At this year’s Graduands Dinner, Dean Geraldine Mackenzie recognised the remarkable story and achievements of recent Bond Law graduate Lual Alaak, who fled the war torn country of Sudan and took refuge here in Australia in 2005. Lual lived in a Kenyan refugee camp for 11 years until a friend was able to sponsor him for an Australian Humanitarian Visa. He received an offer to attend Bond and enrolled in 2006.
During his time at Bond, Lual has applied himself wholeheartedly to his studies and has shown great respect for the opportunity afforded to him. He also took on a research assistant role with Professor Patrick Keyzer, working on issues relating to preventative detention and the rights of asylum seekers. Under the guidance and support of coach Joe Crowley, he joined our International Criminal Court Trial Competition team as an observer as they successfully took on Yale in The Hague in 2009. Professor Keyzer and Mr Crowley have had a profound effect on Lual and his motivation to continue his legal endeavours.
Lual’s future looks promising. Later in the year he plans to return to Sudan to visit family, where he intends to stay until Christmas. He is also in the process of finishing his autobiography Journey of 1000 Nights, which recently came to the attention of Australian author Di Morrissey who is now interested in potentially publishing the book. Lual has applied for contract positions in the United Nations Development Program in order to apply the skills he has learned at Bond. These roles will likely take him back to Africa, where he is sure to make a difference helping other disadvantaged citizens.
We congratulate Lual on his recent graduation from Bond Law and look forward to welcoming him back to Australia in 2011 when he may rejoin us as a postgraduate student.