She moved to the North East with her partner in November, closer to where he grew up.

But as she finishes her degree in law and environmental science, Ms Ciantar has started to make a name for herself in the office of long-time solicitor Mario Vaccaro.

She has been taking on mostly family violence cases, as well as crime and child protection.

This time last year, Ms Ciantar was working in the remote and disparate Aboriginal community of Wadeye, in the north-west of the Northern Territory.

“Most of my clients didn’t speak English, they don’t have mobile phones and they don’t have addresses – you write letters and it goes to the one post office in the Aboriginal community,” she said.

A trip to the bush to visit clients each month involved an eight-hour trip on mostly unsealed roads.

To understand the criminal structure in Wadeye, lawyers had to learn who was involved in the gangs which were all named after heavy metal bands such as Slayer Mob and Metallica.

Child protection cases added an extra layer of controversy when they involved children being taken away from traditional Aboriginal families.

“It was a pretty crazy jurisdiction to work in,” Ms Ciantar said.

“There were a lot more cases about just huge cultural misunderstandings.

“You see a lot of medical negligence – hospital or doctors not using interpreters and Aboriginal people not understanding what they were agreeing to.”

The cases could go as far as toe amputations without consent.

Ms Ciantar said the basic principles she learned in the North Territory would translate to work with Wodonga’s Aboriginal people and she had already met with groups such as Mungabareena Aboriginal Corporation.

She said she enjoyed the job because it allowed her to learn people’s stories and help them.

“They tell you what they want and you’re like this technician and you figure out how you can use the law to get them what they want,” Ms Ciantar said.

“It’s just basic issues for people.

“You can understand why they’re upset and it feels like it’s really worth fighting for.”

Her office is in Wodonga, but cases could be as far as Corryong or Myrtleford.

Practising law in the country was different from in cities, an almost social experience as lawyers, magistrates and police knew each other and could work together.

“Sydney was more hostile for that reason,” Ms Ciantar said.

Mr Vaccaro said working with the new lawyer was part of a succession plan, before he retired in about five years.

He said Wodonga had few lawyers who could be funded by Legal Aid to act for children.

“It’s time that I slowed down,” Mr Vaccaro said.

“I want to ease out of the job and have Francesca ease into it and build up her own reputation.”