Ben Koval

With a career built on discovery of the law and of himself, Ben Koval’s story is one of finding value in places you wouldn’t expect and being true to who you are.

What inspired you to pursue a career in law, and how did you find your niche within the field? 

I always wanted to pursue a career in law, but I also had a passion for history and politics. I attended the Australian National University where I completed an arts degree (with honours) majoring in Art History and Curatorship. Throughout my years at the ABC, I was constantly intrigued by media laws, defamation, and how law impacts people's lives, which led me to complete my Juris Doctor at UNSW.

I found my niche in privacy and technology law through trial and error, once I started, I was hooked. After working in a corporate firm on disputes resolution teams for banks and insurance companies, I realised those areas of law were not a long-term fit for me.

How important do you think it is for young lawyers to find a specific area of law they are passionate about?

Passion, much like a Lady Gaga song, draws you back in every day.

I had a passion for media law, and I still read defamation judgements in my spare time. However, by trying other areas of law I was able to pursue other interests and passions to build a successful career. Trial-and-error with areas of law that I didn’t think I would like enabled me to learn which aspects of a practice area I did or didn’t enjoy, which gave me the necessary skills to keep my dreams alive and move into privacy and technology law.

Can you share an experience where a mentor significantly impacted your professional journey? 

My uncle, John Anthony, was a significant mentor to me. He was a Navy man and studied law in his late 20s, early 30s. He, too, felt that the profession was for him, but for various reasons had started his career differently.

I was afraid of changing my career in my late 20s, but through his stories and lived experience, I knew it would all be ok. He would tell stories at family gatherings, and I was drawn to the procedural aspects of the matters he was running. I also saw that he was rewarded for being driven and determined to help the community through his practice. While we practice very different areas of law, I apply his ethics and attitude to my own practice.

What advice would you give to current students about seeking and maintaining mentor relationships? 

Mentors should be people you resonate and connect with easily. They can be formal and informal. To be a great mentee, you need to be open to learning how to develop the professional skills to best grow your career and practice, and you need to want something more than just a job interview.

I had a mentor once who was really only there for a line on their CV. They were assigned to me in my undergrad and, as a keen student, I sent a few emails requesting coffee catch ups, preparing questions about the industry and how to best start my career. A quick one-paragraph reply told me everything I needed to know. “I don’t meet up in person, just email me your questions and I can answer them. I don’t proofread essays.” It is etched in my brain.

However, at the time I was volunteering at the National Library pictures collection and the Head Curator was supervising my work.

I was lamenting about this experience, and as she was providing me with guidance on how to tackle the next steps, it clicked that the real mentor I needed was right in front me.

We had clicked and she heard my concerns, answered my questions, and it was just easy. She has been someone who I have gone back to with issues throughout my career.  

Her advice wasn’t law related, it was interpersonal, administrative, and how to manage relationships which are invaluable skills to run a practice. This experience demonstrated to me that the role of mentorship needs to be more than a check-box exercise.

How did your education at UNSW prepare you for your career in law? 

Completing the UNSW Juris Doctor was incredible preparation for my career in law.

It helped me build a network of like-minded legal professionals who I draw on when required and provided me with the necessary knowledge needed for my career in technology, privacy and media law. We were taught in a dynamic and hybrid environment, meaning that we were in small groups for classes and I was able to learn and discuss legal principles in a very nurturing environment.

Food Law constantly comes to mind as the best law course I completed at UNSW. It sounds weird, but as a subject matter elective it was so engaging and demonstrated how as a legal professional you need to know a lot about different areas of law to have successful practice. To me, the best aspect of this course was its interactive nature, and it was very, very interesting. I constantly draw on what we were taught, and it always makes for a great anecdote in a dinner party discussion about the appellation system of wines in France.

What motivated you to join Pride in Law, and what benefits have you gained from being a member? 

Pride in Law represented an opportunity to contribute to the LGBTQIA+ community and legal profession. When I joined Pride in Law it was just starting. I was excited to help build an association that could transform the community within the legal community in NSW. It was so satisfying to meet other legal professionals from the community who have a similar lived experience, many of whom have become friends and contacts in my network.

How does Pride in Law support LGBTQIA+ lawyers in navigating their careers and what initiatives or programs from the organisation have you found most valuable?

Events that Pride in Law host really assist LGBTQIA+ lawyers in their careers, particularly panel events that discuss ways of working in hetero dominated workplaces. We always try to have a networking or social aspect to our events so attendees can not only build their networks but make new connections with like-minded legal professionals.

One event that stuck with me was a panel event, hosted by UNSW Law & Justice, with some senior community leaders, Gillian Mahony SC, Nicole Evans and Chris Pearce, attended by students and law professionals. 

Chatting with attendees after the panel, many mentioned they had never considered the power that being true to yourself could have on your career and how that could lead to success.

 We also had many attendees meet others who have become return attendees and contribute to our discussions.