When Sarah Coombs discovered Legal Studies in Year 10 at Morayfield State High School, she knew that, one day, she would become a lawyer.

This year, the 23-year-old Morayfield resident graduated with a USC Bachelor of Laws and worked to gain admission to the Supreme Court to be eligible to practise law.

Last week (10 June), she fulfilled her goal – starting work as a solicitor for A.B.A. Lawyers at North Lakes.

“The firm practises in family law, wills and estates, and commercial and private conveyancing,” she said.

“I am managing some conveyancing tasks, which includes liaising with banks, settlement agents and clients, and I am sitting in on client interviews and work meetings.

“The learning possibilities for me are endless here. I can improve on knowledge I attained through my studies and delve into practice areas I didn’t study at uni.”

She said her job search after completing her degree had extended as far as Brisbane’s CBD. “I was very fortunate to get this position, which is barely a 15-minute drive from home.”

Sarah, who won a subject award for Legal Studies in Year 12, said she chose to study at USC after her English teacher, a USC graduate, spoke so highly of the experience.

“I liked that it was a smaller university and I wasn’t just a face in the crowd,” Sarah said.

“I loved the close connection with lecturers and peers on campus at Sippy Downs. One minute I’d be studying at a cafe with a friend, the next I’d be chatting with my lecturer over a coffee about a class. I don’t think I’d have the same experience at a city university.”

After initially trying a semester of a Psychology degree, she transferred to Law and immersed herself in favourite courses such as health law and anti-discrimination law.

“I’ve always been interested in medical topics and the way Professor Jay Sanderson taught Health Law really captured me,” she said.