In summary

  • Swinburne law alum Josh Firmin was part of the inaugural cohort of Swinburne Law School students
  • At Swinburne Josh discovered his passion for the area of Intellectual Property through practical, hands-on experiences and immersive coursework
  • The highlight of his time at Swinburne was representing the university in a prestigious mooting competition at Oxford University

When Josh Firmin attended an information evening about the brand-new Swinburne Law School, it was the palpable energy that really stood out to him.

“All the staff at the Law School were so enthusiastic and had a really clear vision of where the school was going.”

As a member of the law school’s inaugural cohort, Josh knew he was about to help shape something new and exciting. 

“There was a real emphasis on what the first cohort of students were going to build at the Law School…and the reputation we were going to be responsible for,” he says.

At Swinburne, Josh embraced all the real-world experiences on offer. It wasn’t long before he discovered his passion, setting him on a path toward a career he genuinely loves. 

Discovering a passion 

Swinburne Law School’s unique focus on Intellectual Property (IP) law, which is offered as a core part of the degree (rather than an elective, as it is at many universities), gave Josh early exposure to the field.  

Through a combination of internships, hands-on experiences and coursework, he developed a clear picture of what practising IP law looked like – and realised it was exactly what he wanted to do.

“The internships are such an underrated privilege to be able to have during the course of your degree,” he says.

“I got experience of what an in-house legal team gets up to and also what corporate firm life is like…the sorts of things that you don’t learn when you’re in class.”

It was when Josh took part in an international mooting competition (a mock court environment) for law students all around the world at the University of Oxford, that his career path truly crystallized.

“That was the highlight of my course—still one of the highlights of my life,” he says. 

“We were competing against some of the biggest schools in the world, and it was just great to be part of it.” 

“It’s what made me fall in love with intellectual property as a practice area.”

Josh represented Swinburne at an international mooting competition for law students at the University of Oxford – an experience he says was the highlight of his time at Swinburne.

From Swinburne to 30 under 30 

Today, Josh is an Associate at Australian law firm Gadens, where he is involved in a range of IP work – such as disputes and court proceedings – and commercial work like trademark and design registrations and licensing regimes.

His growing expertise was recently recognised when he was named in the Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 list in the Intellectual Property category – a nomination put forward by his colleagues.  

“The partner who supervises me and another senior lawyer took the time to nominate me,” he says.

“I think it's a reflection of the firm I’m at now that they are culturally so people oriented.”

This same value was something Josh recognised and appreciated early on during his time at Swinburne Law School.

“Being in a small cohort, there was a really close connection between everyone, including the academics and the students…that’s a real attribute of the Swinburne law degree,” he says. 

Josh still maintains strong ties with Swinburne, staying connected through the active Alumni Network, mentoring current students, and attending events like the recent 10-year anniversary celebration of the Law School.

The traditional path isn’t the only one

For students and graduates who are feeling unsure about their career trajectory, Josh offers some practical advice.  

“The hiring process into corporate firms is all quite structured…but sometimes people don’t get accepted into those clerkships and roles,” he says. 

“That happened to me…but that’s not the end of the journey. You just have to put yourself out there.”

Josh credits his current role to an email he sent to a partner at a firm he admired. That partner not only took a meeting with him but eventually circulated his resume, leading to a job offer – and later, a full-circle moment. 

Four years later, that same partner hired him for the job he’s in today. 

“There are plenty of ways to get into the career you want. You’d be surprised how many people in the industry will give you half an hour of their time for a coffee – and to help set up your career.”

For Josh, it’s all worked out exactly as it should.

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