Charles Driscoll: Pursuing Commercial and Community Law
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.
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For many, advising on multi-billion-dollar deals in the heart of New York City would mark the pinnacle of a career in the legal profession. However, for Charles Driscoll, no deal could match the fulfillment of a phone call informing his client, a Colombian transgender woman fleeing persecution, that her asylum claim had been granted.
After passing the New York Bar exam, Driscoll began working as an associate in US law firm Weil, Gotshal & Manges. In his new role, Driscoll reports he was ‘petrified by the idea of fronting up to an immigration lawyer’ during the first Trump presidency to secure a claim for asylum. Driscoll and his team presented a strong case that their client had suffered past persecution as a transgender woman and had a wellfounded fear of future persecution if required to return to Colombia. They won, and the firm went on to assist the woman to change her name to reflect her female identity.
Driscoll credits much of his career survival and success to date to his 2008 experience under the supervision of Adrian Evans at the ‘invigorating’ Monash- Oakleigh Legal Service (MOLS). It was this experience that taught him how to ethically pursue a deeper understanding of the client’s position in the face of the law.
There was no start to the week quite like Monday mornings at MOLS. For him and his peers, it was marked with diverse and challenging matters – from neighbour property disputes and speeding fines to superannuation access, car accidents, parenting orders, property settlements and other complex family matters.
Yet nothing stands out more than the moment he found himself alone in a client room facing an uncomfortable wife and angry husband. The husband was violating the terms of an intervention order (IVO) protecting the wife, yet he had walked into the interview room seeking the withdrawal of the order. Driscoll said he began by physically separating the two parties, before privately consulting the wife and following her instruction to call the police. Throughout the entire interaction, the supervising lawyer never left the back office – ‘but that was Adrian Evans,’ Driscoll says.
Charles Driscoll and friends at MOLS, 2008.
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Evans placed his full trust in his students, empowering them to trust their judgement and act in the best interests of the client, Monash Law Clinics and themselves.
Very quickly, Driscoll realised the importance of the program. He was invited to engage in unfamiliar legal matters and to earn the trust of clients during his most formative years at university. For the first time in his studies, he was presented with real, complex issues contrasting to the neat structure of exam problems. Driscoll reflects on how the experience reshaped his personal and professional outlook, inspiring a lasting commitment to social reform, alongside his commercial work.
Driscoll was appointed as a senior associate at Ashurst in Melbourne just three years after admission. There, he spent time on pro bono matters with the Homeless Persons Legal Clinic before being seconded to Sydney to act as legal counsel for NAB.
He was recognised as the youngest lawyer among the 2014 Lawyers Weekly ’30 under 30’ honours, an award that recognises the significant accomplishments and expertise of young practitioners. In 2015, he was recognised in the renowned Doyle’s Guide as a leading in-house banking and finance lawyer.
Later, he held a short-term role with an insurance company, before moving to New York for Weil, Gotshal & Manges’ banking and finance practice. In New York, he maintained his connection to community law by serving various pro bono clients, including the International Refugee Assistance Project (IRAP), a global legal aid organisation assisting refugees and displaced people. Driscoll recognises that ‘something is missing from pure commercial law that you don’t get, and it’s the satisfaction of helping others in need.’ He returned to Australia in 2019.
Inspired by his time at MOLS, Driscoll continues to champion the value and opportunities afforded by the Monash Law Clinics program. During his previous role with Wingate, a leading Australian private credit investment manager, he initiated a clinical placement opportunity with the Monash Law Clinical program, providing students with exposure to legal financial services. More recently, in his role as General Counsel–Asia Pacific of PolarBlue, an energy startup, he established another partnership with the Monash Law Clinics program. This partnership gives students the interdisciplinary opportunity to work with the law and groundbreaking technology. PolarBlue aims to provide truly zero-emission energy through transformative, entirely green, off-shore technology.
Driscoll’s career remains proof that early, hands-on community legal work can lead to a lifelong commitment to using the law for good.
Charles Driscoll admission at the New York Supreme Court.
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.