Navigating the land of law

Dacia Abela credits her early career success to the volunteer work, internships, and practical study approach she experienced at VU. She has her sights set on being admitted as a lawyer and working in the area of social justice.

"I chose VU because of the fantastic opportunities available through industry connections, and the fact that the law school is situated within the legal precinct. During my degree I volunteered at Footscray Community Legal Centre, which drove my passion for social justice. I later took up a volunteer position at Wyndham Legal Service (now WEstJustice) and ended up gaining experience in various areas. I was able to use this experience as a credit for one of my subjects and I continue to volunteer with WEstJustice today.

I was also lucky enough to have completed a subject in the Czech Republic, which was one of the most amazing experiences of my degree. I visited the Czech Constitutional Court, the United Nations in Vienna, Budapest Parliament, and an international human rights law firm. This was credited on my university transcript.

Additionally, I undertook an Aurora Internship, where I worked in the area of Indigenous affairs, specialising in Indigenous Land Use Agreements. In my final year I completed another internship at the Supreme Court of Victoria through the Court Partnerships program at VU. This was a unique experience not accessible to law students from other universities.

I found that VU takes a practical approach to studying law in that the subjects equip you with necessary workforce skills. I believe that this, together with my community work and internships, helped me gain employment as a paralegal at Maurice Blackburn Lawyers within one month of graduating. In the future I aim to be admitted as a lawyer and continue to work in the area of social justice and helping people."

Dacia studied

Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts