Competing at world level in power-lifting has provided the Law Society of NSW's fifth female president, Mary Macken, with the skills and experience to excel in her career, writes Briana Everett

Elected by her colleagues to become only the fifth female to head the Law Society of NSW since its 1884 inception, it appears Mary Macken's fresh and competitive edge will help her through any challenges that come her way.

As the new president, Macken cited the advancement of women in the profession; the cultivation of overseas opportunities for Australian lawyers and steering the public's attention to the real issues as just some of her objectives for 2010. And with only 12 months in the role, Macken believes her involvement in competitive sport, at world level, has prepared her for the stress and pressures that will come with the job.

If times get tough, Macken will have her lawyer husband on hand for advice. Hugh Macken was the president of the NSW Law Society in 2008, however, Macken emphasises she won't be relying on him for help.

"I will approach [the role] completely differently because we're completely different people ..." she says.

"And we have completely different views on a lot of things. So from time to time he might offer a bit of advice - but very little!"

Born in country NSW, Macken's legal career began in Sydney and spans many years - initially in the private sector and then for the government - specialising in all areas of property law - which she loves.

"I absolutely love property law. I enjoy reading property law cases and discussing them with other property lawyers," Macken says.

"I think I've done a wide spectrum of legal roles ... I think I know what it feels to be a solicitor in different areas and I think that's useful."

With a lawyer husband and a brother and uncle in the field, becoming a lawyer might seem like a natural career choice for Macken. But she says her interest in law began only in her final year at school, when she drifted in a "vague direction towards something that used words".

And words are clearly a passion for Macken. An accomplished linguist, Macken has a Masters in French from Sydney University, speaks Italian and Japanese and would have chosen to be a language teacher had she not pursued law.

To add to her already impressive resume, which includes a Masters in Law, Macken now plans to enrol in a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Securities and Finance Law: "just to keep up to date".

Aside from her passion for linguistics, sport is a huge part of who Macken is. Equating the sports arena to the legal profession, Macken said the two strength sports, power-lifting and weightlifting, which she has pursued for 15 years, have helped her to understand people and deal with high-pressure situations - which will be beneficial in all spheres of her new role as president.

Although Macken no longer participates competitively, she appreciates the benefits sport has had on her legal career and says "I always make room for my sporting interests". Citing her experience in national and world competitions, Macken says: "You get to deal with people in extremely anxious situations ... [which] helps you to motivate a team, to deal with pressures, people and dynamics ... I understand people."

"You get out there on a platform weightlifting and it's an anxious situation. You're the focus. You're out there on a platform and it's very similar, in a way, to a lot of the things I do for the Law Society; you're out there speaking on a contentious topic or some debate."

In addition to helping her deal with people and the dynamics of the legal profession, sport has allowed Macken the opportunity to show leadership - as a referee and director of the Australian Weightlifting Federation (AWF).

Macken says her leadership in sport has helped build ties to the community, and younger people within the community, who are also interested in sport. As director at the AWF, Macken seeks opportunities for lawyers to participate in the sports law industry - a particular area of interest.

Pushing the advancement of women in the legal profession mirrors Macken's leadership experience in strength sports, because her involvement in power-lifting and weightlifting meant she was confronted with a primarily male-dominated arena.

"I started with power-lifting and they needed women in the sport. There weren't very many women in the sport so I was sort of dragged into it by the existing men in the sport who wanted more women to compete and were very encouraging ... then I moved on to weightlifting," she says.

"Weightlifting was in the same position ... because it hadn't traditionally been a sport open to women. Women were only allowed to weight-lift for the first time in the Olympics in 2000 ... so it was pretty exciting."

Being the fifth female president is an achievement worth noting and as a member of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW, Macken hopes her presence and leadership will have a positive influence on the advancement of women in the profession.

"I think just being in the role is helpful ... I'll be working with NSW Women Lawyers and general promotional things," she says.

"We're sort of monitoring the situation - seeing if there are some avenues for any sort of promotional activities that we can do for women lawyers."

At the end of her 12 months as president, Macken will return to her role as corporate counsel for the State Transit Authority (Sydney Buses) where she worked for five years, focusing on tenders, contracts and property, environmental planning and development, and commercial law. Prior to Sydney Buses, Macken was manager of legal services at the property development arm - Landcom - for more than 10 years.