R U Okay? Day

In the lead up to ‘R U Okay? Day’ let’s start a conversation about mental health amongst law students.

Mental Health. It is a topic that is gaining traction on social media, and in society generally. It seems that we are more comfortable with talking about our mental health than we used to be. I myself am not so sure. We 'talk' about 'mental health issues', but do we really? Is expressing ourselves in sarcastic memes about mental breakdowns really a healthy way of discussing our mental health? (I, for one, am guilty of this).

The 2009 study; 'Courting the Blues: attitudes towards depression in Australian law students and legal practitioners', reveals troubling statistics on mental health in the legal profession and amongst law students. According to the report, 46.9% of law students, 55.7% of solicitors and 52.5% of barristers reported that they had experienced depression.

Just let that sink in for a minute. Almost half of law students, and more than half of solicitors and barristers report that they have experienced depression.

The statistics speak for themselves:

-       21.9% of law students reported high levels of distress (compared to 10.2% in the general population) and 13.3% reported levels of very high distress (compared to 3.1% in the general population)

-       22.3% of solicitors reported high levels of distress (compared to 9.2% in the general population) and 8.7% reported levels of very high distress (compared to 3.8% in the general population)

-       12.5% of barristers reported high levels of distress (compared to 9.2% in the general population) and 4.2% reported levels of very high distress (compared to 3.8% in the general population)

So, why is it that the rates of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues are so prevalent in the legal profession, and amongst law students? It begins a sort of 'chicken and egg' argument; do people who choose to study law already have a predisposition to anxiety and depression, or it it the study of the law itself that creates the problem?

Studies would seem to show that it is a combination. It seems that there are two personality traits in particular that we, as law students, possess that can be to our detriment: perfectionism and pessimism. This combined with the heavy workload and stress of studying a law degree - lead to higher rates of mental illness. 

'Yet law students are known to enter law school with rates of wellbeing no different to, and even higher than, the general population: apparently, legal education at both graduate and undergraduate levels has a negative impact on student wellbeing, and that impact becomes evident within the first six to 12 months of the degree.'[1]

One of my (and many other law students) idols in law, The Hon Michael Kirby, spoke about the issue of mental health amongst the legal profession in an address for the launch of the Daniel Solomons Memorial Scholarship at Ashurt's Sydney office, and I will let the eloquent words of one of my favourite legal minds do the talking....

Those who suffer the indescribable pain [of depression].... are rendered extremely vulnerable if their career choice has taken them into the law. The law is usually a very public vocation. Its top practitioners are on display most of the time. They face fierce competition. They are often perfectionists, overachievers, trapped in ‘pin striped prisons’. We now know that law places special and excessive pressures on students and practitioners. Working in symbiosis with clinical depression, this can trigger suicidal thoughts and actions. As wise commentators have observed, because lawyers generally sell their talent in modules of time, there is always pressure on them to sell more and more time, until there is no time left for the other priorities of life. 

There is some evidence that pressures of this kind are heaviest in large legal firms, where it is harder to maintain a life/work balance. Although many firms today (and some law schools, even Bar and judicial institutions) have attempted remedial measures to show that they care about the challenge of depression and the risks (including suicide) that it brings, commentators repeatedly observe that the lawyers most at risk commonly do not believe that these efforts are real or intended to be taken seriously: 

[P]rivate practice lawyers are often subject to tight, client-driven deadlines and exacting internal performance targets – the competitive and confrontational nature of legal practice leaves many believing that such wellbeing policies are not worth the paper they are written on. ‘A few months ago, my firm distributed helpful tips printed on colourful postcards suggesting we ought to “Go for a swim in the ocean” or “Go home and cook a meal with your family”,’ wrote one lawyer, anonymously ... in 2013. ‘Apparently the irony of recommending such fun and whimsy to a group of employees who are effectively required to remain at the office upwards of 14 hours a day for months on end was lost on the hopeful folks in human resources.’ Under such conditions, and with the profession’s poor track record in looking after its own, ... cynicism is well placed.

