Andrew George: A pathway of humility and humanism
50 Years / 50 Voices: Learning law and changing lives is a commemorative volume marking the 50th anniversary of the ongoing Monash Law Clinical Program, a pioneering initiative in clinical legal education undertaken by the Faculty of Law at Monash University. 50 alumni of the Monash Law Clinical Program shared their story with 50 current students of the same program. This is an excerpt from the book.
Read more about 50 years of Monash Law Clinics and buy 50 Years / 50 Voices here
When Andrew George, one of Victoria’s pre-eminent criminal defence lawyers and an alumnus of the Monash Law clinical program, reflects on his career, he summarises it as ‘just one surprise after another’.
George undertook Professional Practice at Springvale Legal Service in the late 1980s and is now a leading criminal defence lawyer specialising in corporate and white-collar crime and a director at the criminal law firm Doogue + George.
George also maintains an ongoing connection to Monash Law Clinics through his membership of the Monash Law Clinical Advisory Board since 2016.
His unlikely path and career reflects the progressive spirit of Monash Law in its early years – a progressive spirit that has been fundamental to Monash’s clinical legal education program.
George’s first exposure to the possibilities that tertiary education offered was when he became involved with the Australian Labor Party in the early 1980s, and attended lectures hosted by Melbourne University students at the Melbourne Trades Hall. Those weeknight classes, along with free university education, saw George leave his trade of six years as a greenkeeper to pursue a double degree of Law and Arts at Monash. As an undergraduate, George remained politically active, and this political spirit, along with some slight peer pressure from his contemporaries, meant that an enrolment in Professional Practice was ‘[not only] the thing to do … [but] something that we wanted to do.’
In the late 1980s, George enrolled in and was placed as a student at Springvale Legal Service. Reflecting on the clinic, George recalls with vivid detail the matters he dealt with. Even after almost 35 years, the power of his introduction to criminal law shines through.
Clinical program student identification, Monash Law Collection
Read more about 50 years of Monash Law Clinics and buy 50 Years / 50 Voices here
He recalls vividly one of his first cases, which involved shoplifting.
‘It was at the Springvale Magistrates’ Court, which was a dinky little place,’ he says. ‘It was in court two there, which was a room about the size of a standard, commercial practice office. We briefed counsel and we won. That was a pretty good case to win. It made me think that crime was where I wanted to work.’
George also recounts with fondness the community and connection at Springvale Legal Service. ‘We ran a case about the psychological overlay of the original physical injury and got [the client] back onto the disability support pension. That was great.
Not a criminal case, but they were the two really great cases I had.’
Recalling the clinics’ leadership and his own mentorship during Professional Practice under Professor Adrian Evans, George says: ‘Adrian’s a great person, very kind. He was my supervisor back at Springvale, and he was really innovative.’
After finishing his clinical experience, George joined the board of Springvale Legal Service, giving him in-depth knowledge and expertise in the logistics of running community legal services. It was this experience and a sense of adventure that inspired George to go to Papua New Guinea to support local activists as they established the country’s first community legal centre. Working with community activists such as Powes Parkop (a lawyer and later Governor of PNG), George helped provide logistical support based on the knowledge gained from his experience with Springvale Legal Service.
‘I assisted people who had the idea and wanted an alternative pathway for lawyers in their own country,’ he says. ‘Being at the clinic and particularly being based in a community legal centre setting was essential in me wanting to go, and seeing that as an opportunity,’ George says.
After returning to Australia, George pursued a fruitful career in criminal law, a pathway that has allowed him to stay true to his ideals of community engagement and working with working people. As a criminal lawyer, George has followed his political beliefs to support workers across the professional spectrum, continuing to forge a pathway of humility and community-based lawyering – ‘Your relationships with people are something to treasure,’ he says.
George believes in the power of the Monash clinical legal program to inspire and drive future lawyers. ‘The clinics are the stand-out thing at Monash. I don’t think any other university, although they’ve tried to do it, has done it as well and has been so engaged in the process of innovating around clinics.’
From defending people on the worst days of their lives, to helping uplift legal activists in Papua New Guinea, to running a highly respected criminal law firm, to being an active member of the Monash Law Clinics community, George has lived a life by his mantra.
‘The practice of law is political,’ he says.
Read more about 50 years of Monash Law Clinics and buy 50 Years / 50 Voices here
Get involved with Monash Law Clinics
Monash Law Clinics combine legal education with real-world impact, supporting access to justice while equipping students with practical, ethical and professional skills.
If you are a student interested in undertaking a clinical unit as part of your studies, explore the available clinical placements and elective options.
Whether you’re an alum, practitioner or organisation keen to support the clinics through hosting placements, partnerships, volunteering or funding, there’s a way to be involved. To learn more, contact Emily Collard, Industry & Alumni Engagement Manager, at emily.collard@monash.edu.