DEAN’S AWARDS CEREMONY 2008
Murdoch University School of Law
ADDRESS BY DAVID JENAWAY, 2007 WINNER OF THE FRANCIS BURT CHAMBERS LAW MEDAL

Good evening Professor Moens, fellow Award Winners, Sponsors, and Parents and Friends of the Murdoch Law School.

I feel very honoured to be invited to talk to you this evening, and share this celebration with you all. I would like to take just a few moments tonight to share with you some of my memories of my time at Murdoch, and what I think makes this Law School so unique.

Of course, I would like to begin by congratulating all of tonight’s award winners on your fantastic achievement. We all know the time, effort, hard work and sacrifice you have dedicated to your studies in order to be here tonight. As such, it is important to be proud of, and enjoy, occasions like this. These occasions also allow us to share the Law School’s recognition with our friends and families, and say thank you to them for the help and support they give us. It is a real privilege to be here, and it is only possible with the support of those close to us.

I would also like to thank all the sponsors of tonight’s awards. Thank you not only for sponsoring the various prizes being awarded this evening, but also for being here tonight. We all really appreciate you taking the time in your busy schedules to take an interest in our education and our achievements. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the Francis Burt Law Chambers for sponsoring the Law Medal. It is a real privilege for me to receive this award, and thank you for your part in making this so special for me.

Like I said earlier, I am now a graduate of the Murdoch Law School. I am in the beginning stages of an Articled Clerkship at Freehills, and so far it is an experience I am really enjoying, and a future career that I look forward to with a great deal of excitement. And I truly believe that my time at Murdoch stands me in excellent stead to meet the challenges posed by being a member of the legal profession.

While you are here studying at Murdoch, it is easy to take it all for granted. But from someone who has been here and moved on, I can honestly tell you it is an experience very few people get, and one which stays with you long after you have left. Murdoch is a dynamic, interesting and rewarding place to study law, and provides the perfect environment in which to develop yourself both academically, and as a member of society. As nights like tonight demonstrate, there is a real culture here of striving for, and most importantly recognising, excellence in what we do. During my time at Murdoch, the Law School has adopted a number of initiatives designed to make studying law here an exceptional experience. These include:

Of course, these are all supported by a fantastic teaching staff, who all strive to help students succeed along their chosen journey. I would also like to acknowledge the support staff here at the Murdoch Law School, and in particular Lyn Tooley and Miriam Everall, who not only makes sure nights like tonight run smoothly, but also answers all our questions and basically fixes all our problems. Thank you.

Another aspect that makes Murdoch Law School unique, and one which Professor Moens already alluded to, is the recent focus on International Mooting. Under the direction of Professor Moens, I was a member of the Murdoch Team for the 2007 Willem C Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. The competition was an extremely intensive 6 months, and culminated with the oral rounds of the competition in Vienna. The competition that year involved 178 teams from Universities all around the world, which meant we arrived in Vienna with over 1500 other students. We all spoke different languages and had different cultures, yet we all had something in common; a love of learning and discovering new things.

Not only did I enjoy the academic challenge provided by mixing with people who had studied the same problem and law, and were equally as dedicated to their studies, but also the wonderful professional and social contacts I made were a life-changing opportunity. It simply was fantastic. And I am proud to say that we performed very well, and that the Murdoch name continues to gain a formidable reputation in the international legal community. Much of the credit for this, and many other innovations at Murdoch, belongs to Professor Moens himself, and I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you to him for the help he has given me, and the unquestioned enthusiasm he continues to bring to this Law School.

Even though I no longer study at Murdoch, in many ways it is as if I have never left. I now work with one of my fellow team members from the Vis Moot, and have formed what I am sure will be long-lasting friendships with the rest. I am also extremely fortunate to be working with a number of excellent Murdoch graduates, and every day bump into someone in the city with whom I can reminisce with about our times at Murdoch. I have found this sense of collegiality amongst Murdoch graduates really important in making the transition from University life into the real world, and something which is unique to this law school. Helped by MSLS, this is a tight-knit community with the opportunity to make great friends.

I would like to conclude by saying a personal thankyou to my family here tonight, and especially my Mum, who gave me invaluable help and support throughout my studies, and continues to do so even now I have left university. I really appreciate it, and I couldn’t have done it without you.

And, once again, I say congratulations to all of tonight’s award winners. I hope your experience of Murdoch will be as rewarding and memorable as mine, and your efforts and achievements will reflect well on the Law School in the wider community. Thank you for the honour of receiving the Francis Burt Chambers Law Medal, and I wish you all the best with you future studies, both in your time left at University and beyon