It was 2017 when Natasha Moir first left her hometown of Sydney and ventured to Canberra to study a Bachelor of International Relations at The Australian National University (ANU).

Little did she know that this move would mark the beginning of a six-and-a-half year journey that would ultimately lead her to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts/Laws instead.

After her first semester at ANU, Natasha made the switch to a Bachelor of Arts, so that she could major in history.

However, it wasn’t until the end of her Arts degree when Natasha decided that she also wanted to study law.

“I had a number of friends study law at ANU who were a few years above me and really enjoyed it,” she said.

“They mentioned the support the law school provides to students and the number of opportunities including clinics, internships and other practical skills courses which are not offered by a lot of other universities.”

“Getting practical experience is definitely the best way to learn.”

One of the ways in which Natasha gained real-world experience during the course of her degree was through our Prison Legal Literacy Clinic.

“It was the best course and certainly the most memorable experience of my time at the ANU College of Law,” she said.

“The clinic was hands-on and practical and the opportunity we were given to work with Fitzroy Legal Service to draft some resources for people in prison in Victoria was invaluable.”

Natasha said that working with the course convenor, Sarouche Razi, was a “great experience”.

“The research and work he has done across Australia is inspiring,” she said.

“His approach as a teacher was nothing I have experienced before at law school, so I would recommend to any students to learn from him where possible.”

Based off her own experiences, Natasha advises future ANU Law students to seize the opportunity to “get as much practical experience at law school as you can.”

“Intern, do a clinic and stay in touch with course convenors who may want some assistance with research,” she said.

“I would argue these practical experiences are the best way to work out which area of law interests you the most.”

For Natasha, she has found that she is most interested in criminal law, legal policy and reform.

These interests have been reaffirmed by Natasha’s experiences working at Legal Aid ACT throughout the course of her law degree.  

“The last few years studying and working in the legal sector has solidified for me that law is the career I want to pursue,” she said.

After six-and-a-half years of study, Natasha will graduate from ANU on Wednesday 12 July 2023 and embark on a well-deserved vacation before continuing her important work in criminal law.