Certainly, there now seems to be a growing realisation of the existence of a kind of crisis in legal employment as a student and career choice. In a recent poll asking ‘is life as a lawyer what you thought it would be when you were a student?’, more than 37 per cent of respondent lawyers said ‘No, I wish I was working in a different career’. Only 11 per cent of the 444 respondents to the survey said their law career had fulfilled all their expectations.

Plainly, we have a problem here. Estimates suggest that one in three lawyers, from law school to final retirement, suffers at some stage from depression and low self-esteem. A number will face serious suicidal imaginings. If one googles lawyers’ suicides and inserts the name of the city or town, names will come up that one knew but sometimes one had forgotten. Tristan Jepson was such a name. His parents established the Foundation in his name to tackle the issue. Daniel Solomons was another young lawyer who fell victim to suicidal depression. Most of his colleagues did not know, could not understand and could not believe that such a talented and handsome, much admired person would suffer from such a condition at the end of his life. Or respond as he did. But that is the fact. Lawyers have to face the facts.[2]

I realise that I may have let my pessimism get the better of me with this post. However, I agree that lawyers (and law students) do need to face the facts. If we are to tackle the issue of mental health amongst our profession, and in our law school, we first need to acknowledge the problem.

As Michael Kirby flagged in his speech - band-aid solutions - such as in the example given of telling lawyers to “go for a swim in the ocean” or “go home and cook with your family” - can feel at best a half hearted and at worst a self serving attempt by law firms to pay lip service to mental health issues amongst the profession. The same can be said of “solutions” provided by universities. It is true that change has happened - since I began my law degree in 2012 UQ has moved away from 100% assessment pieces - in an effort to decrease the pressure on students. However, the culture has a long way to go. Some might say that giving students closed book 70% exams - and then throwing puppies and pancakes their way - might not be the most effective strategy… Change can happen from within - we can be more supportive of each other and consciously tackle our pessimism and perfectionist tendencies. Clearly there is a need for change both from the universities around Australia - as well as amongst us as students.

We need to move beyond talking about mental health in an offhand and flippant way. (Although I won’t lie I still see memes as a legitimate form of self expression - they just shouldn’t be the only way). If you think a friend is struggling really, genuinely check in on them - and this is what ‘R U Okay Day’ is all about.

‘R U Okay Day’ is on September 14th - https://www.ruok.org.au/ - check out their website on tips on asking a friend of colleague if they are okay, and how to best support someone if you think they are struggling. 

Have a listen to this interview with a lawyer who struggled with anxiety and depression and how his strategies for combating the problem - https://www.thehappyfamilylawyer.com/podcast/episode-6-overcoming-anxiety-depression-jerome-doraisamy/

Also - check out JATL’s blog post featuring tips from writer and lawyer Clarissa Rayward on living a happy life in the law: [insert Clarissa post link here?]

If you are feeling in need of support there are so many resources out there:

The Desk: Tailored for Australian tertiary students. This is a great site with resources specific to looking after your mental health while you are at uni. <https://www.thedesk.org.au/about>

The Black Dog Institute: Specific resources on depression and anxiety, including research and clinical resources. <http://www.blackdoginstitute.org.au>

Beyond Blue: Some really useful resources on anxiety and depression. <https://www.beyondblue.org.au/>

This includes an anxiety and depression checklist, which is a useful resource for some self reflection on how things are going with you... <https://www.beyondblue.org.au/the-facts/anxiety-and-depression-checklist-k10>

Lifeline: If you feel like you need to talk to someone, Lifeline offers a confidential counselling service, available 24 hours a day. 13 11 14 and their website is <http://www.lifeline.org.au/>.

