How far can studying law at the ANU take you?  

Nick Bradman’s (BPPE ‘23, LLB (Hons) ‘23) ANU journey took him from Canberra to Myanmar, Japan, Norway, and soon, to the United Kingdom.  

Later this year, Nick will undertake a Master of Laws (the BCL) at the University of Oxford, having been awarded a Sir John Monash Scholarship – one of Australia’s most prestigious postgraduate scholarships. The scholarship, worth up to $100,000 AUD per year plus travel support, enables study in any field at any university.  

In addition to offering a world-class learning experience, Nick credits his time at ANU to opening doors to incredible professional opportunities: serving as an associate to a justice of the High Court of Australia, working for a cabinet minister, and practising as a lawyer at a leading global law firm.   

Reflecting on his time at ANU, Nick shares several formative experiences that shaped both his worldview and career ambitions – and ultimately propelled him to this achievement. 

Seizing opportunities  

For Nick, relocating from Adelaide to study in Canberra meant embracing uncertainty and seizing the opportunity to explore the world beyond his comfort zone. “When you move interstate for study, you get to acquire a new circle of friends, take up new hobbies, experience new places” he says.  

Nick’s interests in law, politics and policy were central to his decision to study at the ANU, the national university located in Australia’s bush capital.  

But despite everything Canberra had to offer, Nick says many of the most defining experiences of his ANU journey occurred thousands of kilometres away. This included undertaking an International Alliance of Research University course in Japan, completing a six-month exchange in Norway, and volunteering in Myanmar. 

Building a global outlook  

Time overseas proved to be a highlight of Nick’s law school experience. ANU’s Myanmar Law Clinic stands out to Nick in particular. The program took Nick and his peers to Taunggyi University in Myanmar. There, they supported local students in developing their legal skills, aiming to promote access to justice and the rule of law through legal education, as well as to build cross-cultural ties between Australia and Myanmar.    

The trip also included a visit to Myanmar’s national parliament and the Attorney-General’s Department, to which Nick and his peers were the first foreign students granted access. 

Nick, his ANU law peers, and their students at Taunggyi University  (photo provided by Nick Bradman) 

The clinic deepened Nick’s understanding of Myanmar’s complex legal education landscape, which was impacted by political interference and a heavy reliance on rote learning.   

“We aimed to expose students to interactive teaching methods that promoted critical thinking and a healthy scepticism of authority,” Nick explains.  

Over three weeks, Nick and his ANU peers engaged in lively discussions with their students on topics such as jury trials, legalising same-sex marriage, Australia’s abolition of the death penalty, and trias politica i.e.the separation of powers. At times, these conversations took place under the watchful presence of a military officer patrolling the university corridors.  

As much as Nick gained from his time in Myanmar, the country’s ongoing fight for democracy and fragile legal institutions also underscored to him that “we are very lucky to call Australia home”.  

Keeping things in perspective and growing through adversity 

Nick’s exchange experience at the University of Oslo in Norway offered a very different series of lessons. 

One was simply that a Canberra winter doesn’t equip you for a Norwegian one. “Even Canberra had not prepared for how cold minus 15 would feel!”

A deeper lesson came towards the end of Nick’s exchange when he found himself hospitalised, during the middle of his exam period, with an undiagnosed autoimmune condition.  

“Spending the night in a Norwegian hospital before getting diagnosed with a lifelong health condition was definitely the nadir of my exchange”, he reflects. “At the same time, it brought some relief because it provided some answers as to why I’d been feeling unwell for some time”.  

Nick also derived value from the experience as a reminder of the importance of keeping things in perspective – that “there are so many things important in life beyond results, accolades, or whatever other external yardsticks against which we might assess ourselves”.   

That challenge notwithstanding, Nick also still remembers fondly many parts of exchange – including seeing the northern lights, experiencing cross-country skiing, and interviewing the former Chief Justice of Norway, Carsten Smith.  

“I particularly enjoyed learning about Carsten’s roles as the first chair of the Sámi Rights Commission and as a leading advocate for Norway’s Sámi Parliament”, Nick says. As a result of these institutions, Norway’s indigenous Sámi people have gained the opportunity to influence relevant decision-making that affects their communities.  

Nick at Oslo’s ski-jumping festival (photo provided by Nick Bradman)

Being kind to yourself during the journey 

Looking back, Nick describes his law school journey candidly. 

“Law school can seem overwhelming when you’re in the thick of it, and it’s very easy to fall into self-doubt.” 

“I still remember thinking that I must have been out of my depth at law school when, in my very first tutorial, another student talked about their work in a conveyancing* law firm. To my dismay at the time, it seemed as though I was the only one in the class who had no idea what ‘conveyancing’ was!” 

“While it’s quite common to feel anxious about ways in which you think you’re falling short when compared to others – I certainly did at times – it’s important not to get bogged down by these thoughts”. 

Nick’s advice to law students is straightforward: focus on putting one foot in front of the other, be kind to yourself during the journey, and make the most of the opportunities at ANU Law School, even those that feel intimidating.  

Ultimately, following that approach was what led Nick to securing the Sir John Monash Scholarship – an achievement that wasn’t the outcome of some “perfectly mapped-out plan” but, he says, “the cumulative result of many serendipitous opportunities and, of course, a lot of good luck”.  

“Opportunities snowball in ways you can’t predict”, Nick says. “ANU provides so many opportunities for students to get that ball rolling”. 

*the branch of law concerned with the preparation of documents for the transfer of real property.