Trailblazing initiatives at the Law Ambassador Program Showcase
Learn more about the Law Ambassador Program
The air was charged with creativity at the 2024 Law Ambassador Program (LAP) Showcase. Twelve teams of Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Juris Doctor students unveiled their innovative solutions and showcased their potential to transform the legal landscape.
This dynamic event not only highlighted the passion of emerging legal professionals but also showcased the diverse talents and perspectives of Monash Law students who will shape the future.
"It's important to thank the Law Ambassadors who have joined us this year who have balanced the program with their own studies, commitments and lives," said MC and LAP Mentor Dr Paul Burgess.
"They have created meaningful projects that can support their peers, and that should absolutely be commended."
The Law Ambassador Program (LAP) is one of the most popular programs provided by Monash University’s Faculty of Law. It offers a wealth of opportunities for students to gain valuable leadership and entrepreneurial skills to help enhance their career development, professionalism, and employability.
This year, over 180 Monash Law students comprised the program’s twelve teams to focus on a particular problem or topic of interest in the field of law. Over a period of six months, teams benefited from the generous mentorship of industry professionals who provided the Law Ambassadors with valuable insight and advice.
The LAP program gives students an opportunity to play a significant role in a team, often using Agile methodology. It also offers these Law Ambassadors a chance to play a broader role in planning and supporting the program in collaboration with Law Faculty staff.
Two past LAP Ambassadors, Lauren Silke and Jessica Jiang, enthusiastically took on the role of LAP Managers and played a vital role in mediating between the twelve teams as well as representing them in meeting with the Law Faculty.
The LAP Showcase was honoured to have two passionate Monash Law alumni and legal professionals on hand to judge the LAP team pitches. Karen Finch is Head of Policy and Innovation at the Law Institute of Victoria, and Penny Grant is the CEO of Drool Experiences.
During the Showcase, each team had five minutes to summarise their work in 2024 and pitch their plans for 2025. In a unique expression of student solidarity, this year’s teams were pitching for funding that will benefit next year’s students.
Three winning LAP teams were each awarded with $1000 to be invested in the development of their initiative in the coming year.
The 2024 winners of the Law Ambassador Program Showcase were:
- Bridge Law - providing a bridge from high school to law school through storytelling, mentorship, and practical guidance,
- Legal Jump - exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is transforming the practice of law, and
- The Global Lawyer - supporting law students in living out their dreams of studying or practising law overseas.
Learn more about the Law Ambassador Program
The Global Lawyer’s team leader Gracie receiving their team’s prize from judges Karen Finch and Penny Grant at LAP Showcase 2024.
The judges also offered special recognition to LawCord and Legal ID. In summarising the judges comments, Penny Grant emphasised the value of uniqueness in a crowded marketplace.
"I think what it really came down to for us tonight was having a niche differentiation, particularly in this pitch space – you really want to showcase why you are different from everyone else out there," said Penny.
Legal Jump’s team leader Prapti receiving their team’s prize from judges Karen Finch and Penny Grant at LAP Showcase 2024.
While only three teams received the funding boost on offer at this pitch night, all of the teams have been supported by the Faculty of Law to fulfil their admirably ambitious goals.
Learn more about the Law Ambassador Program
We invite you to meet the teams of the Law Ambassador Program, watch their impressive presentations, follow them on social media and visit their websites to find out more.
A Reasonable Standard
A Reasonable Standard (ARS) is a publication focused on honest and transparent stories from law students and legal professionals sharing the mental health issues they encounter in their work.
In ARS’s sixth year of the Law Ambassador Program, they published 20 new articles that included unique perspectives from law students, as well as interviews with lawyers and psychologists.
Watch A Reasonable Standard's team leader Nisha presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
They also hosted a Mental Health and Law Networking Night which featured four guest speakers, followed by a Q&A and a networking session. Guests facilitated open and honest conversations on mental health and shared their personal experiences candidly.
"I'm privileged to have had the opportunity to work with A Reasonable Standard. I participated in a project that supported me through my struggles in law school and also provided me with a platform to engage with fellow students and law professionals who have felt the same," shared team leader Nisha.
Bridge Law’s team leader Kamya presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
BridgeLaw
BridgeLaw earned their winner’s title with their initiative to break down barriers and make law more accessible to inspire the next generation of legal minds.
