Austen is a third-year JD student at Allard and graduated from UBC in 2016 with a Bachelor of Arts in political science. Most recently, he worked as a Summer Articled Student at Hunter Litigation Chambers. At Allard, he has volunteered with the Centre for Environmental Law and Litigation through Pro Bono Students Canada, the Law Students’ Legal Advice Program, and the UBC Law Review. He was a student clinician with the Business Law Clinic for the 2021-22 term, and is currently co-chair of the UBC Environmental Law Group for the 2022-23 school year.
Austen has an extensive background in the environmental sector, and is passionate about sustainability and technological innovation. Through his educational and work experience, Austen has developed an interest in corporate-commercial, public, and environmental law. Prior to attending law school, Austen worked as a strategic planning and communications consultant.
What interests you about business law?
One of the most interesting aspects of business law, to me, is that it is really an umbrella term. While billion-dollar mergers and acquisitions might be one of the first things to come to mind when thinking about “business”, as a business lawyer, you might work with non-profit organizations or for-profit businesses. Your clients could be sole proprietors with a start-up, or multinational corporations. You might specialize in one practice area, or many. The potential diversity of this work is a big part of what attracted me to it, and what continues to hold my interest.
Why did you join the Business Law Clinic and what was your experience like?
I was leaning toward specializing in litigation when I entered law school, but also wanted to explore the solicitor side of law: the Business Law Clinic offered the perfect opportunity to do so.
I worked with small businesses and non-profits extensively in my pre-law career, and learned first-hand the challenges that accompany founding and growing an organization. Start-up entrepreneurs and non-profit managers are often faced with having to choose between spending hours trying to navigate complex legal requirements independently—sometimes not knowing conclusively whether they’ve found the right answer—or spending large parts of their budgets on professional legal services. The Business Law Clinic fills a vital role by providing pro bono legal services to this demographic, and I was excited to be part of it.
My experience with the Clinic was, in a word, fantastic. I worked on three files from intake to closing, and was able to get hands-on experience providing a diverse array of legal services. Ryan and Tyson were incredible supervisors and mentors, and did a great job of guiding us to provide the best possible service while also allowing us to feel like the files we worked on were “our files”. By the end of the term, I was wishing that the Clinic could extend into the summer so that I could continue working with my colleagues and clients.
What are your future goals after completing the JD program?
I plan to become a litigator after graduating. Because I started law school with a significant interest in litigation, my legal work and volunteer experience to date has primarily been litigation-focused. Even as someone who doesn’t expect to practice as a solicitor, however, my experience with the Business Law Clinic was invaluable. I believe that everything I learned in the Clinic will inform my practice: from the law itself, to how to develop an ethical and compassionate practice as a lawyer.
What advice would you give to other law students?
Take the courses that interest you! Depending on what you want to do after you graduate, there may be a few core courses that you should take regardless of your personal interest in the subject matter, but for the most part, don’t let traditional recommendations of what you “should” take prescribe your path at school. I’ve always found that I learn the most from courses that I look forward to going to every day. That said, law school also provides an opportunity explore subjects that you know little to nothing about. Even in your second or third year, you’re still at the very beginning of your legal career: it’s one of the best times to try new things—and possibly discover your future specialty while you’re at it.
Last Updated: August 2022
