Annalise sets the bar high

Annalise Delic is not one to shy away from a challenge. 

Inspired by her mother’s commitment to supporting her and her twin sister to succeed, the 22-year-old is forging the career she has long dreamt of. 

“I knew I wanted to do law for a very long time,” she explained. “I knew the ATAR I needed so in year nine I moved secondary schools to study at Eynesbury where I knew I would be better placed to achieve it.” 

Not only did Annalise reach her goal, her 99.4 ATAR gained her a Governor’s Commendation and set her on her path to undertake a Bachelor of Law and Bachelor of Arts at the University of Adelaide.  

But, when life threw some curveballs her way, Annalise felt uncertain about the future. 

“My family was going through some testing financial times and personally, I was struggling with a few things,” she said.  

Annalise knew where she wanted to go in her career, but she wasn’t sure how she was going to get there. That’s when she spotted an email promoting the Don Dunstan Foundation’s Len King Scholarship just days before applications closed. 

“My mum helped me prepare and I remember staying up really late to get my application together,” she recalled. “It was a bit nerve-wracking and I felt quite daunted by the interview process so when I found out I was successful, I was really proud. 

“It (the scholarship) wasn’t just about me it was about my whole family.” 

Now, two years on and undertaking her Honours, the scholarship has opened doors for Annalise that she wouldn’t otherwise have been able to consider. 

“It’s given me security and with it has come freedom to pursue opportunities and experiences,” she said. 

This includes travelling to Melbourne to undertake clerkships with three of Australia’s top tier law firms. 

“Having the chance to undertake my clerkships with these firms, where they are doing some of the most challenging and complex work, was important to me.” 

Annalise said the experiences had also helped hone her passion for advocacy and how she intends to give back to the community. 

“I have spent time working in a Native Title practice, where I learnt the importance of listening to a client’s experience and doing my best to understand legal issues from their perspective,” she explained. 

“The majority of my academic studies have focused on international law and humanitarian law, and I hope to be able to incorporate my passion for human rights into my career.” 

Which, in part, leads to where Annalise is this week – travelling to Hong Kong for the Red Cross’ International Humanitarian Law (IHL) Moot – an inter-university law competition open to law schools in the Asia-Pacific Region. She qualified after her team won the national competition in Brisbane. 

“It’s always been about learning and challenging yourself,” she said. “For a while I doubted myself and what I could achieve. The scholarship has taught me to have confidence in myself and the goals I set and to just go for it.”