Angela Ryan

  Like many UNE School of Law students, Angela Ryan was already working in the legal area when she decided to formalise her knowledge by enrolling in a law degree.

As part of her role with the Department of Justice in Melbourne, Angela is passionate about helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Angela works with offenders in order to give them support and help rehabilitate them into society. For example, she may help past offenders secure employment or undertake an educational course. Perhaps the past offender needs help to recover from drug addiction? Of course, aside from the clear benefits this help has for the individual, it is also good for the rest of the community. You see, if previous offenders can be rehabilitated into functioning members of our community, they are less likely to end up back in jail, and more likely to make a positive contribution to society.

Of course, this is often easier said than done. Life is complex and people can fall into criminal activity for many and varied reasons. An offender may start hanging out with the wrong crowd. They may have a dysfunctional family background or perhaps succumbed to substance abuse. Many offenders have also been abused or neglected at some stage in their lives. Luckily there are people like Angela who are committed and caring professionals!

One of the courses that Angela enjoyed the most whilst studying at the UNE School of Law was Rural and Regional Law with Associate Professor Amanda Kennedy. She is especially pleased she completed this unit as she is about to move to Ballarat with her family. Within this unit, she learnt very practical information on what it is like to practice law in rural and regional areas. Issues such as- how do you deal with meeting clients at the local pub or your kids’ school are covered. Students also discussed access to justice issues which are prevalent in many rural and regional areas.

Angela also loved Jurisprudence as ‘the content was simply fascinating. Dr Eric Ghosh ignited my passion for the philosophy and theory of the legal system.’

Annabel

Angela chose to study at the UNE School of Law as it offered the most flexibility. She has no regrets about her decision and found the online learning systems and staff accessibility to be exceptional. ‘The UNE School of Law was brilliant and very supportive of students.’ Angela has also inspired her two kids, Conor (9) and Annabel (6), to follow in her footsteps and study law.

Conor

In terms of studying with a family, Angela found ‘everything needs to be structured and planned. It was crucial the kids knew the plan for the day and they had a consistent bed time each night. After the kids went to bed, everyone knew this was ‘mummy’s study time.’ Given the fact Conor and Annabel saw their mum achieve so much by working hard, Angela has never struggled to get her kids to complete their homework. At the tender ages of 6 and 9, Angela’s kids have already developed excellent study habits!

Angela also became part of a community in Melbourne who were studying at the UNE School of Law. The members of this group all had jobs and families and they found it comforting and worthwhile to meet up with like-minded individuals. The group met throughout the duration of Angela’s degree. Since completing her degree, Angela has continued to meet up with this group- they are all now good friends!

When Angela is not working she enjoys spending time with her family and going on holidays. Whilst living in Melbourne the family spent a lot of time at the Mornington Peninsula hiking. The family are also excited about the move to Ballarat as there are lots of outdoors recreational activities in the historic city.

Congratulations on completing your degree Angela!