Receiving a rounded vocational education in the Law as a judge’s associate inspired Christian Andreotti (LLM 2023) to return to university and apply to Gonville & Caius College and Cambridge.
Christian completed his undergraduate degree in Law and International Relations at the University of Adelaide in his home city in South Australia in July 2020.
A month later, he moved to Sydney to work for the President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal, who was appointed Chief Justice soon after. He next worked for the Chief Judge at Common Law, who now sits on the High Court of Australia. Working on and being present for civil and criminal cases was “the perfect introductory role for a graduate lawyer,” Christian says.
“It was complete exposure, total law,” he says. “I worked specifically in the Court of Appeal and Court of Criminal Appeal; no witnesses or juries.
“The main benefit of working in those particular divisions was the variety of cases – approximately 70% were civil, 30% criminal.”
Christian supported the judges with legal research, summarising the issues in dispute and points of legal and/or factual argument, and writing up memoranda to assist in the preparation of a judgment. He was also able to sit in court behind the judge and “watch advocates at the top of their game presenting complex arguments”.
It was the latter which inspired Christian to apply to Caius and pursue his career aim.
He says: “Long term my goal is to practice as a barrister, stimulated by seeing advocates at work every day. I was exposed to so many things I hadn’t touched upon in my undergraduate degree. I wanted to take a step back and think a little more critically about the law. That was a driver to coming to Cambridge.
“In preparing essays and for seminars, it’s not so much learning what the law is – that’s a given – it’s arguing why the law ought to be as it is, how it may apply to a given situation and defending it in robust debates.”
Christian also applied to universities in the United States, but Cambridge was always his preference, with funding options at Caius making the move more feasible.
He had support from colleagues in New South Wales and there are close parallels between the common law in Australia and in England-Wales. He says his preconceived ideas have been corrected and his academic and social expectations have been more than met after one term at Cambridge.
He adds: “I had the perception of an old, prestigious somewhat exclusive environment and it may have taken some adjustment. Actually, it’s been a really welcoming and cosmopolitan environment.
“My colleagues and friends have been so incredibly welcoming. The best thing so far has been meeting lots of different people with different interests and backgrounds. I have met plenty of amazing lawyers, but the multidisciplinary exchange within college is like nothing I’ve ever experienced.”
