Congratulations on receiving the University Medal and the Tillyard Prize. What do these recognitions mean to you?

I’m very honoured to have received these awards. I have been the beneficiary of tremendous good fortune in my circumstances of birth, my education, my health, and many other areas. It’s been a privilege to find ways to pay some small amount of that good fortune forward through my involvement with university life and the Regional Education Support Network (RESN). For students who have the time, I think it’s incredibly important to seek out ways to make a difference in areas that matter to them. 

Why did you choose to study at ANU?

I was drawn to how, as the national university, ANU’s student body is made up of people from all around the country. For someone who grew up in Sydney, learning with peers from across Australia was an exciting prospect. I was also fortunate to receive a Tuckwell Scholarship, which supported me to study away from home. 

What have been some of your highlights studying at the ANU Law School?

The friends I’ve made through law school have absolutely been the highlight of my time at ANU. The Law School is full of bright, engaging people, and many of my closest friends are peers from my law cohort. Alongside making these friends, the Law School’s diverse offering of public law electives have been another highlight. By taking these courses, I’ve been able to explore and deepen my interests in public law and governance. 

Have there been any academics who were particularly influential to you throughout your law studies?

There are so many outstanding academics at the College of Law from whom I’ve had the privilege of learning. In particular, Ron Levy opened my eyes to the world of constitutional theory and deliberative democracy. His teaching and scholarship have been extremely influential on my own views. Leighton McDonald, my Honours thesis supervisor, helped me mature immensely as a scholar and political philosopher in only a single semester of supervision. Finally, Kieran Pender showed me and his other students that we can use law to fight the good fight. 

Have there been any challenging moments? How did you overcome these?

Completing my first two years of study in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic was certainly a challenging experience. As I’ve mentioned, having friends in my cohort who were going through the same experience made it a lot more bearable. We were able to support each other both inside and outside the classroom. But, although being locked down in my college room for a week wasn’t very fun, I did like getting room service three times a day!
 

What is your advice for prospective law students?

Don’t let law school consume your life! It’s completely possible to be a passionate, successful law student while still enjoying everything else that university life has to offer — and there’s so much to take advantage of. In my experience, I performed better in my studies — and enjoyed them more — when they were counterbalanced with a variety of other hobbies and activities. 

What is next for you beyond graduation?

I’m taking the first half of 2025 off to travel and visit family before I commence as a Tipstaff at the New South Wales Court of Appeal.