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UQ Master of Laws – a postgraduate program custom-built to you

UQ people
Published 11 Sep, 2023  ·  3-minute read

Studying a Master of Laws at The University of Queensland (UQ) fulfilled two distinct desires for self-motivated career professional Brendan Pitman.

Possessing more than 5 years post-admission experience in private practice, why did lawyer Brendan Pitman feel the need to return to university?

For him, a Master of Laws from UQ goes toward dual objectives – keeping his career path on its impressive trajectory, and quenching his undying thirst for learning.

“I’ve always liked the notion of continually advancing my capabilities,” says Pitman.

“The UQ Master of Laws offered me the flexibility to choose subjects that I was interested in, rather than being stuck doing core subjects that had no practical benefit to my career. The quality of teachers and the custom pathways really mean it is unparalleled.

“Yes, it’s an investment, but well worth it.

“I compared what was offered to other universities and there seemed to be more practical application for the workforce, at least in my situation.”

Again and again, Pitman refers to a key theme of flexibility when discussing his decision to pursue a Master of Laws at UQ.

With his career already underway, he wasn’t merely interested in a piece of paper that would tick a box, but more so a qualification that would hold him in strong stead for decades to come – one focused on his key topics of specialisation and interest.

“If you are going to invest valuable time, money and effort at this stage of your career, you want to be absolutely sure it’s relevant and interesting,” he says.

“Even if 2 of your 8 subject areas are not aligned with where your career is headed, that’s too much in my opinion.

“I have genuinely found all the content of the current course has been directly relevant to practising law.

“Mediation helped me to improve my mindset when resolving disputes and gave me skills to facilitate meaningful discussions.

“Corporate governance helped me to navigate the issues with recent developments in the law and my recent role on the Management Committee of Research and Policy House.

“Advanced civil litigation and commercial equity litigation were brilliant courses that widened my understanding of the court rules and the way the law and equity interact.”

To date, Pitman’s specialisations have been in property law, particularly body corporate law.

He appears in Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT), New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT), Magistrates, District and Supreme Courts, as well as the Office of the Commissioner of Body Corporate and Community Management.

The youngest of 4 siblings who grew up in Ipswich and Brisbane, Pitman previously completed his undergraduate studies at UQ as well.

“All my siblings, my father and my grandparents pursued higher education and I saw how that benefitted their careers,” he says.

“Some of them came through UQ, so I knew the quality of education that was on offer.

“When it came to my master's, not only did I have my positive undergraduate experience in my mind, but I was also conscious of the fact that the language and systems I originally learnt at UQ would make for a smooth progression to this next stage.

“Honestly, I think there are lots of areas of study and careers that would interest me, but law is most appealing because I consider it stable, and it allows me to be detailed and thorough, which suits my personality.

“I like working with high-calibre people and the team approach it takes to solving problems for the client’s best outcome.”

The Master of Laws has been enhanced to meet the needs of the practising profession. Discover the new courses designed for practitioners, devised and taught by leading judges, senior practitioners and legal academics.

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