A young man sits on the Maitland courthouse steps, firm against the swirling wind, waiting.
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Anthony Fulford is a 16-year-old, fresh-faced youth from East Maitland.
This week he has attended court in Maitland, Raymond Terrace and Newcastle. But don’t worry, he’s there as a temporary legal assistant and clerk, as a part of Linuwel School’s annual work experience program.
These have included sending students to help fly aeroplanes, build houses, farm, serve at cafes and writing for the Maitland Mercury.
In preparation for the week, Anthony “got nervous and bought some snazzy clothes”.
He has been attending conferences, analysing offences, interviewing, questioning, nit-picking details, attending court and undertaking mountains of paperwork under the watchful mentoring eye of local self-employed criminal law barrister Steven Torpey.
Anthony said work experience is an important step in the journey from high school into the working world.
“It [work experience] gives you an awareness of the average – or non-average, it depends on what you choose – life,” he said.
“I recommend people at least look at how a barrister works, and the standard ethics that are used in this day-to-day-job. It’s pretty cool. One day, we [Steven Torpey and himself] went to court and questioned a guy about a theft. It’s pretty classified – I can’t really talk about it.”
Farming was Anthony’s second choice of work experience. He woke up at 2.30am to milk cows at a dairy farm. His future plan is to live on a dairy farm with overalls and work as a lawyer, detective or police officer with the “snazziest clothes” available.
The HSC and university requirements for law are daunting and challenging, but Anthony seems impervious. He has wanted to be a part of the legal world for a long time.
“I’ve always been interested in pursuing law as a career,” he said. “It might be hard, or it might be easy. Law can be whatever you want it to be. I like helping (defending) people who are in tough places. Law is definitely going to be one of my future interests. Up there with farming.”
Despite his humorous and happy-go-lucky attitude, Anthony clearly admires and is drawn to the professionalism of the legal system and its fair dealings.
Work experience is a wonderful opportunity for students to gain a sense of the working world, which can be challenging, exciting and even a little stressful.
Companies, corporations, and self- employed professionals have spent their last two weeks passing on knowledge, teaching, and preparing this small group of year 10s for their future careers. But for now, it’s back to school.