From work experience to the bar: alumnus making a difference

Western Sydney University alumnus Sebastian De Brennan holds a Bachelor of Commerce/Business and a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours), and a Masters of Law from Cambridge University. He is now a highly respected barrister with a wide-ranging practice and a strong commitment to justice, education, and public service.

After more than a decade working as a solicitor – including founding and running his own law firm in the Sydney CBD – Sebastian was admitted to the Bar in 2017.

Today, Sebastian regularly appears before juries as well as in judge-alone matters. His journey into the legal profession, however, began much earlier – when attending St Gregory’s College in Campbelltown.

"During Year 10 of high school, we were required to complete a week of work experience. Given my interests and subject choices, I remember the school careers adviser suggesting I apply for a placement at a law firm,” he recalls.

“After spending a full day walking up and down the Sydney CBD requesting a placement – and being repeatedly rebuffed – a floor manager at a set of barristers' chambers kindly agreed to take me on. As a result of that one-week placement, I was invited back to work as an assistant clerk during the school holidays. It was a wonderful opportunity for a 16-year-old, and I’m pleased to say I have maintained contact with several of the barristers and staff from that time.

"Although eons ago, that week had a lasting impact. I was fascinated by the work I observed – the focus on advocacy, the collegiality, and the challenge of helping clients in their time of need.”

While Sebastian has since worked on many complex and high-profile cases, he says the most rewarding moments often come well after a case has ended.

“Every now and then, I hear from former clients – sometimes years later – who have completely turned their lives around and gone on to achieve extraordinary things. Those moments are deeply gratifying. They serve as a powerful reminder of the role our legal system plays in rehabilitation and redemption. They also reinforce that, despite the very real pressures of the job, lawyers can make a lasting and positive difference in their clients’ lives.”

Reflecting on his time at Western Sydney University, Sebastian describes it as fantastic.

“The Law School at Macarthur was relatively new and therefore not ‘trapped by tradition’. Practitioners from Greater Western Sydney were consulted about what they wanted in law graduates, and – perhaps unsurprisingly – nearly all said they wanted graduates who could ‘hit the ground running.’ The University responded. Nearly every subject incorporated a practical skills component, which typically accounted for around 25 per cent of the assessment.”

“Whether it was running a hypothetical bail application before a real judge in the University’s moot court as part of Criminal Law, or participating in a live negotiation exercise in Dispute Resolution, the university went to great lengths to inculcate the knowledge, skills and abilities necessary to succeed in practice.”

Sebastian has also contributed to the next generation of legal professionals by teaching in both the Law School and the School of Criminology, remaining closely connected to the University and student community.

“Both have been great experiences. I particularly enjoyed the diversity of views that abounded during classroom discussion. Two-thirds of Western Sydney University students are the first in their family to attend university. The University also has the largest number of students from low socioeconomic backgrounds and the largest number of students from non-English-speaking backgrounds in Australia. With a heterogenous makeup of that kind, any classroom discussion about the merits of our legal system (or not!) was likely to be thought-provoking, far-reaching and engaging. “

Sebastian encourages law students to broaden their horizons through international opportunities.

“Do a student exchange! I had the opportunity to undertake a student exchange at Osgoode Hall Law School in Canada. Apart from being a great deal of fun, in nearly every job interview I went for, I was asked about it.”

“Participating in an international student exchange broadens your perspective, leads to long-lasting friendships and professional networks, and gives you a competitive edge in your future career.”

The University’s School of Law, celebrating its 30^th anniversary this year, is shaping the next generation of legal professionals by providing students with practical, hands-on experience in advocacy and legal reasoning.

ENDS

24 July 2025

Media Unit