Lucila van Dam started her legal career as a judges' clerk at the Wellington High Court, then undertook an LL.M. at the University of Michigan Law School on a Fulbright Scholarship. Following her LL.M., Lucila worked at the American Civil Liberties Union in San Francisco. Since returning to New Zealand she has worked at the Crown Law Office and is currently a senior solicitor in the Dispute Resolution team at Minter Ellison Rudd Watts, where she specialises in public and medical law.