General News
14 February, 2025
Grit Legal assistant receives opportunity of a lifetime
A LEGAL assistant at Grit Legal will be having the adventure of a lifetime after successfully applying to study abroad in Ireland.
Legal assistant Zoe Wilkinson, who works at Grit Legal while studying law at Monash University, was recently selected to be one of five students to travel to an overseas university to study.
She said she is “really excited” about the opportunity to go study at Dublin’s Trinity College.
“It’s part of Monash’s Study Aboard program, which anyone can apply for and there’s lots of different partner universities in all different countries,” she said.
“I chose Trinity College because they have really interesting law subjects, and I’m really interested in doing international human rights law as a career, and Trinity offers an international human rights law subject and then international public law.
“They also offer a clinical legal placement unit, so you actually get to go and do a six-week placement in a law firm in Dublin which is an exciting opportunity.
“The university itself is so impressive – I think it’s the oldest university in Ireland, and I think it was built at the same time as Cambridge and Oxford.
“It’s got amazing building and amazing grounds – everyone says it’s so beautiful.”
Ms Wilkinson said she had to put forward a written application explaining why she wished to study at Trinity College, with the final decision based on the academic results of students.
The five highest-achieving students selected for the program come from various faculties at the university, including law.
Ms Wilkinson said she was “excited” to study abroad and plans to take some time to travel Europe before her semester starts in August.
“Even the opportunity to live in another country – I’m going to play hockey at the uni in Dublin and meet new people. I’m excited about the whole experience, not just the study,” she said.
“It’s such a great opportunity.
“I would have been very disappointed if I didn’t get to go, but I’m happy that my hard work has paid off.”
Director and lawyer Ann Cunningham said the team at Grit Legal were pleased with Zoe receiving the opportunity.
“She’s been able to get the opportunity because, quite frankly, she is amazing,” she said.
“She’s done so well on her studies – it’s based on academic achievement and an application process.
“It’s only five people from Monash who get to go, so it’s a really big deal.
“Zoe’s been with us while she’s been doing her law degree on law and global studies – she’s been working at Grit Legal at least one day during semester, and then over the uni holidays she works more often.
“We’ll miss her, but we’re really excited for her to have this opportunity.”
Read More: Camperdown