Meet our People: Scott Murray

Scott in action at LSAP 

Scott Murray, the Faculty’s Student Recruitment Officer, started at Victoria University in December 2010. Originally from Western Australia, Scott completed an arts/law degree 2008 and worked full time at a law firm from November of that year until October 2010, when he moved to Melbourne to work at VU.

Scott has enhanced and expanded the Faculty’s Schools Engagement Program to a new level, building on the success of the IPAB and ABW competitions, creating from scratch the LSAP competition, and successfully engaging more and more students from a diverse range of schools across Melbourne. As a result, the Faculty enjoys a vastly enhanced profile amongst secondary school students and teachers throughout Victoria, with secondary school students lobbying their teachers to be involved with our program of competitions and events in the future!

Run for its second consecutive year from the City Flinders campus, ABW 2012 saw five teams competing in various challenges - some business simulation exercises, and others needing a more diverse set of skills - all requiring students to work effectively together, despite starting the competition as complete strangers. Students created creative trade displays and TV ads, and worked hard to build their sporting goods manufacturing businesses into great successes.

The iPAB Awards Night, held at City Flinders campus in August, saw VU alumni Jason Cunningham and Natalie Davies present prizes to students who’d created some fantastic business plans – including restaurants, retail stores, puppy day care and an innovative solution to shopping centre car park gridlock.

Scott also responds enthusiastically to invitations from schools to present law and business oriented workshops to students. These visits (to schools such as The Peninsula School, Mount Eliza, Marian College, Sunshine West and Genazzano FCJ College, Kew) have allowed Scott to promote our courses whilst engaging students in discussions about study options for careers in business and law. Given his own background and experience, Scott is also able to shed light on the day-to-day problems and challenges of working in the law.

Participants getting into the spirit of the inaugural LSAP competition

Perhaps Scott’s most significant contribution to the Faculty’s schools engagement program was the creation of LSAP – the Legal Studies and Australian Politics competition. Over 4 Saturdays in July and August, Victoria Law School hosted over 100 Year 10 and 11 students from well over 30 schools in Melbourne (and 1 in Bendigo!). Scott created this brand new competition, which tested students’ abilities in debating, mock trial, filmmaking, as well as encouraging them to develop their teamwork, leadership and communication skills. Participants in the 12 teams (each assigned a swag of coloured team T-shirts on their first day) competed in a wide range of different activities, and were mentored by VLS students. The Hon. Frank Vincent AO QC presented medals and trophies on the final day. With so many students participating and giving great feedback, Scott hopes the competition can run again in 2013.