"Our mission is to be that bridge that connects young aspiring legal minds – those who might not have the resources, connections, or even the confidence – with the opportunities and guidance they need to thrive in law, making it an accessible and achievable pathway for everyone," shared team leader Kamya.
Watch Bridge Law’s team leader Kamya presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Through storytelling, mentorship, and practical guidance, BridgeLaw brings together voices from the legal community to provide advice, genuine insights and diverse perspectives.
The team has done this through the development of numerous articles, podcasts, and has also extended their guidance to high school students. BridgeLaw has paid visits to multiple schools this year, sharing information, answering questions, and providing students with the tools and inspiration to envision themselves in the legal world.
"At BridgeLaw, we wish to lay a smooth pathway to law school. So whether it's through a website resource, a high school visit, or an episode of our podcast, we aim to leave a lasting impact, one student at a time," inspired Kamya.
EncycLAWpedia
EncycLAWpedia is a project designed to demystify each area of law. It aims to provide insights into what day-to-day life looks like in different roles, the realities of law school, as well as offering valuable career advice.
This year, the project successfully recorded a series of interviews with junior lawyers and recent graduates who remember the challenges of job hunting after graduation. These interviews have contributed to and created a growing pool of resources available on the group’s social media platforms and website.
Watch Encyclawpedia’s team leads presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
"We recognise that navigating the vast array of legal options can be intimidating, especially for young people. Our goal is to serve as an accessible resource that empowers students to explore these diverse career paths in a digestible way," shared team leader Verona.
Bridging the gap between legal theory and practice, EncycLAWpedia functions to empower law students, helping them find their place in the legal field.
The Global Lawyer’s team leader Gracie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
The Global Lawyer
Taking home a winning award in this year’s showcase, The Global Lawyer took the spotlight with their initiative to help support Australian law students in living out their dreams of studying or practising law overseas.
"If global travel is something that's important to you, we want you to be able to network and meet with people and firms that can offer that," expressed team leader Gracie.
Watch the Global Lawyer’s team leader Gracie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Throughout the year, the group has published 9 articles and 3 podcasts to support aspiring students with not only information and statistics. They also hope that these resources inspire students, but also ignite ambition within them to take their practising certificate, studies, and careers overseas.
"Our friends that we spoke to studying BCL [at Oxford University] were able to shed some really important light on the visa requirements, the financial position that you need to be in, and also the potential sponsorship and scholarship options," informed Gracie.
The Global Lawyer has invested significant focus into connecting with alumni and law professionals with first-hand experience on law practice and education overseas.
Law and Life’s team leader Shamita presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Law and Life
Law and Life is a team focused on promoting and advocating for good mental health habits in the law student community.
"Our team's purpose is to enhance the mental health and wellbeing of Monash Law students, and to ultimately foster an environment in which each law student can thrive personally and professionally," said team leader Shamita.
Watch Law and Life’s team leader Shamita presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
The team has produced 8 podcast episodes facilitating important conversations around mental health and wellbeing in legal practice and in law school. They have brought on guests including experienced King's Counsels, recent law graduates, and current law students.
Law and Life seeks to take a step forward in increasing their volume of support and resources for student wellbeing across their social media platforms, as well as publishing a mental health and wellbeing guide.
LawCate’s team leader Ananya presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Lawcate
LawCate offers an initiative that increases accessibility to law school resources.
The team attended the kind of events that swarmed with students – including Open Day, Monash Law Student Society events, and networking functions – to better understand their target audience. Their 2024 goal was to deepen their understanding of what students want when it comes to accessing law school resources.
Watch LawCate’s team leader Ananya presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
"What became apparent was the power of hearing directly from other students themselves," expressed team leader Ananya.
LawCate has used social media and blog posts to address common fears faced by law students. The team has also featured students in a podcast discussing their experiences with finding employment, building resumes, and navigating the legal industry.
LawCord’s team leader Khoa presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
LawCord
As technology evolves, the desire for casual and convenient platforms to network and stay connected has tended to trump more traditional methods like email.
LawCord built a Discord-based community designed for law students to engage in discussions about legal topics and to network with their peers. Their efforts were specially recognised by the judges at the LAP Showcase.
