Meet Salman Tahir, Juris Doctor candidate and future lawyer
Salman Tahir first came to ANU as a recipient of the ANU International Excellence Scholarship. Photo: Tom Fearon/ANU
For many students, the start of the academic year brings new beginnings: courses with uncharted areas of learning; lecturers whose teaching and research offer fresh perspectives; and readings that break new ground (and maybe a few spirits over late nights in the library).
However, Salman Tahir recalls that it was his classmates and their impressively varied backgrounds that stood out most to him as a new postgraduate law student at The Australian National University (ANU).
“I remember my first class at ANU when students were introducing themselves,” recalls Salman.
“We had students who were working in DFAT (Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade), IT entrepreneurs, international humanitarian law experts, and so on. The diversity brings a richness to the experience of studying at ANU.”
““I want to jump all the way into legal practice and immerse myself in it.””
Originally from Lahore, Pakistan, Salman came to ANU in 2020 as a recipient of the ANU International Excellence Scholarship to pursue his Master of Laws. Last year, he completed that degree and started a new one, the ANU Juris Doctor, to put him on the pathway to his dream career as a practising lawyer.
“I chose to study the Juris Doctor because I wanted to gain legal practice experience in Australia, which differs from how litigation is practised in Pakistan. Even though both countries follow the common law system, the practice in Australia is more nuanced and I thought it would be worthwhile to get this experience,” he says.
“At the moment, I’m not limiting myself to a particular field because I think it’s important to experience as much as possible before you make a decision. If I have the option, I’d like to stick with commercial dispute resolution.”
Salman’s decision to study at ANU was influenced by conversations with friends who were current students and the ANU College of Law’s reputation as a “practice-oriented” institution for future lawyers, he says.
The opportunity to study law with a front-row seat to Australia’s political and judicial institutions was also too good to refuse.
“One reason I was inclined to choose Canberra was its location as the capital, specifically the chance to see the interaction which students may get with the legislature and with the High Court,” he says.
“Canberra isn’t small enough to call it a ‘university town’ yet at the same time it’s not a ‘mega city’ like Sydney or Melbourne, so I think it’s the perfect blend between big and small. It’s a beautiful city.”
Away from his studies, Salman is also a senior resident at Toad Hall. In this role, he helps ensure that residents are having an enriched experience on campus and takes on any challengers in one of his favourite pastimes: badminton.
He has also played an active role in PARSA (Postgraduate and Research Students’ Association) at the University by assessing grants to support postgraduate students experiencing financial hardship brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
And if all that isn’t enough to keep him busy, Salman is currently working at BAL Lawyers in their Business and Commercial team, while also working as a research assistant at ANU College of Law in the discipline of international Investment law and arbitration with Associate Professor Ntina Tzouvala.
One of the most interesting projects that Salman has worked on was aimed at diversifying the legal curriculum being taught at ANU to make it more diverse and inclusive.
Looking to the future, Salman aims to undertake his practical legal training after completing his Juris Doctor.
“I want to jump all the way into legal practice and immerse myself in it,” he explains.
“Because the degree at ANU is very well recognised internationally, the opportunity to work in dispute resolution in private international law at global institutions is always an option.
“I get a real kick out of working on legal cases. Because the Australian legal system works on legal precedence, when you’re acting for clients you’re essentially trying to change the lives, not only of your clients, but of all the people who will face comparable circumstances in the future,” he adds.
He hopes that more students from ANU follow litigation as their career path as the University equips them with the right set of tools to professionally grow into the role.
