Annual First Year High Achievers Awards Night

The Director of Academic Program, First Year, Sandy Noakes, in the School of Law, hosted our annual First Year High Achievers awards at Parramatta South campus on Monday 26th of August.

This event, which is a key engagement and retention initiative in the Law School, celebrates the achievements of our law students in their first semester of their law studies, and provides them with an opportunity to meet each other, their academics, and members of the legal profession. Our keynote speaker was Brett McGrath, the 2024 President of the NSW Law Society, and the first WSU law graduate to hold that position. Brett inspired our students by discussing his pathway from WSU law graduate to his current role, and why the practical, real world experiences gained by students in the law program at WSU is so attractive to employers.

Students were also treated to a surprise address by His Honour Justice Michael Kirby, who very generously took time out of his busy schedule to attend this event and congratulate our high achieving students. Many of our students do not come to the study of law from a long line of solicitors and barristers. Many have never met a lawyer before. That a former High Court judge would travel to Parramatta to celebrate their achievement was a profoundly important signal to them that they have a place in the profession.

Thank you to our Dean, Professor Catherine Renshaw, and Deputy Dean, Elen Seymour, for their ongoing support of all things first year, and to our amazing professional staff team, Dylan Conceicao, Adrian Buckland and Sahaana Kalaruban for their support of this event.