Our Graduates

Vincent Lim
PDLP online graduate 2005
(2005 – 2006) Compliance & Enforcement Officer, Department of Justice, Victoria.
(Present) Assistant Manager – Private Equity, Perpetual Ltd.

Developed by Monash University exclusively for one of Australia’s leading law firms, the Online Stream was designed to supplement the legal training its articled clerks received during their article year. In 2005, Monash University’s PDLP Online Stream (‘the Online Stream’) was offered for the first time to all Australian law graduates - Vincent and his classmates were its inaugural graduates.

No stranger to Monash University, with degrees in Arts and in Business, Vincent returned to Monash University in 2001 after spending two years as a Customer Service and Export Coordinator to pursue his ambition of becoming an Australian lawyer. Like many students, Vincent juggled work and studies. During his studies, Vincent held roles as a Conveyancing Clerk, a Case Manager with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria and later a Case Manager with the Insurance Ombudsman.  Although Vincent did not manage to secure articles of clerkship in his penultimate year, he nevertheless attributes the opportunity to have interviewed with several top tier law firms to his work experiences.

After graduation, Vincent joined the Department of Justice of Victoria as a Compliance and Enforcement Officer and chose to undertake his practical legal training through Monash University’s Online Stream. He chose this course because its flexible teaching environment coupled with minimal contact hours and complemented his busy work/family commitments. 39 weeks later, Vincent was admitted as an Australian lawyer. Less than twelve months later, Vincent is now working in Sydney as an Assistant Manager - Private Equity for one of Australia’s leading and oldest financial institutions, Perpetual Ltd.

“I must admit, the idea of a part-time practical legal training course seemed novel to me at first. I wasn’t sure how prospective employers would receive me without articles. However, on the eve of the anniversary of my graduation from PDLP, I reflect on the past 12 months and realise just how much the Online PDLP experience contributed to my personal development and career. I mean, it’s been less than 12 months since I completed the course, and I am now an Australian lawyer working in Sydney with one of Australia’s leading financial institutions, negotiating complex commercial contracts worth hundreds of millions of dollars!

The online stream lets you kill not two, but three birds with one stone. First, the course enables you to continue earning income whilst accumulating invaluable work experience. Second, the course allows you to qualify for admission as an Australian lawyer, and third, you obtain a postgraduate qualification. A further advantage of the online stream is that, nearly all the reading materials you need are either provided to you or made available online, and therefore accessible from any computer with an internet connection. I found it particularly convenient to catch up on reading during lunch times or after hours. However, what I appreciated most about the online stream was that, after a long day in the office, and I mean l-o-n-g, I did not need to travel across town to attend regular night classes!

Whilst I fondly remember my time in PDLP, the lessons I learnt and the friends I made, what I remembered most was the impact we made on the lives of the individuals and families through the Monash Oakleigh Legal Service.

Finally, if there is a message I can pass-on to upcoming graduates or those aspiring to study law, it is this: you must never lose sight of the big picture. Create small markers for yourself and always give your 110% to reach each one. Eventually, through a combination of hardwork and perseverance, you will achieve your goals. It does not matter that you do not have high grades or that your parents are unable to provide you with an introduction to a lawyer/law firm or that you could not secure articles.

Remember, life is what you make of it. Therefore, make the most of it you can and always give your best. Money, success and all those other things, will in time follow.”