QUT Law Founders’ scholarship recipients were given the opportunity to engage with a diverse panel of members from the judiciary and legal profession at the recent Law Founders’ Scholarship Fund Breakfast.
Held in the Bar Common Room at the Inns of Court last week the 2021 recipients were officially awarded their certificates in the presence of members of the legal profession and previous recipients.
Luke Mountford, Chair of QUT Law Founders’ Scholarship Committee and Partner at HopgoodGanim presented the certificates to the 2021 recipients: Zeke Maguire, Grace Blake, Jessalyn Comerford, and Yohanna Longa.
Chris Fitzpatrick, Chair of BCL (Barristers Chambers Ltd), generously hosted the event and provided the welcome address.
Guest speakers included District Court Judges: Chief Judge Brian Devereaux SC CDCJ, Judge Deborah Richards DCJ, Judge Katie McGinness DCJ, and Judge Geraldine Dann DCJ. Their Honours provided valuable advice for pursuing a career in law, trusting the career journey, and the importance of pursuing interests outside of law to preserve a sense of self beyond work.
2021 recipient Grace Blake studying a Bachelor of Business/Bachelor of Laws (Honours) shared her thoughts from the day.
"It was an incredibly humbling experience and a rare opportunity to engage with several leading professionals in the legal industry. The panel were very warm, welcoming, and approachable. I am very grateful and appreciative to those that took the time to invest in a small way in my ongoing academic studies and future career endeavours."
She added,
“Thanks to the incredible generosity of the Law Founders Scholarship and subsequent donors, I am one step closer to achieving my childhood dream of practising law. The scholarship has relieved a lot of the financial pressures associated with academic studies. The mentor program that forms part of the scholarship will also offer invaluable support and guidance as I navigate and shape my legal career. I hope to one day be admitted to the bar and do justice to the incredible opportunity I feel so privileged to have been given.”
A passionate
advocate and longstanding committee member of the Law Founders’ Scholarship fund, Justice Kerri Mellifont was also in attendance. Her Honour has recently stood down from the committee in light of her appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. Luke Mountford and Professor Dan Hunter both expressed their gratitude for Her Honour's years of service to the committee.
Established in 2000, the fund has provided almost 100 students with financial assistance and one-on-one mentoring and networking support. Many recipients have since established successful professional careers.
QUT School of Law would like to thank everyone who attended, including donors HopgoodGanim represented by Luke Mountford, and Corrs Chambers Westgarth represented by Scott Smout and Brent Lillywhite. Whilst numbers were limited due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Law School acknowledges the entire Law Founders’ community that makes the scholarship program possible.
If you would like to donate to the QUT Law Founders' Scholarship fund, visit the donation page here. Every donation over $2 is tax deductible and can make a significant difference for QUT Law students in need. To find out more about the QUT Law Founders’ scholarship, visit the website.
Interested in the how the scholarships have impacted recipients? Read Freya, Duku, and Cassandra's stories.
