Our Graduates

I felt that there would have been little value in obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice that didn’t involve lots of real practice! Leo Cussen was unique in providing instruction and assessment via practical tasks reflecting real world scenarios. I was also attracted by the staff I met at Information Evenings who were passionate about passing on their experience to budding lawyers, not just focussed on making us tick boxes for admission. Knowing I was selecting the course with the most thorough preparation for a legal career was the main appeal.

I most enjoyed the skill development process with fellow trainees under the guidance of experienced barristers, solicitors and academics. I developed skills in advocacy, negotiation and even working with interpreters which has been helpful in my professional life. Outside the classroom the training opportunities were unique, from shadowing lawyers in various courts around Melbourne to performing in a moot opposite police prosecution trainees. The best part of the training was that it was varied, challenging and in-depth.

The course definitely made me feel more confident to enter the legal workforce. It was the perfect transition from university life of solo research and in depth analysis to the fast paced, and collaborative professional world.

Once I entered the workplace, the key to the transition was to draw on a wide range of skills. While university and internships assist in critical analysis and high-level research, the PTC at Leo Cussen also exposed me to professionals in all areas of law who gave me real world knowledge of ethical and strategic decision-making.

I obtained my first full time role after law school with the State Ombudsman in Western Australia. I worked on the front line dealing with enquiries from members of the public and investigating any one of the 300 WA Government departments and authorities in jurisdiction.

I am currently working as an Investigator/Concilliator
for the Australian Human Rights Commission.

I would recommend the Leo Cussen PTC to others, because the course provides all the grounding you need to explore where your actual professional legal interests lie. The Leo Cussen course introduced me to thought provoking guest speakers and a comprehensive raft of compulsory and elective options. Afterwards, I was best placed to make a prudent career choice, whether that be in the legal or non-legal sectors. I feel not only more confident in my own work but also about the choices I make in my career.