Aspiring barrister dreams big

In 2009, Minh Bui received a scholarship to study a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Adelaide. With a passion for Law, Minh also studied a Bachelor of Laws, graduating with a LL.B and B.Com in 2013.

Working as a solicitor for an international law firm in Sydney, Minh, a first generation migrant, attributes his parents’ sacrifices and their philosophies of hard work and dreaming big to his deep appreciation for the opportunities Australia has to offer and the continued motivation to be the best version of himself.

“The support I received from the Augustus Short Scholarship enabled me to participate in a wide range of university societies and communities without being impacted by any financial stress” he says.

“The alleviation of financial pressures also allowed me space to nurture and deepen my understanding of the law.”

“At the Law School, I helped Mr David Wright and Ms Beth Nosworthy on a number of research projects considering the different approaches that the United States and the United Kingdom had taken in areas of corporate law and equity.”

While at University, Minh also volunteered with the University’s Golden Key International Honour Society, the Vietnamese Community in Australia – South Australia Incorporated, the Vietnamese Ethnic School and helped prepare and run the Lunar New Year Festivals.

“Without the generous support of the scholarship, my involvement in additional research work, university societies and communities would have been severely limited.”

Life after university

“When I graduated from the University of Adelaide, I started my career as an Associate to Justice John Mansfield AM at the Federal Court of Australia who is a distinguished jurist who has been a great mentor and friend. I had the privilege of learning from an experienced judicial officer and well regarded member of the Australian legal profession. At the same time, I maintained my connection to the University by returning as a sessional tutor at the Law School.”

“After my Associateship, I pursued a Master of Law at the University of Cambridge. At Cambridge I became involved in the Pro Bono Project where we prepared a submission for a human rights case litigated in the Superior Court of Quebec in Canada.”

“Since my time at Cambridge, my career has been diverse, including working as a Federal Prosecutor at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and a Solicitor at the Australian Government Solicitor where I worked on the Royal Commission into the Detention and Protection of Children in the Northern Territory.”

“I am currently a solicitor at Herbert Smith Freehills in the commercial litigation team focusing on class actions and white collar investigations.”

“I aspire to be a barrister in due course.” 

Career highlights

“At the Australian Government Solicitor, following my work on the Royal Commission, I became involved in the Timber Creek case where the High Court considered the evaluation of economic and spiritual loss arising from the extinguishment of native title rights. It is the most significant case in respect of indigenous rights since Mabo.”

“In my current role at Herbert Smith Freehills, I am involved in a series of class action matters which will explore some untested issues regarding corporate governance and corporate responsibility.”

A message for our donor community

“I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the enormous generosity that your contributions have made and the positive impacts that it has had on me and other scholarship recipients. The gift signifies great trust on the recipient to make the most of the opportunities that it opens and I continue to be motivated by that trust.”

“In the future, I will be making a gift to show my appreciation and to pass it forward so that future students can continue to benefit from the same opportunity that was open to me.”