Tessa Burghardt

I always knew that I wanted to study law. The choice of administrative law was soon made, as this is a good match for me; I am good at schematic thinking and I like to help people.

One of the challenges in administrative law is working with laws and regulations laid down in many different places and at many different levels. I take a structured and practical approach to give my clients a good understanding of what is possible (or impossible) with regard to their case.

In my work, I mostly deal with civil servants and lawyers working for the government or municipal authorities, and less often with individual lawyers. This makes for a different atmosphere during consultations and at court, also because you can sometimes be on opposite sides in one case while working together on another. This requires flexibility.

If possible, I engage with all parties involved at an early stage to see if we can reach an appropriate solution together. If this fails and it is necessary to go to court, I clearly inform my clients of their chances and risks.

I help people, not only as part of my job, but also as a volunteer at Mind Naasten Centraal, an organisation dedicated to helping the friends and relatives of people with mental health problems. I’m often to be found in the theatre, both in the Netherlands and in London. I also enjoy reading a good book, especially fantasy novels.