From classroom to courtroom

CBC alumni have become an increasingly common sight in WA’s courtrooms, with four graduates admitted as lawyers in the past year.

James Allison (’10) led the CBC charge, with classmates Hayden Perer and Jack Young (both ’10) admitted in early April. Solomon Wright (’14) followed in their footsteps when he was admitted in May.

The group still speaks of the important role their Politics & Law teacher and CBC alumni, Mr Craig Carter (’90), played in their development, particularly through the mock trials that the College participated in.

“Mr Carter was great for fostering any aspirations of his students who wanted to go into the field of law,” Jack said.

“I can remember by the end of Year 12 it was all I could think about studying.”

The years of hard work have since paid off for the group when they were formally admitted by Chief Justice Peter Quinlan.

Usually, the freshly-minted lawyers would have been supported by a supervising lawyer as part of the ceremony. Instead, because of social distancing requirements, their admissions were moved by WA’s Solicitor-General, Joshua Thomson, and retired Supreme Court Justice, Lindy Jenkins.

Speaking at the ceremonies, WA’s Chief Justice, Peter Quinlan, reminded the group of the legal profession’s strong sense of service.

“It involves a commitment to use one’s particular specialised skills for the benefit of others and not for one’s own benefit,” he said.

Solomon said CBC’s Service Learning Programme, and particularly attending the Kiwirrkurra immersion in 2013, had left him in good stead for life as a lawyer.

“Law is a profession where you get to help people a lot more than you realise,” he said. “It’s more about assisting individuals and helping them with their legal problems, rather than big companies.”

It was a sentiment echoed by Jack, who said his time at CBC helped him appreciate the importance of standing with those on the margins.

Reflecting on his journey to admission, Jack said one of the highlights was spending three months working pro-bono for the Aboriginal Legal Service.

“One of the most rewarding parts of the job is when you can achieve an outcome that is really quite equitable, or you go in to represent a client who genuinely has done nothing wrong and has been dragged into litigation and you’re able to guide them through that,” he said.

Now, almost 10 years after graduating, Jack said he can still see the effects of a CBC education on his classmates.

“The flavours of Edmund Rice, and what his legacy means for young men, definitely sets CBC graduates apart in the workforce,” he said.