Legal Studies - Court Visit and Law Talks

On Thursday, August 1st, the Mac.Rob Unit 3/4 Legal Studies class was fortunate to be invited to the first Law Talks event to be held since the pandemic. The Law Institute of Victoria holds these events to give students the chance to hear directly from participants in the legal system, and to have an opportunity to ask questions relating to their course or their career aspirations.

We began the day by visiting the busiest court in Victoria, the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court, where students saw a wide range of cases — from the sentencing of a teenager who drunk-drove his Mum’s car into a shop, to a committal hearing for a man accused of possession of drugs that were found in his apartment, but he says were his partner’s.

We then headed across to the County Court, where we were met by the Juries Commissioner, Paul Dore. Students saw the jury pool area, before being escorted up to the biggest courtroom in Victoria. Commissioner Dore answered a range of questions and described some questionable behaviour by juries over the years — but was confident that the system identifies those problems.

Next up were two barristers representing the Victorian Bar, who discussed their educational and career pathways, their varied legal practices and experiences, and answered a wide range of questions from students.

Legal Studies students with former Attorney-General, Rob Hulls, in the County Court.

The final speaker was Rob Hulls, who talked about the importance of persistence and how a legal career can be a great way to have a social impact. As Attorney-General, Mr Hulls introduced many of the institutions we study today, including the Victorian Koori Court, the Drug Court, and the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. He encouraged students to follow their passions and to think about how they can improve society for the least fortunate.

Mr. Robert Corr | Legal Studies Teacher