Law student Christopher Skoglund is looking forward to putting his enthusiasm for Commonwealth Constitutional Law into practice when he interns in the Australian Government’s top legal offices later this year.

The 2018 Leslie Zines Scholarship recipient will be based in the Attorney-General’s Department for 10 weeks – five in the Office of Constitutional Law and five in the Office of General Counsel in the Australian Government Solicitor.

“I applied for the scholarship because I’m passionate about public law and I particularly enjoyed studying Commonwealth Constitutional Law last year,” the Juris Doctor student says.

“I’m looking forward to grappling with some key contemporary constitutional law issues, possibly with an eye to developing a research topic for my capstone next year.

“More broadly, given that I hope to apply for the Attorney-General’s Department Graduate Program when I finish my studies, I’m grateful for the chance to get a sample of the pace and tenor of working for the Department.

“This is an invaluable opportunity to gain professional experience which is not afforded to many law students.”

As Christopher was ineligible to apply when he saw it promoted in 2017, he was determined to apply this year.

“I anticipate that the internship will enrich my studies by exposing me to real-world application of public and constitutional law issues,” he says.

“These areas of law can sometimes feel quite abstract and academic when we study them in the classroom, so I look forward to gaining insight into more practical aspects of Australia’s constitutional framework.

“I feel very lucky to be studying at a law school that offers these sorts of opportunities.

“I also owe a debt of gratitude to Dr Heather Roberts, whose lectures last year sparked my passion for constitutional law, and who encouraged me to apply for the scholarship when it was first announced.”