Mood Gym: Interactive resources and strategies to help with anxiety and depression. <https://moodgym.anu.edu.au/welcome>

[1] Larcombe, Wendy; Tumbaga, Letty; Malkin, Ian; Nicholson, Pip; Tokatidis, Orania --- "Does an Improved Experience of Law School Protect Students against Depression, Anxiety and Stress? An Empirical Study of Wellbeing and the Law School Experience of LLB and JD Students" [2013] SydLawRw 15; (2013) 35(2) Sydney Law Review 407, 408.

[2] I encourage you to read the entire of Michael Kirby's speech: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/journals/UNSWLawJl/2015/52.html

Chats with Clarissa

-By Jean Morton

Clarissa Rayward certainly has an impressive resume - running her own family law firm as well as a weekly podcast - and publishing two books in her spare time! I sat down with Clarissa to talk about an issue that is gaining significant attention - the mental health of law students.

From my chat with Clarissa, who herself has had experience in being unhappy in the law - and consciously works to create her own happiness - I think the following are the most important nuggets of wisdom! 

1.  You do not have to do everything now

One observation that Clarissa has made in working with and mentoring law students and grads is the propensity for us to want to do everything, that we seem to have this fear of missing out if we do not do everything NOW. We should stop feeling the need to be part of everything - we need to take the pressure off ourselves!

2. Competition

The competitive nature of the practice and the study of law, and how this affects the wellbeing of law students and legal professionals is a theme that has continued since Clarissa herself was at UQ.  When you put lots of high-achieving, intelligent students together in a competitive environment - this can lead to lots of self doubt and anxiety. We should build each other up - and be supportive - rather than seeing someone's success as meaning that we will miss out. Comparing ourselves to others will only make us miserable - be your own person!  As Clarissa said: 'everyone can succeed, there is space for everyone'!

3. There is not one single 'correct' career path!

Clarissa said that when she was studying at UQ there was a mentality - which I think continues today - that there is ONE prize job. A graduate position as a top tier firm. Anything less than that is a failure. Clarissa is concerned with this mentality - that a job at a top tier firm is the best and everything else is lesser. Working in a top tier firm is not for everyone. The reality is that there are so many different career paths, it doesn't mean that you are less of a lawyer, or that you won't have a successful career.

4. Who cares about GPAs?

This was one thing that gave me some relief. Clarissa says that in hiring grads she is not so interested in GPAs. She is much more interested in life experience of candidates - have they had a part time job while at uni, lived out of home? And another relieving revelation from Clarissa was that even part time work in good old hospo and retail are worthwhile to have on your resume. It is all about how you sell it! The human skill of a waitress who has to deal with someone whose eggs were not cooked the right way - that is something that can be pitched in an interview. Think about what you learned from those experiences.

5.  Relationships

Clarissa revealed that one thing that has struck her in doing her podcast, with so many different kinds of legal professionals, is that there are so many ways to be a lawyer - you are more than your career. Everyone is struggling with their own story, we should try and be compassionate and treat people with empathy. And should not compare ourselves to others or care what others think.

6. Live in the moment!

'Your 20s should be a time of joy and learning!' Do not worry too much about the future - you cannot predict or control it. We should still have our eyes open to opportunity - and can still be purposeful - go to industry events and consider different pathways. I think one of my favourite pieces of advice/lessons from Clarissa was that she pointed that we are lucky to be going to law school, and we will never be without jobs!

7. Just do it!

One of Clarissa's favourite phrases (and one which aim to try and adopt myself) is 'what is the worst that can happen?' We need to actively move away from our own pessimism - it is up to us as individuals ourselves to focus on the positives.

