took up a role with the VGSO in November 2021. VGSO offers the opportunity to contribute to fascinating areas of public interest. This builds a career path that is rewarding and intellectually satisfying.

"Moving to Melbourne with my husband and three kids, it was important to have something stable. The public sector offers an excellent variety of work but also a good work-life balance - when there's a lot going on you might put in long hours, but there's also great flexibility."

In her current role, Sylvia provides legal advice to government departments to help them with their legal issues.

“The work I do on state care and personal injury matters helps the State provide a resolution and outcome for people who have been in state care, and this ultimately flows through to providing outcomes for individuals.”

“The work is so interesting, there’s such variety on a day-to-day basis. You get to deal with different departments and see things from a whole of Victorian Government perspective."

Sylvia says she would recommend a public service career, especially for someone just starting out.

At VGSO, we pride ourselves on fostering a culture where people are encouraged to learn, grow, and collaborate. Our staff work alongside highly skilled colleagues who share a commitment to excellence and a passion for their work.

But for Sylvia, it's the flexibility that she really appreciates. VGSO understands the importance of a work-life balance and offers flexible work arrangements such as hybrid work, compressed schedules, and part-time to enable its people to manage life beyond the office.

"We can enjoy fulfilling careers while also being able to be parents or carers or have interests outside of work," says Sylvia. "I can still be involved in things my kids do: we don't have to completely miss out on being parents despite the demanding careers that we have."

Find out more about great public sector careers at VGSO.