Hear from Rawan and Mariam, who are known in the Brennan Program for their warm, friendly and helpful attitude towards volunteering.
We first heard of the Brennan Program towards the beginning of our degrees at the usual orientation day ceremonies and then heard about it again from students at uni. In terms of employment, it was marketed as something no other university offers, allowing us to stand out from our competitors following our graduation. We joined the program with minimal expectations, hoping to fulfil the criteria and attain the award at the end of our degree.
Upon joining the program, we realised it was a lot more than that. It is a way to commemorate the Former Chief Justice of Australia, Sir Francis Gerard Brennan, and the significant impact he had both upon our University and the High Court itself. It is a way for us to meet new people and network with law students, lawyers, judges, and people from all ranks of life, giving us the opportunity to learn from them and their experiences. The Leadership Through Service element of the program also encourages us to volunteer for different events and organisations, including domestic violence shelters, hospitals, refugee centres, legal centres, and more, depicting our commitment to social justice and the improvement of humanity.
Most recently, we volunteered to assist at the UTS Faculty of Law Awards, and this has to have been the most memorable experience we have had so far. We had the opportunity to celebrate law faculty staff and friends who received awards and were also given the opportunity to reflect upon important historical figures in the legal world. One such individual was Veronica Pike, an exceptional female lawyer in a world that was not yet used to the idea of a ‘pioneering woman lawyer’ (Women Australia, 2016). She did incredible things for the law industry, including founding the Women Lawyers’ Association of New South Wales. She also shattered the glass ceiling giving the rest of us women a chance to do great things. An award in her name gave us the opportunity to ponder upon her efforts and the likes of other significant figures in law, something we were extremely grateful for.
Kind regards,
Rawan Khalil and Mariam Aziz
Rawan Khalil and Mariam Aziz volunteering at the Law Award event November 2023, photographed by Andy Roberts