"Luke Curran & Co Solicitors Newry provide an excellent & professional service. They are very responsive, accommodating and easy to work with. We have no hesitation in recommending their services to our clients who no doubt will feel at ease regardless of their situation"
The team at Luke Curran & Co Solicitors, Newry recently welcomed a new member. Kathleen Moore has joined the team as a Legal Secretary. We’ve put Kathleen through a Q&A session to find out a bit more about her and are going to share the inside info with you. Meet Kathleen.
Who is Kathleen?
We asked Kathleen to tell us a bit more about herself and her hobbies and interests.
I am a person who enjoys working and living life to the full. I am involved in various voluntary groups in my Parish, I enjoy music and am involved in the local Church choir.
Life & Learning!
We asked Kathleen to tell us more about her educational background to find out what type of student she was.
Were you a quiet and conscientious student, the loud and proud one or the mischievous class clown? What experiences have you learned the most from over the years?
This was Kathleen’s response:
I was a quiet and conscientious student for a lot of the time. I did not have a degree but attained grades in Junior Certificates of Education. I learned from my many experiences in life and have been able to apply the lessons in my work. I think it’s important to always be conscientious in your work and strive to attain the high standards that are expected in the workplace. I also think it’s vital to interact with the public in a professional way during the course of my work, but also to be personable, taking time to understand others circumstances and needs.
Work & Career – the past to the present
Kathleen has over four decades of experience in both general and legal administration and has told us about her journey. This is Kathleen’s story from where it all began until now:
I commenced my working career in a Solicitors office which had no computers – instead we had manual type-writers. There were no fax machines or scanners at the time and all record keeping was carried out manually. I remained in the practice for twenty years, before moving on to work in administration in a nursing home for fourteen years. Following this, I spent a further twelve years working in administration in a local High School. Now, my journey has come full circle and I’ve returned to working part-time in Luke Curran & Co. Solicitors in Newry and wow – how times and systems have totally changed for the better!
Kathleen explains her current role:
I commenced work in Luke Curran & Co Solicitors on 14th February 2017. I am doing reception duties and also audio-typing. I love the legal work. I enjoy being with my colleagues and I hold my employers in high esteem as they are wonderful people to be with. The only negative side is that the day goes too fast!
We also asked Kathleen about her dream job.
If you could have another job for a day, what would it be?
Wait for it…..
Well at my age I think I would say it would still have to be working in Luke Curran & Co. Solicitors.
Watch out PKF-FPM, you may have some competition for those Employer of the Year Awards, going forward!
Legal Matters
We all come across things that we wish we could change, both in our work and our lives so we asked Kathleen the following:
What law would you change if you could?
Kathleen response was:
The change I’d make isn’t to a specific piece of legislation but I’d make it statute that laws must remain in place for a longer period of time rather than changing so often. The main challenges facing the legal profession are keeping up with the changes in law, as well as keeping up with competition from other law firms.
The constant changes are undoubtedly challenging for all of us who work in the legal profession so Kathleen – we feel your pain!
With her many years of experience working with people, we also wondered what advice Kathleen could give us on how we should go about our work.
What do you think are the key skills and qualities a good solicitor needs to have?
The key skills you need are a high standard of legal knowledge and competency in the field of law. You also need to be a good people person who can demonstrate that various qualities including sympathy, encouragement, direction, consistency and of course good humour.
Kathleen has set a high benchmark for all of us to live up to as well! Thinking about the future we also asked Kathleen:
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I would love to see myself continuing to do what I presently do although I might be a little slower but “God only knows”.
We asked Kathleen about her successes in her life and career and were met with a very humble and gracious response.
What are you really good at? What are you most proud of in your life to date?
It is not for me to say what I am good at but I take everything I do very seriously and do the best I can. I am grateful that I was, and still am able give back to God in a small way, in thanksgiving, for all he has done for me.
What do you want more of or less of in your life? What makes you feel really good?
I would like my life to continue as it is. I regard myself lucky that I am still able to work and care for my brother. This is most important to me. I feel good when everything is going well.
If I could, I’d like to be able to take away all the hunger, poverty, fighting, hatred and power.
What would be on your ‘bucket list’ if you didn’t have long left to live?
I would hope that everything would in place for the continual care of my brother and that I would have the opportunity to spend quality time with family and close friends.
Who has inspired you most in life? What advice have you been given that you live by?
Many people in general have inspired me with their various gifts, qualities, weaknesses, friendships, hardships, joys and sorrows. I live by God’s quote “Thy will be done”. There is a reason for everything in life. He is the reason and he knows the reason. Sometimes we may not like or agree with the reason but he sees and knows what is best ALWAYS. The advice I’ve been given and would pass on would be to look out for and love each other. We only pass this way once. Let us pass through it together in harmony.
When you leave this life what would you most like to be remembered for?
I’d like to be remembered for my sense of humour.
Now enough of the serious stuff. It was a busy day and Kathleen was probably exhausted with all the questions. We all love to get home to a good dinner and put our feet up for a while so we asked Kathleen one final question.
What is your favourite dinner?
My favourite dinner is potatoes, salmon, broccoli, carrots/parsnips and cauliflower cheese.
We’re getting hungry in the office just thinking about that and will be keeping an eye out for this on the menu of our many great local eating establishments in Newry when we’re planning our next team night out!
We hope our Q&A session with Kathleen has given you some insight into the life and experience of this lovely, talented and wise woman that we have in our midst. If you have not yet had the pleasure of meeting Kathleen, we hope you do soon!
