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Pathways program student receives top results at Cambridge

7 July 2017
Sydney Law grad receives first class honours at Cambridge

Sydney Law School LLB graduand, Tim Matthews, received outstanding results in the Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Cambridge. He was awarded First Class Honours, graduating third overall in his cohort.

Tim Matthews, Cambridge graduate

Sydney Law School and Tim Matthews, Cambridge graduate, Tim Matthews

Sydney Law School LLB graduand, Tim Matthews, has received outstanding results in the Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Cambridge. Tim was awarded First Class Honours at his graduation last week and came third in the overall cohort. 

Tim commenced his studies at the University of Cambridge in September last year, as part of Sydney Law School’s pathway program. The program is a collaboration with the faculties of Law at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, which allows high-achieving students to receive a Sydney LLB or a Sydney JD as well as a Master’s degree from Cambridge or Oxford.

“Tim’s well-deserved success in his studies at Cambridge confirms the great benefits of our pathways programs with Cambridge and Oxford,” said Dean, Professor Joellen Riley.

“The best and brightest of our Sydney Law students are able to accelerate their careers - and we are certainly proving that our students are as able as any in the world. 

“Tim is the second Sydney graduate to return home with exceptional results in the Cambridge LLM (Mitchell Cleaver being the first).”

The competitive program is open to final-year students. Instead of completing the final semester of their degree in Sydney, students undertake one year of studies in the United Kingdom.

Knowing that he wanted to pursue graduate study abroad, Tim decided to apply for the challenging Master of Laws at the University of Cambridge through the pathways program.

“Cambridge offers a rigorous, world-leading Master of Law program,” said Tim.

“The structure of the program encourages you to learn both from close engagement with outstanding researchers, but also a diverse cohort of peers drawn from all around the world.”

During his time at Cambridge Faculty of Law, Tim had the opportunity to learn not just from the Cambridge academic staff but also from a range of fascinating guest lecturers.

“I was able to attend a lecture on international criminal procedure from a judge of the International Criminal Court, hear a former judge of the Court of Appeal of England and Wales speak about the constitutional implications of Brexit, and listen to senior practitioners talk about a range of human rights topics including assisted dying and free speech.” 

Tim was able to support his studies with a scholarship from the General Sir John Monash Foundation and the Alan Bishop Scholarship from the Sydney Law School.

“I am so thankful to Sydney Law School for the opportunity to study at Cambridge. It has been an incredibly valuable experience for which I am immensely grateful,” said Tim.  

Tim will return to Sydney Law School at the end of the month to tutor in the torts program before returning to the United Kingdom next year to commence as a trainee barrister at Matrix Chambers in London.