Hamza Muhammad did not intend to study law. 

A small business owner, Hamza realised that the law was a field he often came across in his day-to-day work.  

“The field of law can be daunting to anyone who lacks its knowledge. It is an important field for any business owner,” said Hamza. 

Motivated to upskill, he applied for the Master of Laws (LLM) at ANU.

“The ANU College of Law is rated among the top in Australia and globally, so I decided to study there.”

“At ANU I was provided with the flexibility to choose the subjects that interest me and will benefit me as a business owner.”

During his LLM, Hamza gained in-depth knowledge of specific subjects and met some inspiring people along the way. 

A notable highlight was attending a High Court sitting for Automotive Invest Pty Limited v Commissioner of Taxation [2024] HCA 36, enabled by the University’s close proximity to the High Court of Australia and other institutions of the Australian legal system. 

“I spent my day watching both parties present their cases and applying the rules of the applicable statute to back up their arguments. I also saw various High Court Justices in action, including Chief Justice Stephen Gageler AC, whose decisions and articles I have been reading during my years at law school.”

“The experience at the High Court was one that I will never forget.”

However, Hamza found that studying law while running a small business presented its own unique challenges. 

“I found balancing work, study and sports to be the main challenge. I was fortunate enough to take the LLM on a part-time basis.”

“Studying part-time allowed me to go in-depth with course readings and complete optional ones. I found going in-depth with my readings made a substantial difference to my learning experience.”

Hamza encourages anyone thinking of upskilling to take the plunge.

“Our brain doesn't stop learning as long as we force it to. I plan to pursue further studies to keep my mind open and positively contribute to my lines of work.”