By Julia Day, Senior Law Lecturer
In some ways Jessica Jones is your typical UNE Law student. She is female and a mum and is hoping to pivot into a new career after completing her law degree. Before having kids, Jess was a primary teacher and then a secretary for a barrister for a short period of time.
When you meet Jess, though, you soon realise she is anything but typical!
Jess is now a mum to four kids – three of whom have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Jess is using her extensive knowledge of ASD while undertaking Contemporary Health Law with Aileen Kennedy. She is investigating euthanasia issues through the lens of an autistic person. Jess also hopes to pursue these interests upon graduation.
“I want to find a position in disability advocacy where I can effect the most change without compromising myself and my ideals.”
Jess’s law study has already come in hand, especially when interacting with NDIS providers. “Dealing with all my kids’ support services is like a full-time job. I need to be very organised and have a very detailed, colour-coded calendar so I don’t forget anything.”
Jess recently completed her mooting experience as part of the iconic LAW480 course. “When I walked into the moot court I exhibited a ‘deer in the headlights’ look of fear!” Luckily for Jess, she prepared well and was able to answer the questions from the bench with confidence. “Even though I love researching and studying, I feel uncomfortable speaking in public. Even contributing publicly in tutorials creates anxiety for me.”
Jess has been diagnosed with a neurological disorder where, when she is stressed or anxious, her face goes numb and she has trouble talking. Jess didn’t let this stop her when completing her moot, though. In fact, she worked with her psychologist to practise techniques to cope with the mooting experience. When her moot was finished, she felt “relieved and euphoric! All the nervous energy translated into a natural high!”
Jess had completed Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) with Paul Akon in the past, so was already a fan of the popular lecturer. In fact, she notes that ADR, along with Torts and Advanced Criminal Law, were her favourite subjects while completing her law degree. Even though she has found some parts of the law degree challenging, she later realised how worthwhile and relevant even these most difficult aspects are.