A law student from Bendigo has received a prestigious award from the Supreme Court in recognition of his top academic performance.
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La Trobe University Bendigo student Samuel Taylor said he started in the legal world ‘by just having a go’.
“First I did a degree in business and I remember there were a lot of my friends doing law and I thought that it couldn't be further away from what I wanted to do,” Mr Taylor said.
After taking advantage of a chance opportunity to work as a clerk at O’Sullivan Johanson Lawyers, Samuel decided to undertake a Bachelor of Laws at La Trobe University’s Bendigo campus.
“That is how I started, with no background or interest in law and I’ve learned to love it on the go,” Mr Taylor said.
“I had to get in there and figure out if I liked it or not.
“You might like the idea of something, but you don’t know what it’s going to be like until you experience it.”
One of the major benefits for Samuel throughout his time at La Trobe University was to be able to pair his area of study with industry experience at O’Sullivan Johanson Lawyers.
“There are a lot of mature age students working while studying, it definitely made the course a bit easier,” he said.
“If you have already been working in law it gives you a head start in the course and a greater understanding behind what you’re doing.”
O’Sullivan Johanson Lawyers owner Michelle O’Sullivan was pleased they provided Samuel with the opportunity to work within a legal practice while he studied.
“Through the experience of the real world and studying cases at university he has been able to see many similarities between his work practices and academic work,” Ms O’Sullivan said.
“To be able to contrast between the two and learn both will put him well ahead because he has the experience of both worlds.”
Head of La Trobe’s Law School Professor Patrick Keyzer said it was an extraordinary achievement for Sam to be awarded.
“Sam was awarded the prize because his grade point average was the top of every law student in the cohort across the Bendigo and Melbourne campuses,” Professor Keyzer said.
The Supreme Court awards a prize to the top student from each law school from across the state.
“Sam’s achievement also makes it clear that students in our Bendigo Law Program have the skills and the opportunities to achieve at the highest level,” Professor Keyzer said.
Samuel was presented with the award by Chief Justice of Victoria Anne Ferguson at the Supreme Court last Wednesday.
Throughout Samuel’s journey he had support from his employer, university and family, but more importantly from his wife Kirsty and 12-month-old son Harry.
“My wife has been the biggest support,” Mr Taylor said.
Now that Samuel has graduated he plans to stay in Bendigo and continue his work at O’Sullivan Johanson as a trainee lawyer.
