“La Trobe led me to fully understand the importance of my identity as a Muslim Arab woman in law, fostering my desire to help my local community.”
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Criminology alumna, Rusel Moosa, came to Australia from Iraq at age five. This experience, she says, has motivated her to help immigrants and marginalised communities.
“Having immigrant parents has carved a special place in my heart for other immigrants. I've witnessed their hardships for 24 years and counting. I hope that I can use my education and training to ease this burden.”
Reflecting on her studies, Rusel says that she highly valued the opportunity to intern at community legal centres.
“My time at Heidelberg West Community Legal Centre introduced me to our subsidised housing schemes, and the difficulties faced in both obtaining and maintaining housing. Observing the hardships experienced by real people was a difficult yet invaluable experience, feeding my desire to give back to my community.”
“At UnitingCare Kildonan, I worked closely with two Arabic-speaking women, both of whom were immigrants facing domestic violence. Both women expressed that the opportunity to speak in Arabic was a relief and thanked me profusely. These moments are precious to me, elucidating the importance of diversity in the legal sphere.”
Rusel will continue her legal education in 2025 with a Master of Law, with plans to undertake practical legal training afterwards.
“As law graduates, I believe we’ve been given a gift – specifically, the ability to spot injustices a little quicker, and the awareness of our legal system’s flaws.”
“I cannot wait to help my community. The profound role that a lawyer plays is not lost on me, nor is the reality of how hard I'll have to work.”
