It's not exactly clear how she does it: Courtney Colwell has two young toddlers, runs a small sheep and cattle property and at 32-year-old is managing partner of Warren’s only law firm Lovett & Green.   

“I always wanted to be a lawyer when I growing up” Cowell told the Western Plains App “I love it. I am not even sure I can describe why, I was just always interested in those sorts of subjects.” 

She grew up in Cowra, but she was out in Coonamble one night when she was 21, still studying and met a man she liked. He was from Warren. They began seeing each other. When he first took her to the town of her birthplace, she “liked it straight away”.

Why? “I think it was the people, they were just so welcoming. That was 11 years ago, a year later she was admitted to practice and started working as a lawyer at Lovett & Green specialising in property law, succession and agribusiness. 

Now Courtney has just been awarded Rural or Regional Practitioner of the Year at the NSW Law Society’s inaugural awards night for work as a lawyer in Warren. 



In a statement released by the Society President Joanne van der Plaat said of the awardee “Ms. Colwell not only ensures access to justice for her small community, but also works hard to ensure her practice attracts and retains solicitors so that local people can continue to access legal help and advice where they live.” 

Which means that on top of everything else Colwell also ensures and personally works on her firm’s large pro bono program. 

“Its the people…the perfect day at work is three generations from the family wanting a succession plan, all getting along well, all wanting the same thing, everyone walks away satisfied and I've been able to help them.” 

“I would really encourage any young person who wants to be a lawyer to do it, its a great career especially in a rural practice” Colwell said “You get such a depth of practice and you make good connections with people in the community”. 

So then to the question of how she managed to fit it all in “Im not sure, maybe im just crazy” she joked “I mean really know how to get by with very little sleep”.