The pathway to studying law and embarking on a legal career can take many different routes, some with more hurdles than others.

For Laura Fox, a Bachelor of Arts/Laws (Hons) student at The Australian National University (ANU), her personal experiences have guided her journey towards becoming a lawyer and advocate for people experiencing complex family law matters—with a particular interest in family violence.

Laura’s experiences of poverty and homelessness meant she wasn’t able to take the traditional pathway into tertiary education, but her tenacity and personal interest in justice issues have catapulted her life into not only a new career, but something that she feels aligns with her “own moral and ethical values”.

“Working with women and people from disenfranchised backgrounds forms the backbone of not only my own personal history but the type of work I want to do in the future,” Laura said.

“I have always been a fierce advocate for the underdog and enjoy helping people navigate situations that can be really difficult and sometimes traumatising. I think its important that as a professional, we deliver trauma-informed services and try to make situations as less stressful as possible.”

“I saw law, gender studies and philosophy as basically the three pillars that would inform my career, and ANU was the best pathway to reaching that goal.”

Embarking on a new path

Laura was inspired to study law while completing a private investigation course in Melbourne in 2017. It was there that she met her first mentor, Richard James—an expert in investigating cases that would often end up in the courts.

“Richard was the first person to tell me that I was selling myself short, and that I have the intelligence to aim higher,” she said. “As someone who had grown up being told that I was ‘too dumb’ for higher education, this was the lightbulb moment I needed. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for his words.”

This eventually led Laura to enrol at ANU as a mature-age student.

As a mature undergraduate student, Laura initially found it challenging to connect with her peers at ANU.

“It’s difficult to connect with others when you come from a background that is so far removed from the average student,” she said. “People don’t speak about the privilege of having the opportunity to go straight from high school to higher education, but it is a privilege—and it’s one that not everyone in life has.”

“I think it’s important to acknowledge that fact and recognise that if you’re born with less privileges than others, that doesn’t mean that you’re any less deserving of a place at ANU.”

Law school experiences

Since commencing her undergraduate studies, Laura’s favourite course has been Legal Justice Ethics with Associate Professor Jonathan Liljeblad.

“Dr Liljeblad is such a great teacher and super engaging, he’s able to bring some really great anecdotes to his teaching and he was great at raising student’s awareness about the legal issues faced by people who are marginalised and experience forms of disenfranchisement.” she said.

Laura also has immense respect for her Contracts lecturer, Dr Damian Clifford.

“It's really clear that he cares about student's doing well in his course and taking the time to go over and explain answers and ensure that those who are in his course have all the right tools to do well,” she said.

“He's well-organised and his lectures are presented in a way that is not only very clear, but engaging as well.”

Finding balance and solace

While at ANU, Laura has found scheduling her time, looking after her health and honing her organisational skills to be helpful in balancing her full-time studies with working part-time in the public service. 

“I thought I was organised before, but I needed to level-up to manage everything. I now use calendars, Trello and task-boards to keep track of my workflow.” Laura said. “My advice would be to find a system that works for you, early on.”

For Laura, this has sometimes meant finding solace in one of the quiet rooms on Level 1 of the Chifley library, where she can dim the lights and focus on her studies as a neurodivergent student.

Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) after her first year of study at ANU, Laura has found it helpful to better understand her learning process and to not beat herself up if she “doesn't fit the traditional mould of a law student”.

“That diagnosis helped me understand how I learn, and what accommodations I needed to succeed,” she said. “It’s important to understand your capacities early on, and don’t feel ashamed for seeking the support you need to perform well.”

Looking to the future

Laura’s advice for future ANU Law students is to not allow your grades to “define your worth or your abilities and access to future opportunities”.

“I really struggled with this early on; but the opportunities are out there, and they’re not dependent on being a straight HD student—but rather the skills, experience and personal attributes you’re able to bring to a role,” she said.

After graduation, Laura plans to move back to Melbourne and find a role in family law.

“I worked with some really incredible family lawyers as part of my role at the Law Institute of Victoria, and I’d love to work with them again in the future if the opportunity arose,” she said.

“Women’s Legal Service Victoria or a Community Legal Centre is where I would be the most interested, as I feel working with the community and women experiencing family violence is an area I would thrive in.”

“I also have plans to pursue future studies, such as a Master of Laws in Applied Family Law, and eventually a Master of Business Administration.”

“My long-term goal is start my own family law firm—but that's quite far in the future. For now I’m just focusing on enjoying my studies.”