Podcasts:

There are many amazing podcasts to listen to from Clarissa, but I have listed the most relevant below:

* Michael Kirby: (need I say more?) ‘The Rockstar of Law’

https://www.thehappyfamilylawyer.com/podcast/episode-38-rockstar-law-michael-kirby-talks-gratitude-attitude-biscuits/

* This podcast with Nick James (and maybe this shows how long I have been at UQ, but I remember having him as a professor) explores the pressures on law students and how universities are trying to change the system:

https://www.thehappyfamilylawyer.com/podcast/episode-48-many-pathways-law-finding-right-fit-professor-nick-james/

* Ann-Maree David - Director of The College of Law and President of the Australian Women Lawyer’s Association- on Resilience and diversity in the legal industry - including why so many law students leave the profession - and the change that is needed in universities:

https://www.thehappyfamilylawyer.com/podcast/episode-31-resilience-diversity-legal-industry-ann-maree-david/

* Mindfulness in Law with Fiona Caulley, including about mindfulness and strategies that Fiona uses:

https://www.thehappyfamilylawyer.com/podcast/episode2/

 

4 Anecdotal Mooting Tips

I’ve been lucky to learn from many great mooting coaches and mentors. If I could advise my younger self, before I ever stood up to make submissions in a moot, this is what I would offer:

1.     Preparation is key

 If you divide the stages of a moot into preparation (research and preparing and practicing submissions) and execution (actually making the submissions in the moot), 90% of your time and effort, if not more, is devoted to that preparation stage. The actual moot should be a cake-walk.

Therefore, the outcomes of a lot of moots are probably pre-determined before the teams even arrive in the moot court. The team that has done the most preparation, and so knows the most law and has the most practiced advocates will probably win. The only remaining variable that might cause that team not to win is poor execution.

There is only so much that being a talented speaker can do. Being a talented speaker won’t help you when a judge asks you what happened at paragraph x in y v z (though you might sound nice while you obfuscate).  Only preparation will do that.

Are you prepared for every eventuality? And have you ironed out all of the logic in your arguments? If x happens what will you do? If the judge isn’t convinced by y can you still say z later? What happened in this case? How important is this point? Know what issues you have to win in order to win the moot and what you can afford to jettison.

Obviously, as you near the limits of preparation, and other teams do too, execution becomes the differentiating factor. But by in large, there are very few moots, and very few teams in those very few moots that will reach a sort of preparation ‘limit’ and then have to battle it out on the basis of execution (I think). Preparation will usually be key.

2.     You’re assisting the court

You’re assisting the court more than you are arguing with the other side. I think this means a few things.

First, it is important to read the bench. Usually, there are some pretty obvious, intentionally contentious issues in a moot. But sometimes, a judge might disagree with you on what you thought was a relatively simple proposition. It is important not to disregard this. As an advocate it is your task to ensure that all or as many as possible contentious issues fall in your favour. Therefore, being able to read when the bench is disagreeing with you, having difficulty with your submissions or agreeing with you is vital.

The way a judge questions you, or the kinds of questions they ask reveals a lot, as does their general body language. The best case scenario is where a judge expressly states ‘I am having difficulty with x’. This is a gift. If it happens, take some time to have a conversation with the judge on the point and win the point, if you can. Don’t brush it off with something you may have already said.

Second, and relatedly, it is important to answer questions as directly as possible. Generally, a judge won’t ask you a question for no reason, they want to know the answer to something. In a moot, however, there might be some superficial questions to see if you know your brief.

So, be as direct as possible. And frontload your answers (don’t build to a logical conclusion, state the conclusion (answer) and then explain the logic).

Finally, the judge’s trust in you and faith in what you are saying is your currency. You need to seem like someone that they can rely on to inform their judgment. This is a product of a number of things.

How ‘in control’ you seem throughout your entire submission is important. Avoid phrases such as ‘I think’, ‘I believe’, ‘From memory’ and ‘I/we would’. These flag that you might not know what you are talking about. Instead, use ‘the law is’ or ‘I will’.

Try not to get the simple things wrong. For example, if asked at the beginning of a moot who the judges in the main case upon which you rely were and you don’t know, your credibility is hurt, and might detract from everything you say afterwards until you earn it back.

