A Legal Career Path

Hi, My name is Michael.

I finished my Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice from Flinders University in August 2017.

Two months later on the 16th October 2017, I was admitted to the Supreme Court of South Australia as a Barrister and Solicitor. I immediately started work as a Criminal Defence Lawyer with the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) in Port Augusta.

The role enabled me to work in Port Augusta, Whyalla, Port Pirie, Roxby Downs, Coober Pedy, and the APY Lands. I was predominantly based in the Magistrates Court dealing with criminal matters, however, I occasionally had reason to appear in the District and Supreme Courts. While in Defence, I successfully ran a serious assault trial’s as well as some disputed fact hearings.
My normal day consisted of court appearances which consists of plea submissions, bail applications, and pre-trial conferences, file work, interviews, and negotiations.
It was an interesting job as I worked solely with Aboriginal people, most of which spoke native languages and observed traditional cultural rules and laws. I resigned from that role in 2019, deciding to go in a different direction.

A change in direction

Starting in November of 2019 I commenced work with South Australia Police working as a Prosecuting Solicitor. Essentially, I switched sides. I am still working with SAPOL and love all aspects of my job. I still spend a majority of my time in Court but I am also responsible for adjudicating files, assessing evidence, preparing pre-trial conferences, running trials, negotiating with defence solicitors and replying to their correspondence. The bonus of this role is that I get to know members of the Police force and am able to influence them in regards to their investigations and advise what charges they should pursue. It’s a great place to work and I’m really enjoying myself.