Doing the right thing

Taya recently took up her post with JRS in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, and is thrilled to see her long-held dream bearing fruit. 'My plan was always to work for a period of time in a developing country, preferably in international law', she says.

'I trudged through my law degree not enjoying all of my subjects, and I'm finally doing what I've wanted to do for a very long time.' The appointment also presents an invaluable opportunity for Taya's partner, who is finishing a PHD in organic farming in developing countries.

Taya's appointment is the culmination of a deep practical and intellectual interest in human rights. As a student, she spent a year in Denmark studying and working at the Danish Institute for Human Rights. Back at university in Brisbane, she worked part-time for an advocacy group for people with disabilities from non-English-speaking backgrounds, many of whom were on temporary protection visas.

Her subsequent appointment as a judge's associate, a little over a year ago, was 'a really good starting point for a lawyer', she says. But the experience also opened her eyes to the toll that excessively long hours take on lawyers, particularly those in the civil court. 'You could just see how unhappy they were, it was visible on their faces', she says. 'Neither my partner nor I want to live that sort of life. We want to follow our interests first and foremost, and then hopefully be of service or productive in our working lives.'

By chance Taya heard that JRS was looking to appoint a volunteer in Cambodia. Researching the organisation thoroughly, she was impressed with what she saw. 'JRS has an excellent reputation among people that work in all fields of development', she reports. 'I openly sought out other people's opinions and everything that came back was absolutely positive.'

Taya's role in Cambodia will include assisting asylum seekers and advocating for various causes, including statelessness and land titling. She expects to work predominantly with Burmese and Vietnamese asylum seekers, as well as Iraqis and Afghanis, who have found it easier to make their way to Cambodia and will then be looking to get refugee status in other countries.

As she embarks on her career as a human rights lawyer, Taya expects her experience with JRS in Cambodia to inform her career path. 'As long as I'm doing interesting work, and work I feel passionate about, and which fits within my ideas of what's good and what's ethical and what's right, I think I'll be happy', she says.

By Catherine Marshall