Never lie. Just don’t do it. If caught in an intentional lie, you make it pretty hard for yourself to win the moot. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it is better to say that you can’t assist the court, take it on notice and highlight that the point is not crucial to you winning the case.

3.     Be conversational, be yourself

Making submissions shouldn’t be a speech. It should be an intelligent and informative conversation or exchange with the bench. So, don’t put on a speaking voice, don’t have a set inflexible script that could come across as unnatural at times. Be prepared to adapt.

At the same time, embrace your style. There are many ways to be an effective advocate. Some people are enthusiastic and some are more matter of fact. Different people present different arguments in different ways. And everyone has different mannerisms. Within reason, don’t try and put on an act when you make submissions. That increases the chance of you being uncomfortable and it distracts you from your submissions. Indeed, different judges will like different styles, so you may as well be yourself. If you have some serious stylistic issues this probably doesn’t hold true, but I think that most people do fine when they smooth out and refine their own natural presenting style.

4.      Enjoy it

This might seem like a lot, but take it with a grain of salt. These are only anecdotal tips.  Mooting is a fantastic opportunity to meet new people, learn about new areas of law and learn skills that are translatable into many different professions. Enjoy it!

Student Study Tips

It is one of your friendly JATL blog editors here! As the end of semester fast approaches, and in an effort to learn from my mistakes and motivate myself to make it through to the end of semester without having (too many) mental breakdowns, I thought I would post a top five study hints. 

1. Make a REALISTIC study schedule

I know. I know. Every single blog/advice column/your mum tells you to make a study schedule. Sometimes, though, when everyone is telling you to do something, it's because it works. 

One mistake I made in the first years of my study was creating completely unrealistic study timetables. Honestly. Thinking that you are going to wake up at 5:30 am for a pre study run and then study for six hours straight before lunch is ridiculous. 

Scheduling twelve hours of study in a day with a one hour break is setting yourself up for failure. You will end up not meeting the target you set for yourself and it'll make you stressed (if you are anything like me anyway). 

Setting up a study schedule will mean that you are less likely to cram for your test (which I have from good authority at the BBC is a bad move http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20140917-the-worst-way-to-learn). We have all been there. And every time we say never again. 

2. Give yourself a break!!

I mean this in multiple senses. 

In the literal sense of take breaks...thirteen weeks is a long time to stay motivated, particularly when your mid semester "break" turns into your mid semester "catching up on everything I have not done for the last few weeks". Make sure you allow some time over the next few weeks to do things you enjoy.  While setting aside a whole day to Netflix might be overdoing it, schedule short, enjoyable activities each day. Why not go out and get some fresh air? Take the dog for a walk? Call that friend in Sydney you have not spoken to for weeks? Embrace the urge to procrastibake! 

OR watch an inane youtube clip eg. this hilarious image of an entire court room sitting in complete silence and stillness while listening to Eminem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cPcB5IlIILc (be warned - only do this if you can resist the urge to enter the wormhole of youube for hours)

And also in the more general life sense... sometimes we can be too hard on ourselves. So don't beat yourself up if your plan to "make this your semester" has not exactly gone to plan and you haven't made perfect summary notes after every week of your course, gone to yoga twice a week, learned how to cook beef bourguignon AND practiced piano every day. That is okay. We are not all superhuman. 

3. Find your personal study style

Throughout my degree I have tried a multitude of strategies to study. Most of them involve the need for me to purchase numerous colourful pens and stationery (procrastination much). Mind Mapping. Flashcards. That is my jam. 

I also tried things that did not work for me. Structured tables for example. Or recording case summaries and listening back to them (would NOT recommend. I found the awkwardness and the pain of hearing my own voice distracted from the content). 

4. Look after yourself!

This means SLEEP and EXERCISE and EATING VEGETABLES!

This is definitely something that I need to work on during end of semester stress!

Law students (and university students in general) are terrible for not looking after ourselves. Sure maybe the first couple of days functioning on four hours sleep a night will work for you. But you will study more effectively with a good eight hours. 

