Sonia Parisi: Standing on the shoulders of giants
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
Sonia Parisi is Director of the Container Deposit Scheme Victoria. Parisi has had an diverse career in the public sector, holding various directorial positions across the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, as well as within the Victorian Building Authority, Department of Justice, Victorian Public Sector Commission and Victoria Legal Aid. Despite this impressive level of individual success, Parisi humbly says such success is equally attributed to her family: her Nonna (grandmother), Rosangela Di Petta; her mother, Christine Parisi, and her father, Sisto (John) Parisi. ‘I’ve stood on the shoulders of giants,’ Parisi says.
Both sides of Parisi’s family originate from a small region in south-eastern Italy called Molise. Parisi’s own story begins as a young girl in Oakleigh, Melbourne.
Like all good Italian families, Parisi’s family is close-knit, with her zia (aunt) still residing across the street from Parisi’s parents. Parisi always had an affinity with Monash University, which was ‘the backdrop of my life’. Parisi ‘learned to drive in the car park … did childhood ballet concerts at the Alexander Theatre and took swimming lessons in the pool’.
Parisi’s clinical experience commenced when she volunteered at Springvale Legal Service in 1998. In 1999, she completed the Professional Practice unit, describing the experience as ‘transformative’. So much so that she completed a second Professional Practice unit without credit.
Parisi recalls her first client interaction, assisting a 14-year-old drug offender. It was a stark welcome to the ‘real world’. Coming from a conservative Italian family, Parisi found herself in a situation she had never before experienced. ‘I couldn’t fathom this at all … representing this child in court was terrifying,’ she says. Parisi recalls her second client had stolen food from a supermarket. It was an eye-opening experience for Parisi, as she witnessed the ‘weight of the criminal justice system brought out for a relatively minor offence’. She adds: ‘The reality of the matters that you see – employment law matters, discrimination matters, criminal matters, family law matters – the entire fabric of society in front of you and it makes things real.’ For the first time, Parisi felt her studies ‘had a purpose’.
From left to right: Sonia’s father, Sisto (John) Parisi; Sonia’s sister, Tania Parisi; Sonia Parisi; Sonia’s maternal grandmother, Rosangela Di Petta (Nonna); Sonia’s mother, Christine Parisi.
Read more about 50 years of Monash Law Clinics and buy 50 Years / 50 Voices here
Parisi stayed on at Springvale Legal Service as a volunteer and was later employed as a solicitor advocate, primarily as a child support solicitor. She had been employed at a small law firm but struggled with understanding the expectations of the firm. At Springvale, however, she knew that she was doing something for the community. It cemented for her the importance of community service.
She continued volunteering at Springvale until 2007, when she went to live and work in London. She returned to Melbourne in 2008 and pursued a career in the public sector.
She did not cut ties with Springvale, however, becoming a night-time supervisor there.
The following year, she was coopted onto the Springvale Monash Legal Service Board. She held this position for 13 years, which included time as Chair. For Parisi, the clinical experience has heightened her interest in developing people, and says she has adopted the mentoring aspects of the practical program in the way that she manages and mentors her staff.
Parisi believes that clinical experiences offer a ‘dual benefit’ – helping the community and training students. ‘There is something about the commonality and intensity of [the clinical] experience that has a long impact,’ she says. ‘The Monash clinical program is the best thing about the Monash Law degree. It transforms how you think, it transforms how you work and [how] you contribute [to society].’
As a result of her experiences with Monash Law Clinics, Parisi has decided to leave a bequest for a scholarship for individuals who come from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, to be named the Di Petta Parisi Scholarship after her family and particularly her maternal grandmother. She wants people from migrant families and ‘people like my Nonna’ to have the opportunity to study. It is Parisi’s way of contributing to society and her way of honouring their contribution.
From Parisi’s days working as a child support solicitor at Springvale, Parisi still cherishes the card that an 11-year-old wrote. It said: Thank you for getting an extra $10 a week for mum because it makes a real difference. As Parisi says: ‘The study of law is a privilege.’
Parisi is a genuine, humble and kind soul, whose life serves as an ode to family.
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.