The AALA is pleased to announce that their Honours Judge Tran, Judge Burchell and Judicial Registrar Muller of the County Court of Victoria are offering two one week (unpaid) internships to members of the AALA.

Judge Tran and Judge Burchell are former commercial barristers of Asian background who were appointed as Judicial Registrars of the Commercial Division (in what is believed to be the first job share of a judicial officer position in Victoria), and later Judges of the County Court of Victoria. Judicial Registrar Muller is a Judicial Registrar of the Commercial Division of the County Court. Their Honours are passionate about increasing cultural diversity in the legal profession and see providing opportunities and mentoring to lawyers and law students as a means to achieving this end.

Judge Tran was appointed to the bench in October 2020, having been a Judicial Registrar of the Commercial Division of the County Court since 2015. During this time, her Honour has overseen the expansion of judicial mediation in the Commercial Division, assisted with the creation of a pro bono protocol with the Victorian Bar, helped to reform case management procedures, and supported the implementation of electronic court files. Prior to her Honour’s appointment, her Honour practised as a barrister since 2002 in a range of areas including insurance law, superannuation law, property law and insolvency.

Judge Burchell was appointed to the bench in June 2021, having also been a Judicial Registrar in the Court's Commercial Division since 2015. Her Honour holds a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Economics from Murdoch University. Judge Burchell signed the Bar Roll in 2004 and has extensive experience in commercial law, judicial review and administrative law. In 2014, Judge Burchell represented the Hazelwood mine operators at the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry. In the same year, her Honour was also the recipient of the Lawyers Weekly Women in the Law Junior Counsel Award, which recognises the outstanding contributions to the legal profession of female barristers within their first 10 years of practice at the Bar.

Judicial Registrar Muller is an experienced trial advocate, having acted for both plaintiffs and defendants in class actions, directors' and trustees' liability claims, professional liability disputes, insurance law (including total and permanent disability claims), insolvency, fiduciary and fraud-related actions, banking and finance disputes, corporate control disputes (including shareholder oppression), employment and industrial law, and general commercial disputes.

This internship provides a unique opportunity to applicants to shadow the Judges and Judicial Registrar of the County Court, and their associates, in trials, interlocutory hearings and mediations, as well as observing them in chambers and registry work. Interns will gain exposure to the Court’s rules, processes and procedures and will gain the opportunity to observe some of the best advocates in Victoria.

The internships are available from mid-late September 2021. Arrangements for the internships are flexible and may take place over one week, or one day per week over 5 weeks on mutually convenient dates.

This invaluable opportunity is open to AALA student members or recent law graduates who are members of the AALA. For law students, it would be most beneficial to students who are in the third year and above of the undergraduate LLB or second year and above of the JD or Graduate Entry LLB and have completed the Civil Procedure unit. An interest in civil litigation or alternative dispute resolution would be preferred, but is not essential.

If you are interested, please send your CV and cover letter to vic@aala.org.au. Applications close at 11:59 pm on Tuesday 10 August 2021.