Exercise. Go outside. Breathe the fresh air. This is one of those things that people say we should prioritise during stressful exam time, but it is often the first thing to go by the wayside! 

I am one to trust the experts, and neuroscientists tell us that exercise has so many benefits for our brains! Increasing concentration! Improving memory! Good for your mental health! So even if it is just taking your dog out for a stroll get those endorphins flowing!

Check out this great article on all the wonderful benefits of exercise for your grey cells --> https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jun/18/how-physical-exercise-makes-your-brain-work-better

And Brisbane City Council are running “Active Park Events”, so you do not even need to spend your hard earned dollars on a gym membership! https://www.brisbane.qld.gov.au/whats-brisbane/events-listed-type/active-healthy/active-parks-events

5. Set (again REALISTIC) goals

Attempting to learn an entire 13 weeks of torts in one day is not going to be achievable. Separate your study into manageable chunks. Personally, I love to do lists. I find they work for me. And I get to put completely achievable things on there to give me a sense of satisfaction. "Woke up. Ate breakfast" TICK. Honestly though it sets you up for the day and helps you stay focused. 

So if we aim to follow these five simple strategies we might find SWOTVAC more bearable than usual? I think my grade one buddy's advice for getting through QCS is still the most appropriate. "Have fun. Study hard though."  

LAW BEYOND THE BORDER: Opening Address by Anthony Cassimatis

Opening Address:

I would like to begin by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which we gather, Turrbal and Jagera people, and their elders, past and present.

I would also like to thank the Justice and the Law Society and the UQ United Nations Student Association for their invitation to speak tonight and to congratulate them on their many valuable initiatives.

I have been given a great deal freedom in speaking to you this evening. The JATL representative who I asked about what I should speak on said that I could speak “on any topic that ... [I] would prefer, so long as it is relating to a topic or issue on international law or international affairs”.

Given that our keynote speaker will be speaking on the substantive and important topic of Australia's role in fighting transnational crime, I thought I might focus instead on a discussion of career options available to you in international law. I will do this primarily by mentioning for you some of the career achievements in international law of former UQ students.

Before talking about these former UQ students, however, I would like to say something briefly about working in international law in Australia. I have been working in the field of international law in Australia as a legal academic for over 20 years. I have also been serving for roughly the same time as a volunteer in the field of international law through participation in the work of the Australian Red Cross which has an important role in raising public awareness of international humanitarian law (IHL or the law of armed conflict).

Traditionally, opportunities to work in international law in Australia have been restricted to working for the Australian government, in departments such as the Attorney-General’s Department (in the Office of International Law), the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Defence Department. In the non-governmental sector, there have traditionally been employment opportunities in international law working for the Australian Red Cross. Apart from these opportunities, there was not much more that you could do in Australia in the field of international law.

What I would like to emphasise is that this traditional position is changing. In terms of legal practice, international law firms are establishing themselves in Australia and have brought with them their international legal work and opportunities to move within these firms to pursue international law related work outside of Australia. Two international law firms in particular, DLA Piper and White & Case, have established, or are establishing, offices in Australia. DLA Piper has been representing Timor Leste in its various international legal disputes with Australia. Much of that legal work has been done out of the firm’s Brisbane office. An increasing amount of international arbitral work is also being done out of Sydney (at the Bar and in law firms). International legal work in Australia, outside of government, is still relatively modest in scale but it is increasing.

One other feature of potentially dramatic change globally that I would like to briefly mention is the challenge to globalisation reflected in the Brexit referendum result in the UK and in the election of President Trump in the United States. It is easy to portray these developments as threats to international law. After all, one of the few things that President Trump has actually been able to follow-through on has been his promise to turn his back on the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which was a regional trade treaty negotiated between 12 Asia-Pacific States that included Australia and New Zealand.

