Justice fails in a lot of ways. There's always, you know, people they have a good case but no one can manage to do anything for them.

I want to be in the position that I can do pro bono work for people who cannot access justice.

My name is Joanna Byrne and I'm a Southern Cross University Law graduate.

I was working as a florist and I decided that I wanted to do something a bit more with my life.

I hadn't studied since like 1982 or something you know, so it was a big step to go back to university. I had a setback at the end of my first session, my husband passed away so then I was left single mother with seven children and the university gave me lecturers to help me.

They had other students contact me as well. So they put all these networks and support in place so that I can continue to get through.

All the lectures are recorded so I could listen to them in the car so gives you that flexibility to study when you want.

I won the National Indigenous Law Student of the Year in 2016. I was a bit humbled and shocked that I'd actually been nominated and won it.

I was offered a graduate job six months before I'd finished and had a contract signed so I've started work three days after I finished.

In ten years I want to have my own chambers and be practising at the bar and doing more social justice and sort of pro bono work but have a good work-life balance with the kids.

When I started studying there's no way in my wildest dreams I thought I would ever be where I was today.

You hear stories all the time that you know you're not going to get a job in Law because you're a mature age student who studied online and so I proved them all wrong I guess.