About the event
Former politician George Brandis KC will be a guest of the Pro Bono Centre on Thursday the 3rd of October at 12.00noon in the Moot Court where he will speak about obligations that he believes legal professionals have to be of service to the community. He will speak for approximately 30 minutes and will then answer questions students may have about working in the law and pro bono service.
About the speaker
A graduate of UQ with first class honours in law and arts (majoring in politics), Mr Brandis was an Associate to Supreme Court Justice Sheahan before he became a Commonwealth Scholar and obtained a Bachelor of Civil Law from Magdalen College in Oxford in 1983. He worked at Morris, Fletcher and Cross (now Minter Ellison) before going to the bar in 1985, where he had a significant commercial practice with a focus in trade practices law until he became a Liberal Party Senator in 2000. During his period in politics, he served as a minister in the Howard, Abbott and Turnbull governments, as Minister for the Arts and Sport, Attorney General, and Vice-President of the Executive Council. He was the Leader of the Government in the Senate under Prime Minister Turnbull. He retired from politics in 2018 and became the High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2018 to 2022.
Mr Brandis has a strong interest in the education of law students. He was the Senior Tutor at St John’s College during his early years at the Bar and he lectured in jurisprudence at UQ from 1984 to 1991. In 2022, he was appointed a professor in national security at the Australian National University, where he currently works. He writes a regular column for the Sydney Morning Herald and the Melbourne Age.
While at the Bar, Mr Brandis served as a board member of UNICEF Australia for 10 years and he believes that professionals should use their training in public service to others. Whilst Attorney General he became very familiar with the work of Legal Aid Offices and Community Legal Centres and knows how important the work of the pro bono sector is to achieving fair outcomes and the delivery of access to justice for vulnerable and marginalised people.
Photography
Please note, there may be images and video content captured at this event. The material may be used for domestic and international marketing purposes and be displayed on our website, social media, in printed and electronic publications. If you do not wish to be photographed, please make yourself known to the staff at registration.
About UQ Pro Bono Centre Events
The UQ Pro Bono Centre is a nationally recognised leader in the development, promotion, and provision of student pro bono legal work. The Centre maintains a roster of approximately 600 high performing students, linking student volunteers with legal services to help with pro bono or public interest matters.
The University of Queensland Pro Bono Centre inspires students to understand the value and importance of access to justice. It is our aim that students graduate from law school with a lifelong professional commitment to pro bono legal service.