What I Did / What I Do

VIRGINIA WARREN

“We’re a depressed lot, lawyers.”

I am a partner in a general legal practice on the Mornington Peninsula. I’m also a registered yoga teacher and a writer.

In my law practice, I primarily work in the areas of family law, commercial law, wills and estates. The work is varied and addresses the community needs. Working in a smaller practice, offers greater lifestyle benefits than that of our city colleagues.

I discovered yoga accidentally in the literal sense and I will now also say that I accidentally became a lawyer. Continue reading →

IAN FRECKELTON

“The life of a barrister is, and should be, a passionate and accountable life.”

I am a barrister, a Queen’s Counsel, working from Melbourne but doing cases throughout Australia. And ‘by night’ I am a Professorial Fellow of Law and Psychiatry – a Professor – at the University of Melbourne.

Two subjects that have fascinated me since the time I was at school have been law and medicine. When I studied at the University of Sydney in the late 1970s and 1980s, I did a combined Arts/Law degree. However, I decided to transfer to medicine at the end of first year, along with a good friend of mine. I was none too inspired by my first law subject.

All the arrangements were made, and then my friend was killed by a truck. Continue reading →

DONALD GORDON

“I recall a very interesting case where a funeral parlour was being operated from a home.”

I am a senior instructor and course leader for legal practice at Victoria University, director on a Victorian government board, law author and run my own law firm.

I was born in Fiji. My father grew up in a very poor rural farming community, he was very studious and bright, which saw him cross the ocean by boat to England, where he studied to be a lawyer through London University and the Middle Temple. He instilled in me the value of education and hard work.

Tragically my father passed away a few days before my tenth birthday in Fiji. Continue reading →

MATTHEW KARAKOULAKIS

“My wife is Brazilian, my father is Greek, and my mother is Aboriginal.”

I am the principal solicitor at my firm AMK Law.

I knew I wanted to be a lawyer from an early age. I was drawn to it because of the influence I believed lawyers wielded, and their ability to prevent others from being pushed around. I liked the idea of being able to take a strong stand and defend my views.

After high school I did a double degree at Flinders University – Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice & Bachelor of Commerce. As part of my university study, I had to get my Practical Legal Training (PLT) done. This is a final step that teaches law students the practical side of working in law: dealing with clients, business aspects, administration and record keeping requirements. Continue reading →

KARA BRAMHAM

“You have to prove yourself as a young lawyer. You have to show that you’re not overly emotionally involved, that you’re tough and you’re switched on.”

I am a lawyer.

My dad is a lawyer, so I’ve always been fascinated with his work. I loved legal studies at school, so after high school I went straight into law at Deakin University to follow in my dad’s footsteps. I did a double degree in Commerce and Law, which was great for me, as the Commerce aspect broke up the tediousness of the law subjects.

Studying law was a lot tougher than I imagined; memorizing cases and learning how to apply principles in case law and sections within legislation to facts. Continue reading →

LACHLAN O’BRIEN

“When it comes to application time, people go into a frenzy, pumping out dozens of resumes and applications.”

I am a first-year lawyer at Hunt & Hunt Lawyers.

Even though I grew up around law, with my father and some other family being lawyers, I wasn’t 100% set on law as a kid. But I started doing Legal Studies in year 11, which got me hooked. Law controls so much of our lives, if you think about it: it governs the way people interact, how business is run – even how the country is run.

Because I didn’t have the marks to get straight into a Law degree, I decided to do a Bachelor of Legal Studies at Latrobe. It’s related to law, but more as a sociological study of law, which I thought would be interesting. Continue reading →

GARY BRILL

“It was my lucky break: ass, not class!”

Having sold my car dealership business, I am currently semi-retired, working on various property development projects.

From early childhood, I developed a drive to earn money. My dad and I lived in a one bedroom apartment, and instead of a car, he had a motorbike with a sidecar. We’d go camping, with our little old tent wedged between the bike and the sidecar, and I noticed other families arriving with cars and trailers, and bigger tents. We’d go walking and I’d note the lavish holiday homes we encountered.

All these things triggered something in me, and I became very materialistic from a young age, a trait that guided much of life – perhaps not for the best. Continue reading →

EUGENE DOLGIKH

“I might have actually helped to save a life through one of the safety messages I created.”

I am a writer, currently working as a Communications Advisor at the Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources (DEDJTR).

My family emigrated to Australia 25 years ago, when I was eight. From an early age, I enjoyed writing and literature. An early success that I can remember was winning a spelling contest in primary school, having been in the country for only 6 months. So it was nice to know that I’ve got a strength in a particular area. Continue reading →

PRODIP ROY

“If you need to, sell your blood. But never stop your child from attending school”.

I am a Library Officer (Digital Collections) Copyright, Digitisation and Repositories at the RMIT University in Melbourne.

My life was full of struggle since childhood. I was born in Bangladesh. My parents never encouraged me to go to school due to an extreme poverty in family; there was no food to eat every day, no money to buy study materials, pay school fees. I had to help my parents with farming to survive, and often my mother would tell me off for taking the time to study. Continue reading →

SAM KORBAN

“Your point of difference might be that you’re always available.”

I am a finance broker.

In high school, like most people, I had no idea what I wanted to do. Finance was the furthest thing from my mind. I graduated with marks that weren’t lousy, but weren’t great, either. I did a legal studies course at RMIT, thinking it may be a pathway to a law degree.

That didn’t quite work out. I started doing temp jobs at various law firms. Basically, I was carrying folders and filing for barristers. It was boring. Continue reading →