During the long holiday of the Oxford year, many academics make their way across the world for conferences. In Melbourne there was a Public Law conference followed by the Obligations IX conference. This allowed for the Dean to meet up with both Melbourne and then Sydney alumni during her Australian travels.
On 13 July, White & Case hosted a reception in their Melbourne Office. Recent graduates of the BCL and MLF met up with Vinerians, Michael Hoyle and Mark Weinberg to share stories and compare experiences of their year in Oxford. Premala Thiagarajan spoke of being one of the only Australian women in Her BCL 2005 class. Julia Wang and Christopher Lum compared their experiences of Associate to the Supreme Court of Victoria. The Bar was well represented as were other law firms.
On 18 July, Allen & Overy In Sydney opened their doors to Oxford alumni. Naomi Orb, also a Vinerian, told of the challenges of balancing being a new mother with her work at the Bar. New barristers of eight weeks standing, Rhea Thrift and Kate Lindeman told of excitement that the challenges of working in chambers offered, especially when working with more senior Oxford graduates. Kathryn Wood enthusiastically spoke of her work as Director of Gas for the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Michael Christie and Robert Laurie recalled their days in Hertford while Alexander Roche admitted not knowing the St Cross Building and the Law Faculty as it hadn’t been built when he attended New College to study law.
The unifying voice in both events was that their time in Oxford was both demanding and rewarding in ways that the legal profession of Australia celebrates upon their return.
