Nelson knew he wanted to become a lawyer from a young age, and now that he’s on the way to finishing his Juris Doctor (JD), he can’t wait to start using his legal knowledge for the better.
Even before Nelson started high school, he can recall being excited about the idea of studying law.
“I’ve always had an inherent interest in how the law works,” he said. “My earliest inspiration was probably from watching police procedurals like Law & Order. Now, having grown up, I know they’re highly dramatised – but maybe the dramatisation was good for me, because all those court scenes got me quite interested!”
He was so interested, in fact, that he was eager to learn more about studying law even when he still had several years of school ahead of him.
“I was in year 8, and my school had a weekly bulletin that advertised the University of Melbourne’s JD showcase,” he recalled. “I asked one of my teachers, ‘Do you think I should go to that?’ and my teacher said, ‘Well, you’re a little young – it’s mainly geared towards year 11s and 12s – but I don’t see why not!’”
By the time Nelson reached high school, he was encouraged further along this path by a teacher he greatly respected. “I had a very inspirational Legal Studies teacher who played a huge part in affirming my decision to study law.”
Nelson began his Bachelor of Commerce in 2018. Since he already knew he wanted to undertake a Juris Doctor after completing his undergraduate degree, he decided to study as many law breadth subjects as he could.
“I wanted to immerse myself as much as possible in the law experience, so I thought, what better way to do that than by taking breadth subjects? I thought it would give me a good window into what life would be like as a JD student. So I took Principles of Business Law, Corporate Law, Legal Language, Free Speech and Media Law, and Intellectual Property Law.”
Looking back midway through his JD, Nelson felt it had been entirely worthwhile to study so many law breadth subjects.
“It really helps you get familiar with the style of studying and the discipline you need to undertake the JD,” he said.
He also enjoyed the contrast between his law subjects and his commerce subjects, the latter being “very numbers-based" and not involving as much group discussion as the law subjects did.
“Law breadth was so different that it was already like a breath of fresh air, in addition to how interesting the content was. It certainly enhanced my BCom experience overall.”
He reflected that even if he had not wanted to study the JD afterward, he would still have found the learning experience valuable.
“Regardless of whether or not you want to do the JD in the future, doing MLS breadth subjects is a great way to help improve your understanding about the world, and it will also most likely improve your understanding about whatever undergraduate degree you’re currently undertaking,” he explained.
Moreover, a lot of the material is highly relevant in day-to-day life, in ways that might not be immediately obvious.
“You encounter the law in more ways than you would imagine, even in some very innocuous things. By doing something as simple as getting a cup of coffee, for example, you’ve already invoked a lot of rights as a consumer.”
As for the Juris Doctor program, it has lived up to Nelson’s expectations even after years of built-up anticipation. However, he cautions that it’s not for the faint of heart.
“Studying the JD has been thoroughly rewarding in my opinion. It’s been intense a lot of the time as well – there’s no sugarcoating it, it’s a big study load – but for those who are interested in the law, it’s such a thoroughly rewarding experience.”
He emphasises that becoming a lawyer is far from the only option available to a graduate of the program.
“Once you finish the JD, there’s a lot of versatility in terms of career options. There are other pathways you can choose, such as media and government.”
As for himself: “I’m definitely someone who wants to work in the legal field, hopefully get my foot in the door by starting off at a commercial law firm. Maybe one day get into the bar – but I haven’t fully decided on that.”
But Nelson’s career ambitions aren’t just centred around his own professional development: he also hopes to be a force for positive change within the industry and in the world.
For one thing, he looks forward to taking on pro bono work. “That’s something I really want to make sure I engage myself in,” he said. “I think that’s very important. And the good thing is a lot of firms these days do offer pro bono programs.”
“I want to have a positive influence through law, making sure I’m using the knowledge I’ve acquired to do volunteering, with the goal of trying to assist those who still face significant hurdles and challenges when it comes to access to justice.”
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