Laura Sweeney | Associate

Laura Sweeney is the first student to undertake the Gillian Beaumont Legal Associate Program.  She moved to Canberra in 2007 to study a Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) / Bachelor of Laws at the Australian National University and she is scheduled to complete these studies in 2012.

Laura has a keen interest in legal research and policy, and works part-time as a Research Assistant at the National Judicial College of Australia, where she sources and updates content for the Commonwealth Sentencing Database.  She has worked in both the government and not-for-profit sectors, and she recently completed an internship with the ACT Children and Young People’s Commissioner.  She has also volunteered as the Political Engagement Coordinator in the Canberra branch of an aid and development organisation.

Prior to joining Gillian Beaumont Legal, Laura worked at a peak professional association in the library and information sector, where she developed her interest in career development and became a proponent of continuing professional development.  She appreciates firsthand the challenges of pursuing career opportunities, whilst maintaining a work/life balance, and she enjoys assisting others to think creatively so that they may achieve their professional goals.

One of Laura’s key strengths is her ability to communicate effectively with people from a diverse range of backgrounds.  She has facilitating meetings with federal and territory politicians, senior public office holders, community groups, academics and youth activists, and her legal advocacy skills have been recognised in student competitions at a state and national level.  Consequently, she has developed a confident, adaptable style which she brings to her role at Gillian Beaumont Legal. 

In addition to her interests in Law and Politics, Laura is an avid music lover and studies musicology at the ANU School of Music.