For students starting in legal and professional services industries, seemingly small decisions can have substantial impacts on their career. Last November, a group of high-achieving law students encountered this. In response, they decided to simply cut the red tape and demystify the options available to those entering the sector. They launched The Australian Law Student, a platform designed to bridge the gap between university and the professional world, guiding students through the often-daunting process of starting a career. The group’s rapid growth speaks to their authentic and relatable approach, which is resonating with students from across the country.
The Australian Law Student podcast
The platform’s standout feature is its podcast. Each season offers listeners top-tier insights from Australia’s leading legal professionals, politicians and members of the judiciary. Past guests include prominent figures like The Hon. Michael Kirby AC CMG (Apple Podcasts/Spotify) and The Hon. Chief Justice Andrew Bell (Apple Podcasts/Spotify), who candidly discuss the challenges they have faced in their journeys to success. By facilitating conversations that speak directly to modern concerns, The Australian Law Student empowers listeners with the career learnings of figures that have helped to shape the industry. Real-life stories help to humanise practice and show what it takes to succeed in such a competitive profession. The podcast is also great for study, breaking key principles into digestible four-minute ‘LawIn4’ episodes. These serve as a tool for students to start or round-off their understanding of specific elements including Mens Rea (Apple Podcasts/Spotify) and Consideration (Apple Podcasts/Spotify) or industry-oriented topics like the hierarchy of courts in Australia (Apple Podcasts/Spotify).
Recently, the podcast achieved a notable milestone, breaking into Australia’s top 50 ranks for Spotify’s coveted “Business” category, where it peaked at #37. The group believes this success highlights the impact they’re making and their growing role as a key resource for law students nationwide. However, they note that while the top-ranking podcast is a significant focus, it’s just one of the ways they’re helping students integrate into an industry, known historically for its inaccessibility.
Social media and wider student resources
You can find The Australian Law Student on all major social media. As they say, put Gen-Z in charge and they’ll be on Tik Tok in a matter of minutes. Or maybe that’s just The Australian Law Student team. As a platform founded by students, for students, their content stands out for having an honesty that traditional, institution-driven resources cannot. The team makes sure to balance content about the highs and hurdles of the law, with plenty of memes. After all, there has to be some humour in the chaos, right?
The team behind it all
The Australian Law Student boasts an incredible team, accomplished in their own rights. Founders Oliver Hammond, Nick Hodgkinson, Henry Plummer, and Jason Zhu He started the platform November 2023 and have been supported by a number of interns that have contributed to the platform and content. Two of these have stayed in more permanent roles: Ella Miels and Daniel Case.
Among a plethora of other achievements, this team has managed to grow incredible success with The Australian Law Student. They have amassed over 1.1k followers on Spotify and reached over 500k users across platforms. If year one is any indication, they show extreme promise as members of the professional services industry.