Watch LawCord’s team leader Khoa presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
"Whether it's diving into case studies, asking legal questions, or networking with your peers or professionals, LawCord does it all," emphasised team leader Khoa.
"It simply empowers law students with opportunities to enhance their academic performance and career in a relaxing yet professional environment."
The LawCord Discord space has facilitated valuable discussions on topics such as the clerkship process, legal related questions and issues, and has helped share upcoming networking events.
Lawtitude’s team leader Maggie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Lawtitude
The Lawtitude team exists to guide students through the intricacies of the legal profession by providing the resources and information necessary to support their aspirations and help bring their legal career goals to life.
"Our vision is to connect law students to their dream legal career, igniting their passion and equipping them with skills to connect with future employers," shared team leader Maggie.
Watch Lawtitude’s team leader Maggie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
To reinforce their value for professionalism, the team rebranded in 2024. They also worked to increase their overall brand awareness across their website, social media, and through a new employability skills workshop initiative.
That workshop had a diverse panel discussion on ways for students to enhance their employability, with several esteemed panellists, including a barrister, principal lawyer, three commercial lawyers, and an in-house counsel.
Legal Buzz Working Bees Team Leader Carrie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Legal Buzz Working Bees
Legal Buzz Working Bees is a new addition to this year’s program, offering exploration into the intersection of law and environmental protection.
"We investigate the law's impact on sustainability by sharing articles of sustainability programs, new developments in the environmental law field, and current affairs," outlined team leader Carrie.
Watch Legal Buzz Working Bees Team Leader Carrie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
In their first year, the team has built a website and social media platform to foster a community of students who are interested in learning about the diverse career paths available in the field of environmental affairs.
The team serves to raise awareness about environmental law careers and to advocate for a sustainable future.
Legal ID’s team leader Maddie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Legal ID
"Diversity in our legal system is critical for fairness and equity. Without acknowledging cultural differences, we risk perpetuating injustice," shared team leader Maddie, quoting Gillian Triggs, former president of the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Legal ID can be reflected through this quote. Receiving special recognition at this year’s showcase, this team values representation and opportunity for everyone. They’re about supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion to enrich the legal discourse.
Watch Legal ID’s team leader Maddie presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
"We want to ensure that students joining the legal workforce have been provided with the information to know where to go in the event that they experience or witness discrimination in the workplace," championed Maddie.
This year, the team has worked on a couple of podcasts with interviewees sharing their journey advocating for cultural diversity, gender equity, and inclusivity in the legal field.
The team has used social media, as well as their interactive website to share a variety of resources on diversity issues in law. They aspire to further diversify the voices in their podcasts in the coming year.
Legal Jump’s team leader Prapti presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Legal Jump
The judges awarded Legal Jump as one of the three winning teams at the LAP Showcase. They were impressed by their initiative in using the development of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transform the practice of law and to enhance the capabilities of serving justice.
"Tools like Westlaw and e-discovery platforms gave us a glimpse of the artificial intelligence potential. It has helped lawyers find needles in haystacks faster, more efficiently, and with fewer errors," informed team leader Prapti.
Watch Legal Jump’s team leader Prapti presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Legal Jump has come out with two podcasts featuring legal professionals. They discuss insights on artificial regulation and implementation, and offer a blend of theory and real world application in a way that brings AI to life.
Next year the Legal Jump team plans to produce a podcast series that will dive deeper into AI discussion. Their focus will be exploring cutting edge advancements, the ethical considerations, as well as the practical impact of artificial intelligence in the future of our legal processes.
NetworkedIn’s team leader William presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
NetworkedIn
Focused on helping law students create connections, NetworkedIn has an initiative to connect law students with legal professionals from a variety of backgrounds.
"I can say definitely for myself and my team that we have enjoyed being a part of an initiative which has facilitated law students access to many more opportunities," expressed team leader William.
Watch NetworkedIn’s team leader William presenting their team’s pitch at LAP Showcase 2024.
Throughout the year, the team has hosted networking events with junior and senior panellists that have helped attendees to align their questions to their own legal journey.
NetworkedIn has successfully commercialised their initiative. Ticket sales from their 2024 events generated double the revenue from the previous year.
The team aspires to expand their pool of articles and podcasts. They also plan to introduce workshops featuring student-led panels with peers who have completed legal clerkships or internships.
Contact: Bethany Duncan