As the Managing Director for a freight and logistics company, Steve Nott was in his comfort zone.
He’d worked for the company for more than 20 years, so he knew the job inside out, and he was also enjoying a new phase of life with his two young kids. Life was good.
Yet as time went on, he found himself thinking about his career prospects and wondering how he’d keep growing professionally in his role.
“I’d been in the same industry for so long. I was bored, I just wasn’t getting that challenge anymore,” Steve says.
His thoughts drifted back to a conversation he’d had with the property lawyer who’d helped him buy his house. The lawyer had talked in glowing terms about his UTS law degree and subsequent career.
“He was an older lawyer that I had assumed had decades of experience. Then I noticed his degree on the wall and said, ‘Oh, you haven’t been a lawyer for as long as I thought.’ He told me that he’d graduated when he was 46 and that a law degree was the best thing he’d ever done,” Steve says. “At that point, everything began to fall into place.”
Opening the door to opportunity
Twelve months later, Steve had completed a Graduate Certificate in Legal Studies and enrolled in the UTS Juris Doctor (JD) program. This postgraduate law qualification is open to people with and without previous legal experience.
Coming from a business background, Steve had no idea he could apply for the JD, but “the graduate certificate was my pathway in,” he says.
“Most people aren’t aware how accessible the JD is. I was a mature-aged student. I entered the JD with no bachelor’s degree and I’m going to walk out with a master’s level degree in law. That’s a very cool thing for someone with no background in law.”
Steve chose UTS because of the university’s reputation. He was instantly hooked by the degree and the challenge of building and deploying his critical thinking skills. "The key for me was the critical thinking that was required to complete my studies. It reinvigorated my mind. I became sharper and more engaged in many ways, and I felt challenged again."
A flexible approach to learning and a supportive teaching team helped him manage the competing demands of life, family and his ongoing Managing Director role. The degree allowed him to switch between full-time and part-time course loads as needed. He also made the most of a flexible timetable that combines block learning, online learning and after-hours study options.
During his time at UTS, Steve attended networking and panel events, facilitated by Professor Ramona Vijeyarasa, which connects students with JD graduates and other legal professionals to help them build their networks.
“I was a mature-aged student. I entered the JD with no bachelor’s degree and I’m going to walk out with a master’s level degree in law. That’s a very cool thing for someone with no background in law.”
Steve Nott
Admitted solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW
Real world experience
Steve was pleased to find that many of his newfound skills from the JD were immediately relevant to his freight and logistics work.
“It certainly helped me in my professional life. I’d negotiated contracts for many years and not been aware of many of their intricacies until I studied law,” he says.
“There were many other benefits too. My written communication skills improved, and I became more professional in my approach to face-to-face negotiations and meetings that required me to present my point of view. All these aspects, and more, were enhanced by the JD experience.”
As part of his studies, Steve also completed the Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice (PLT) which is the final certificate required for enrolment into the Supreme Court, and to practice as a solicitor. Steve enjoyed the PLT and found it really hands-on.
“It was great to get into the weeds a little bit and get a glimpse of how law is practiced on a day-to-day basis. You run a mock civil matter, undertake the theoretical conveyancing of a house, learn how to advocate in court, complete the necessary subpoenas, affidavits, notices of motion and other legal documents that are part of running a case.
It's been a great experience to put some 'lawyering' down on paper and in a court room. I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he says.
On the cusp of a new career
Today, a year after graduating with a Juris Doctor, Steve says his UTS experience has transformed not only what he knows but how he sees the world around him.
As well as reshaping his political views — he’s now far more likely to view things in shades of grey, rather than black and white — the degree has also inspired him to get more involved in his local community.
From a career perspective, Steve feels energised by the multitude of pathways ahead of him. Armed with the theoretical knowledge, the practical expertise and the connections he’s fostered throughout his degree, he’s confident about stepping into the next stage of his working life.
After more than two decades in his role as a Managing Director, Steve resigned from his role in April 2024. “I resigned with the intention to move into a law position as I neared the end of my studies,” he says.
Whilst many who study the JD may opt not to pursue a role in law, Steve decided to take that route and is now an admitted solicitor in the Supreme Court of NSW. He has now successfully pivoted his career and is enjoying his work in insurance, personal injury and medical negligence law. “It’s fascinating work. I explain to others that I often see each matter as having to put together a jigsaw puzzle of sorts. It's incredibly challenging, but I'm really enjoying the work, and I am getting considerably more personal satisfaction from it than in my previous role, none of which would have been possible without my JD.”
He also sees the degree as an avenue to gain further experience as a board director; an opportunity he believes will enable him to deploy his legal expertise in new and challenging ways. “A law degree has so much application in areas outside law,” Steve says. "Putting aside the legal theory, the JD added another layer to my professional development, and that can be applied to almost any role outside of law."
“I have this real sense of pride that I’ve completed a Juris Doctor. It’s a significant achievement and I’m very proud of that.”
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