Holly Crockford
Holly Crockford - Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Business
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITH LWOB
Lawyers Without Borders Student Division at QUT is the first organisation of its kind in Australia, which is very exciting.
When Ahana Shetty and I began recruiting the founding executive committee in early 2019, we didn't have a vision of exactly what we wanted the organisation to be; however, there was a consensus that we wanted the organisation to represent a space for law students who were passionate about access to justice and interested in international humanitarian law. It was this consensus that drew people from diverse corners of the law school and brought us together through a shared passion in using our law degree to help others, particularly vulnerable persons. For me, that unifying quality is the most special part of the organisation. These days many people study law because they see it as an equaliser and a way to improve the lives of others. And I’m not sure that the premium that is placed on blackletter law always leaves room for those students to access opportunities of interest and have a clear frame of reference as to how to cultivate a career in humanitarian law .
A great feature of our research division that wasn't immediately apparent — but that we have really started to lean into in the last few months — is the skill development that we offer participants. A proven track record of strong research and communication capabilities is a prerequisite to obtaining desirable legal opportunities, whether it be a clerkship or a judges associateship. LWOB provides that for our researchers. Not only are we offering practical experience in the international context, we are now looking to help our researchers to upskill in a targeted way, by working on a specific piece of research or running workshops.
Another exciting prospect on LWOB’s horizon is our forthcoming partnership with the Aboriginal Family Legal Service Southern Queensland and Salvos Humanitarian. With these organisations, we will run domestic research projects aimed at facilitating legal service delivery to vulnerable persons around Australia. Our research Directors, Teagan Matthews and Giulia Marrama have done an exceptional job in driving our research agenda forward and expanding its scope. Initially we focused on international projects in Kenya, Uganda and Iran. While we still are keeping our international arm going, it feels really special to help those who are struggling at home too.
Overall LWOB has been a wonderfully rich experience. To be a part of such a dedicated and brilliant team can only be described as inspiring and rewarding.
CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR NGO WORK EXPERIENCE?
I’ve been fortunate to be exposed to a broad range of experiences. If you look at my CV, there are a lot of different divergent interests. I suppose the common theme that links them together is the desire to use my skills to improve outcome for marginalised groups”
For example, when I went to Pakistan, I did a criminal law internship where I used the skills and experiences I gained from my law degree to defend people on death row. This was one of the most challenging and eye-opening experiences I have had. It was a privilege to apply my legal studies in a practical and real-world setting. I will never forget the feeling I had when one of the cases I worked on created precedent that now enables mental illness to be used as a defence. It was humbling to be part of something that will hopefully have a lasting effect on people's lives.
I've also had a taste of political and policy experience.This came about following a research internship that was conducted through QUT’s legal clinic. I worked on youth justice prevention, particularly upstream intervention, which is where policy is targeted to intervene and help children aged between five and eleven. In that field, I looked at all the indicators that drive childhood offending, such as poor education and poor health outcomes. In these cases, you would intervene and redefine the trajectory of those outcomes, so that they're less likely to offend in the first place. I did that for six months and then at the conclusion of the internship I presented my report to Minister Di Farmer; surprisingly she was kind enough to offer me a summer job in her electoral office! So I had some experience there as well. It is funny looking back how everything works together.
In Sweden, I was fortunate to intern in the Stockholm at Amnesty International in the refugee department. It wasn't legal unfortunately because I don't speak Swedish —that was a minor oversight! But I did some marketing and outreach, which they seemed to be grateful for.
As mentioned, my current role is being at The Life you Can Save, where I am Manager of Partnerships and Development. The Life You Can Save is a global not-for-profit that was founded by the philosopher Peter Singer. Part of our work is recommending highly effective charities; here, I definitely use the business side of my dual degree, particularly economics, to help improve the organisation’s operations. We've also recently released a book which I helped research, as well as launching a structure here in Australia. I definitely leaned on the research and writing skills law has taught me for this project. It is fulfilling to see the application of my studies and the work. I really enjoy working for them.
At the end of the day, every NGO I've worked for is a bit like being in a family. In my Pakistan internship, the team was so close-knit and it was very very sad to leave. The sense of belonging is a really powerful motivator. There are many studies to prove that productivity, outcomes and even the bottom line are linked to people in the workforce feeling happy and having a sense of purpose. I was very productive working in these areas, probably because I felt so fulfilled. All of the experiences will stay with me forever.
WHAT IS STUDYING LAW AND BUSINESS LIKE FOR YOU?
QUT is terrific! I was always told that it was the degree that gave you the experience you need to succeed ‘in the real world’.
In that regard, I'm enjoying my dual degree for all it’s practical and theoretical experiences. I like how the law and business courses provide a really focused and discrete forum where you can have discussions, voice opinions and challenge current practices. The most interesting moments in my degree is when I have been able to focus on the nuances of the legal principles. For example, constitutional law can be this really big nebulous subject, but you can pull all sorts of detail to create an argument or a novel solution. I really enjoy that aspect about the law; it is open to interpretation, and you can think really broadly about complex problems.
Ultimately, I think I feel engaged in my courses because at the end of the day they provide students with tools that are extraordinarily powerful and can be leveraged to contribute social good. Right? From my experience both have given me the skills to have a social impact in any setting. For example, macroeconomics can provide you with the foundational knowledge to be a decision-maker in key areas of finance, or development economics. Both being drivers in poverty alleviation.
I also feel really lucky to study courses that offer experience that surpass generic course work. QUT helps students travel internationally, attend conferences and learn highly relevant and transferable skills such as leadership and strong communication. These experiences have also allowed me to meet some incredible students, challenge myself and develop more completely.
WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF SUCCESS?
It is really important to me that my life is dedicated to improving the lives of others. That is something that has alway been important to me”For me, there's success at micro and macro levels. On the micro level, success is about personal development and reaching my potential. That is, attaining a goal while maintaining my integrity and being true to my values. So goals might be something more short term and modest like completing an assignment on time or running a marathon; but whatever it is, it is important to me that I don't compromise who I am along the way. On the macro level, success might look like leading a life of contribution. Contributing to positive change. The world can be wonderful, but it also, in some areas, desperately needs transforming. I want to contribute to the solution. Eleanor Roosevelt once said “it is better to light a candle than complain about the darkness”. Living by this, in an area that matters would be a “successful” or a good life. A life of meaning.
When I graduate, I don't have a specific job in mind. I just have a criteria for what matters to me, and set out what I want the role to look like. I find this way I can stay aligned with my goals and values while keeping an open mind. I suppose something I would look for would be a role that allows me to have a positive social impact, either directly or indirectly. This would be an area of impact where I feel that effective change can be made. The role should challenge me so I can continue to upskill, learn and grow. I also really want a role that has a decision making, teamwork or leadership element to it. Those are the three things that matter to me. Throughout my career, I would like to gain a variety of experiences in diverse roles and sectors.
I'm not quite sure where life will take me. But I am learning to have faith in the process. When I started my degree, I was adamant about trying to tick all the boxes I thought I needed to “succeed”. But in the end, confidence in yourself and the process are key to being discerning with what you pay mind to and filtering what truly matters from distraction. The most important thing is you enjoy what you're doing; and to have faith in yourself that you can rise to the challenge.
Humans of Lawbry interview conducted by Gideon Caturla
This interview was conducted in the 2020 series of Humans of Lawbry.
Humans of Lawbry was created by Helen Driscoll in the 2015 Torts Illustrated.