What did you study at undergraduate level and when did you graduate? What are you studying now? Are you studying and working at the same time?
My name is Courtney Murray, I am a Director of a virtual legal consultancy firm. I studied a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B) at Deakin University and I graduated in 2018. I am currently studying a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice with ANU.
What have been the most important stages of your life?
My education has been one of the most important parts of my life and completing my LL.B was a dream come true. I also have children and a partner who are the other most important things in my life. I look forward to sharing my educational knowledge with my children and completing tertiary study has opened up many doors for me professionally.
How did you get to your current (or most recent) job position and how long have you been working there?
I am currently self-employed and I have been working for myself for 6 months now.
What made you decide to progress with further study?
I am currently completing further study, my GDLP, in order to satisfy the conditions of the Legal Admissions Board for admission as an Australian Legal Practitioner. I feel it is necessary, so as to not waste the qualification I obtained at an undergraduate level. Had this been incorporated in my course I would not be studying at this time.
How did you choose your particular further study course (compared to others)? / Were you weighing up any alternative degrees or career pathways before choosing this qualification?
I chose to study the GDLP with ANU as the majority of course was able to be completed online. This flexibility that an online course provides is essential to me as I have family commitments as well as maintaining my business, so attending in person on a regular basis would just not be possible.
What was the process to get accepted into your course? What were the prerequisites?
To get accepted into the GDLP I had to, register for an online account with the university, submit a direct application through an applicant portal directly to the university. I then had to upload copies of my academic transcript and documents confirming my identity. Once this occurred I was made an offer a short time following submitting my application.
What does your study involve? Can you describe a typical day? (if it’s difficult to describe a typical day, tell us about the last thing you worked on?)
A typical day in the GDLP for me means getting up at 5:30 am, doing fine reading of course material for a few hours. I then go about my normal family and work commitment and resume studying again of a nighttime. The course involves online submission of activities, reading, preparation and liaising with other students via online forums.
Will this course be beneficial in your career? Where could you or others in your position go from here? Please explain your answer.
This course will be extremely beneficial to me going forward as it is a requirement for admission as an Australian Legal Practitioner. Should I not complete this course I will not be eligible for admission and my undergraduate degree effectively becomes redundant. People in my position go in to be lawyers or barristers.
What do you love the most about your course?
I love the online program, as well as the flexibility that being an online program provides for my professional and personal life. The course content is also interesting and relevant to the industry, and I feel as if I am actually working towards something rather than completing a course just for the sake of it.
What are the limitations of your course?
Course work must be completed on time and whilst that is a limitation, I believe that it is for a greater benefit to students that it is this way. This makes us as students more accountable as well as being more responsible for managing our time and ensuring we prioritise our commitments.
Which three pieces of advice would you give to a current undergraduate student? They don’t necessarily have to be related to your studies, or even to one’s professional life.