Notwithstanding the potential for negative consequences for the international community (of which I can foresee many), it would be wrong, I think, to assume that Brexit and the Trump administration will mean there is less work in the field of international law. The opposite may indeed be true. The UK’s withdrawal from the EU is going to require an army of international lawyers, both advising on the process and consequences of the UK’s actual withdrawal from the EU, and in negotiating replacement free trade agreements for the UK outside of Europe. A former UQ law student, Belinda McRae will be speaking at UQ on 5th of May, I think, about exactly these sorts of opportunities. After having worked in international law in Paris, Belinda is now a barrister in London.[1]

Even in the United States, I think President Trump is discovering that things are actually much more complicated than he initially imagined. While it is dangerous to try to predict what President Trump is likely to do or achieve, his initial threats to withdraw from regional and global trade agreements, such as the North American Free Trade Agreement (or NAFTA) between the US, Mexico and Canada, have been replaced with statements that the US will be seeking to “renegotiate” such agreements. This is again going to mean more work for international lawyers.

Turning then to some concrete examples of careers of former UQ students in international law. First, I would like to offer a couple of general points about the former UQ students who are now working in international law (some of whom I will specifically mention in a moment). Many of these former law students also studied international relations as part of their other degree and this has helped them in their subsequent work in international law. These former students have had a variety of backgrounds. Some have had no family connections in law. Many have achieved excellent academic results at UQ, which has enhanced their international law opportunities, but this is not true of all of the former UQ students that I have kept in contact with over the years. Some of these students have participated as students in legal advocacy competitions such as the Jessup International Law moot competition, but others have not taken part in such competitions. Some have done internships with international organisations, but others have not. Some have studied overseas, others have not. There are multiple career paths that they have followed.

Before getting in to some individual stories, one final general point. While not all of the former UQ students who have pursued successful careers in international law have achieved outstanding academic results at UQ, excellent academic results do help a great deal. While former students have not always done extremely well in their general studies, they have all studied diligently in the area of international law. Wide and careful reading of the international law case law and literature has been a common feature of all of the successful former students who I have kept in contact with. Through the development of their research and writing skills, in the field of international law, some of these former students have been able to create wonderful careers even though they had only modest academic results at UQ.

But again, I must stress, good academic results definitely help. They will help you secure funding for internships and scholarships to study abroad. Average results reduce your chances of admission to prestigious overseas universities and increase the chances that you will have to pay your own way to study abroad.

With modest academic results it is still, however, possible to study abroad at excellent institutions in places like Leiden in the Netherlands and in Geneva. And if you do study abroad, and do well in that study, your most recent degree is what scholarship awarding bodies will focus upon in the future. So achieving good results overseas in a Masters degree, for example, can increase the chances of you getting a PhD scholarship at a prestigious university overseas.

The first former student who I would like to specifically mention[2] is Melinda Taylor.[3] Melinda is now senior defence counsel in the field of international criminal law in The Hague. Melinda competed in the Jessup moot competition as a UQ student and then completed an internship with the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Melinda didn’t initially study abroad.[4] Melinda established her career on employment with the ICTY and the International Criminal Court (which followed her internship) and she developed her expertise in international criminal law through practice. She now represents high profile defendants in important international criminal law cases.

The second former UQ student is Michelle Butler.[5] Michelle is now a barrister at Matrix Chambers in London which has a concentration of some of the very best international law practitioners including Professor Christine Chinkin and Professor Philippe Sands. Michelle did not compete in any mooting competitions at UQ. However, like Melinda, Michelle did do an unpaid internship in the area of international criminal law. She also completed a Masters degree in international law in the UK, having received a scholarship for academic excellence. The combination of this Masters Degree and the experience she derived and connections she made through her internship helped establish her career, which has now expanded beyond international criminal law to include, for example, advocacy before the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

All of the students who I mention by name in this address worked extremely hard in the field of international law at UQ and achieved excellent academic outcomes and nothing should be implied regarding the academic results they achieved at UQ, other than that they studied international law diligently at UQ.

