From home in North Queensland to studying law in the Deep South of the US, Georgie Juszczyk's experience as a student at The Australian National University (ANU) College of Law has opened doors she never imagined.

During her time at the ANU, Georgie studied a Bachelor of International Security Studies/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and was also the recipient of the Dean’s Certificate for International Trade Law and the Phillipa Weeks Scholarship for rural and regional students.

In this Q&A Georgie reflects on her time at ANU College of Law and highlights how her decision to study at the ANU was made possible by the Phillipa Weeks Scholarship.

1. What have been some of your most memorable experiences of your ANU Law degree?

Travelling to Tuscaloosa, Alabama under the tutelage of Dr Heather Roberts (ANU College of Law) and Professor Heather Elliot (University of Alabama School of Law), where grits, sweet tea and knowledge about the United States legal system were consumed in equal measure; scrawling diagrams on whiteboards while having heated debates about the meaning of case law during revision periods for exams; getting my daily dose of sunlight on the Kambri lawns, at the epicentre of the student hustle and bustle; applying my degree in internships with the Attorney-General’s Department and the Kimberley Community Legal Service, which challenged me in equally difficult but different ways; listening raptly to the speeches of visiting judges, and challenging myself to produce a thesis paper with the ever-patient Dr Imogen Saunders (ANU College of Law).

2. How have your lecturers prepared you for success in life beyond law school?

Lecturers at the ANU College of Law have taught me how to think critically, ask the right questions, communicate clearly and concisely, and indulge my curiosity.

More importantly, my lecturers have prepared me for success in life beyond law school by acting as both models and mentors. By sharing their expertise and life experiences, lecturers have exposed me to the myriad ways to be a ‘successful lawyer’ and have challenged me to always develop myself both professionally and personally.

3. And finally, as our Phillipa Weeks Scholar, how do you hope to continue celebrating her legacy in your next steps?

I am proud to graduate as a Phillipa Weeks Scholar, as a regional student and the first in my family to achieve a qualification in tertiary education. Without the support of the Phillipa Weeks Scholarship, I would not have attended ANU.

I hope to do justice to the legacy of a woman who was, by all accounts, as warm and compassionate as she was a brilliant legal mind. I have always appreciated the scholarship’s emphasis on developing not just one’s technical legal knowledge but also fostering young lawyers with compassion, integrity, and a genuine joy for learning and practising the law.

Find out more about the Phillipa Weeks Scholarship here.