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Top law schools of the 30 Under 30 finalists revealed
After the recent unveiling of the finalists for the 30 Under 30 Awards 2025, Lawyers Weekly can now reveal which Australian law schools those finalists attended.
Lauren Croft
Back for the 13th year, the 30 Under 30 Awards, run in partnership with principal partner Taylor Root, is set to celebrate the achievements and recognise the outstanding work of young lawyers across the profession.
A total of 286 finalists will battle it out across 30 individual categories for the prestigious awards. Check out the full list of finalists here.
The winners will be announced at the black-tie gala ceremony on Thursday, 6 March 2025, at The Star, Sydney. Click here to buy tickets.
The gala ceremony will provide an opportunity to network with leading firms, experts, and peers across the legal industry, which means young lawyers can set themselves apart as rising stars in the profession.
Lawyers Weekly was able to locate the law schools of almost all of the 30 Under 30 finalists based on their LinkedIn profiles and/or entries from last year.
At last year’s awards, Macquarie University Law School topped the list with 25 finalists, for the second year in a row. Find out this year’s top 10 universities with the greatest number of 30 Under 30 finalists, whether they be current students or alumni, below.
10. University of Melbourne, Melbourne
Nine 30 Under 30 finalists came from the University of Melbourne this year – and the university did not make the top 10 last year.
9. Australian National University (ANU), Canberra
Dropping slightly from last year, when ANU produced 14 finalists, this year, the law school produced 10 finalists in the 30 Under 30 Awards.
8. University of Sydney, Sydney
The University of Sydney Law School came in sixth place last year with 16 finalists. This year, 14 finalists were past or present students of the University of Sydney.
7. University of Wollongong, Wollongong
Rising through the ranks slightly, the University of Wollongong produced fourteen 30 Under 30 finalists this year, after also producing 14 last year.
6. Deakin University, Victoria
Deakin Law School did not make the top 10 last year – and this year, it produced 16 finalists.
5. Monash University, Melbourne
Monash had 18 current and past students in last year’s 30 Under 30 cohort – and this year, it dropped slightly down to 17 finalists.
4. University of NSW (UNSW), Sydney
The UNSW Law School produced 20 finalists this year, after producing 16 last year.
3. University of Technology (UTS), Sydney
Placing in third for the second year in a row, the University of Technology Sydney has 22 past or present students who are finalists for 30 Under 30, up from 17 last year.
2. Queensland University of Technology, Queensland
After producing 15 finalists last year, QUT has come equal first this year, with 23 finalists in the running for 30 Under 30.
1. Macquarie University, Sydney
Having risen through the ranks in recent years, Macquarie University has, for the third year in a row, produced the most 30 Under 30 finalists, and this year, it tied first with QUT. Last year, the law school produced 25 finalists, and this year produced 23.
To find out more about the 2025 30 Under 30 awards, click here.
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
