By Kaitlin Loeffler-White, 14 July, 2025
Growing up in the rural town of Inverell, Scott Robinson always had a strong sense of community and responsibility.
In a town where skipping footy training meant letting down your whole team, or missing a class impacted the two other kids sitting next to you, Scott quickly learned that individual actions have collective consequences.
That deep-rooted sense of duty and community spirit has carried Scott from country New South Wales all the way to a diplomatic posting in Indonesia—and into the Australian Army.
Along the way, his QUT law degree helped turn his passion for justice and fairness into a powerful, real-world career.
Choosing law at QUT
Scott’s sense of justice and a curiosity about how power does and should function in society naturally led him to law.
“I was always fascinated by big questions,” he says
“Like how a constitution sets up a country for success, or how to balance the need of the Executive to respond dynamically with protections that ensure they don’t exploit such powers.”
QUT Law’s course content spoke to his passions.
“I was especially interested in public law, workplace relations, constitutional law, and the laws of armed conflict,” he recalls, “and QUT has brilliant lecturers in those fields.”
Scott’s standout subject was The Law and Ethics of War, taught by Dr Andrew Garwood-Gowers.
“Law in warfare is really where the law, and raw power, are most often in open contest,” he says.
“Because of that, I think it is the area of law that has the most consequence—where the laws of war are not adhered to, where armies and the executive branch are given power unchecked and unchallenged, is where the worst atrocities in human history have occurred.“
“I exercised no discipline whatsoever to stay up late into the night reading, to find the answers—it was just that fascinating.”
The course didn’t just deepen his interest in the law of armed conflict—it sparked a whole career direction.
From Brisbane to the world: diplomacy and defence
A QUT assignment on China’s Belt and Road Initiative helped Scott land a role with Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Later, his studies, along with mentorship from Dr Garwood-Gowers, helped him secure a full diplomatic posting to Indonesia.
There, he helped coordinate Australia’s $200 million climate and infrastructure partnership with Indonesia and played a key role in historic moments—like being on Minister Malarndirri McCarthy’s team when she delivered her opening remarks in her Indigenous language at the G20; the first time the G20 had ever heard an Australian Indigenous Minister open in their own language.
“It was a deeply human moment of Australian history,” Scott shared, “it was one of the greatest privileges of my life to be there.”
That sense of representing Australia on the global stage hit home during a high stakes meeting in Indonesia with international partners.
Standing in as a proxy, Scott was called to speak on Australia’s behalf.
“Suddenly, everyone turned to me and said, ‘What’s Australia’s position?’ I realised I was the only Australian in the room.”
“What I said next would be taken as Australia’s view. That was a huge responsibility—and an honour.”
After graduating from QUT, Scott continued to push boundaries. He now holds the rank of Captain in the Australian Army Reserves Legal Corps and recently completed a Master of Law at the University of Cambridge, achieving First Class Honours, and receiving the Faculty Prize for his dissertation on cyber warfare law.
What he learned and what he’d tell future law students
Scott credits QUT with giving him the confidence to pursue his goals.
“I knew I was in the right place,” he says.
“QUT made law accessible and offered a series of tutorials on how to write and think like a lawyer.”
As for advice for future law students, Scott has a few pointers.
1. Teach others what you’re learning. “Try explaining legal concepts to your friends outside law. If you can teach it, you really understand it.”
2. Read widely. “Law isn’t just about textbooks. Read fiction about law and lawyers. Stay abreast of current affairs. The best lawyers are the ones with deep vocabularies and broad minds. Read and apply Word Power Made Easy, and the Elements of Legal Style. Your marks will soar.”
3. Don’t fear failure - fear regret. “I applied for six scholarships for Cambridge before getting the seventh. I applied for three diplomatic postings in DFAT before getting the fourth. You should ask yourself: would I rather be the person who tried and failed, or the person who never tried at all, but is always left with a niggling “what if” regret?”
4. Surround yourself with the right people. “True friends are the ones who keep you focused and encourage you to keep going.”
5. Use the tools and resources. “Zotero for referencing AGLC-4. Read-aloud for proofreading essays. Anki for flashcards. Do the practice exams. Practise issue spotting. Go and see the lecturers in their consult times every single week.”
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