Shane Cooper

Bachelor of Laws

Melbourne, VIC

What is your ultimate ambition in life?
To be a partner in a top tier law firm, possibly heading their Corporate Advisory team.

How are Bond’s world-class professors helping you get there?
I know a lot of universities say they have an ‘open door policy’ – but here at Bond, it’s actually true. Not only can you ask them whatever you like in class, you can email your professors and they’ll normally get back to you within about 24 hours. I came to Bond as a mature-age student and I’ve studied elsewhere so I can tell you there really is a difference.

I looked into all my options carefully before I decided on Bond Law: it has the best graduate outcomes of any university and the best facilities to match their emphasis on practical skills. The Faculty has a dedicated Graduate Development Office focused on lining up placements for the Law students; I’ve already done two internships and am just about to start a third with a top-tier firm. The contacts I’m making through these internships are really going to put me in the best position to find the right job when I graduate.

How is the international network of contacts you’re gaining at Bond helping bring your ambition to life?
Most of my friends from uni are Canadians – I think I’m the token Aussie! We’ve also got a lot of American students in my year, plus others from Sweden, Norway, Germany, and Chile. They all come from different legal systems so you get a good insight into how the law works in other parts of the world. It’s also really interesting to see how they take a different approach to things like negotiation and mediation, depending on their cultural background.