OGA News 

From Student to Solicitor: Old Girtonian, Liam Radford returns to share his path to family law

Liam Radford attended Girton from Prep to Year 12, graduating in 2018. He recently returned to Girton as a guest speaker at the OGA Careers Event, sharing his path from student to family lawyer at OFRM Lawyers.

In VCE, Liam studied English Language, Maths Methods, Global Politics, Legal Studies,

 Chemistry and Sociology. When asked who his most influential teachers were, Liam credits his Year 12 Legal Studies teacher, Ms Libby Paul, a former lawyer, with sparking his interest in law. He also points to the pastoral care of Mr Martin, Mrs Knowles and Mr Crickmore "who challenged me and encouraged me to be my best self", and the humanities and English teaching of Mrs Downing, Ms Dempster and Mr Vehlen, as lasting influences on his time at Girton.

After Girton, Liam completed a double degree in Arts/Law (Honours) at Monash University, majoring in Sociology and minoring in Linguistics, followed by a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice at the Leo Cussen Centre for Law. His studies took him further afield too, including an intensive unit on sustainable development in Mumbai and one on European Human Rights Law in Tuscany. 

He also contributed to the Handbook on Universal Jurisdiction: Holding the Taliban Accountable for International Crimes, published following the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

Liam's connection to OFRM Lawyers goes back to work experience in Year 10. He returned to the firm during school breaks and university, working part-time in conveyancing and property law before moving into the family law team. He now works between Melbourne and Bendigo, having bought a house in Bendigo in 2025.

Reflecting on his career, Liam says the variety is what he loves most — one day might involve appearing in court, meeting clients, attending mediations or drafting court documents.

Did you think you would end up where you are now?

"When I started Year 12, I had no idea what I wanted to do - so I studied Methods and Chemistry to keep my options open. I always preferred humanities subjects and so I ended Year 12 thinking a law degree would best match my skill set and passions, but I had no idea what that would look like or where I wanted to take that. I knew I didn't want to be a corporate lawyer working for a big firm in the CBD every day and knew I wanted to be in a people-facing job and helping people. Only after university did I realise that being a family lawyer would perfectly embody all of those things."

Outside work, Liam has travelled extensively, including trips to Mumbai and Tuscany for study, and to Galle, Sri Lanka, where he watched Steve Smith bring up his 10,000th test cricket run.

Upcoming reunions: Save the date!

The Old Girtonian's Association (OGA) is thrilled to reveal our upcoming reunions for 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40 and 60 years that are scheduled for the 2026 calendar year. 

If you know past students or teachers from these cohorts, please help spread the word about these enjoyable events.