Keeping an open mind in your career crucially important

College of Law Media Release, 17 October 2011, republished with permission.

Professor Croucher offers advice at the College of Law Academic Awards Ceremony, Sydney

Professor Rosalind Croucher, President of Australian Law Reform Commission, yesterday delivered a compelling and motivational formal address at The College of Law’s 2011 Academic Awards Ceremony in Sydney, offering sensible advice to students based on her own career path.

In her 25 years in University teaching and management, Professor Croucher has held several position in law faculties of different universities, and has served as Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans. She has also lectured and published extensively in the fields of equity, trusts, property, inheritance and legal history.

Addressing students at the Awards ceremony, Professor Croucher suggested one of the most important lessons she had taken from her extensive experience was to be receptive to different opportunities and to embrace the fact that careers often change direction from original projections.

“The problem is, if you lock your thinking too much into a fixed idea of where you want to end up, then you miss seeing the opportunities for diversions that will lead you to that point which, in retrospect, appears so logical and natural a pathway.”

“Career paths are actually formed through a wonderful conjunction of twists and turns – opportunities – filled also with lots of life’s experiences. It is a story of doors: ones that close; and ones that open,” continued Professor Croucher.

The College of Law Academic Awards Ceremony was held on the 11^th October at The Museum of Sydney. Graduates of the College’s Master of Applied Law programs in Commercial Litigation, Family Law and In-house Practice received their testamurs. As well, the Sandra Paul Memorial Prize for Best Graduating Student in Family Law was awarded and the winners of the NSW Law Society prizes in the Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice were announced.

[See full transcript of Professor Croucher’s speech.]

The College of Law offers a suite of postgraduate programs in applied law and is also the largest provider of practical legal training in Australia and New Zealand. More information can be found at www.collaw.edu.au

College of Law media queries to: Natasha Gillooly at Blackie McDonald. Tel: (02) 8907 4900