The third former UQ student is Katherine Del Mar.[6] Katherine did compete in mooting competitions at UQ (the Red Cross IHL moot competition and the space law moot competition); but she did not do an internship. After studying international law at UQ, Katherine enrolled in a Masters Degree in Geneva. This was followed by a PhD in international law in Geneva and Katherine now is practising at the Bar in London at 4 New Square.

Katherine Del Mar has appeared before the International Court of Justice with our fourth former UQ student, Kate Parlett.[7] Kate had no direct family connections with the law, with both of her parents having been primary school teachers on the Gold Coast. Kate didn’t do any internships but she did do extremely well academically at UQ, competed in the Jessup moot competition and received scholarships to do a Masters Degree and then a PhD in international law in the UK. Kate worked for a period in Paris with the firm Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer and is now at the Bar in London at 20 Essex St, where she works with Belinda McRae, who you can meet on the 5th of May at UQ, and Jonathan Ketcheson, another former UQ student. Kate was recently invited to speak on careers in international law in Washington DC to a packed room of young lawyers just near Capitol Hill in Washington. She spoke at UQ in 2016 on careers in international law and she is sure to visit UQ again.

The final former UQ student is the major reason why so many former UQ students have worked at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer in Paris. Ben Juratowitch [8] didn’t do moots at UQ but he did do an internship and he received a Rhodes Scholarship to complete a DPhil in the UK. He has risen rapidly through the ranks at Freshfields and he is now that firm’s global head of its public international law practice. Ben values the quality of the legal education that students receive at UQ. He has employed a number of brilliant former UQ students. Catherine Drummond, who taught international law at UQ in 2013 and 2015, is currently working with Ben in Paris.

To conclude, there are three general points I would like to finish on. The first is that each of these success stories is built on dedication and hard work in developing legal research and writing skills in international law. All 5 of these former UQ students have worked incredibly hard to develop their legal research and analytical skills; reading and analysing cases, journal articles and monographs (and, for most of them, also writing journal articles and monographs). The second point I wish to emphasise is that all of these former students have been very generous in offering advice and support to more recent UQ graduates. I would strongly recommend, for example, that you come to hear Belinda McRae speak at UQ on the 5th of May. Details of her visit are available via the Facebook page of the UQ International Law Society. [9] The third point I wish to emphasise relates to the diversity in the ways in which these careers have been developed. I think this diversity illustrates the benefits of being flexible with your career plans. Often wonderful opportunities will appear unexpectedly. Being open to taking these unexpected opportunities as and when they arise can open other even more exciting career opportunities.

Despite Brexit and Trump, there are still many important and fulfilling opportunities in international law and there are amazing former UQ students who are prepared to help you make the most of these opportunities. Study hard and do the best you can academically and this will allow you to make the most of these opportunities. Thank you and good luck! 

[1] http://www.20essexst.com/member/belinda-mcrae - I believe that Belinda is currently on secondment to the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office. 

[2] All of the students who I mention by name in this address worked extremely hard in the field of international law at UQ and achieved excellent academic outcomes and nothing should be implied regarding the academic results they achieved at UQ, other than that they studied international law diligently at UQ.

[3] See, for example, https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/features/5734-So-you-want-to-be-an-international- lawyer-, https://cicj.org/2016/11/amp-session-with-melinda-taylor-on-10-november/ and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melinda_Taylor.

[4] Although after establishing herself in The Hague, Melinda obtained a Masters degree in the UK.

[5] https://www.matrixlaw.co.uk/member/michelle-butler/ 

[6] http://www.4newsquare.com/barristers/katherine-del-mar/

[7] http://www.20essexst.com/member/kate-parlett

[8] https://www.freshfields.com/en-gb/contacts/find-a-lawyer/j/juratowitch-ben/ 

[9] https://www.facebook.com/uqils/