Legal Studies Incursion

On Thursday 17 June almost 100 students from across Years 10, 11 and 12 attended an in-school presentation from a panel of legal professionals about careers in the law. 

The panel consisted of Justice Pamela Tate (Victorian Court of Appeal), Ms Julie Freeman (Assistant Victorian Government Solicitor), Ms Ingrid Giles and Ms Katrina Sonneveld (Legal Counsel, Victorian Coroners Court), Sergeant Eva Semertzidis (Prosecutor, Victoria Police) and Muhamed Bektic (2019 Victoria University Secondary College student and Hall & Wilcox scholarship recipient who is currently studying law at Victoria University).

Following presentations from the legal panel, students were given an opportunity to ask questions and then to talk more informally with the presenters over afternoon tea. 

The purpose of the panel event was to open students’ eyes to the wide range of career options available in the field of law, as well as to share with them the stories of how the panel members made their educational and career choices. The students really enjoyed and benefited from this experience. 

Typical of the feedback was this comment from one Year 11 Legal Studies student:

“I really enjoyed hearing everyone’s experiences and stories and it was really comforting and helpful knowing that many members of the panel changed their mind about what career they wanted to pursue. Everyone was very well-spoken and engaging. Thank you for sharing your experiences.”

The panel members were very complimentary about our students, with Justice Tate sending an email after the event in which she congratulated the students as being “remarkably well behaved and keen to listen”. Sergeant Semertzidis has also expressed an interest in coming to talk to our Legal Studies students about prosecutions and sentencing in the Magistrates’ Court, so we look forward to welcoming her back to the school in Term 3.

Mr Anderson

Legal Studies Teacher