Tilé and Olly Meets: Daniel Ajak

In this episode, we sit down with Daniel Ajak. Daniel believes in using his law degree to impact positive change in society, be it in representing his clients or mentoring and creating opportunities for aspiring law students in his community and beyond. Daniel is a criminal lawyer based in Melbourne. He founded his firm Ajak & Associates which now boasts offices in Melbourne and now in Adelaide with dreams to expand nationally.

After graduating from Flinders university with a Bachelor of Laws, Daniel was admitted as a solicitor and a day later began working as a lawyer at Thomson Geer in Adelaide. However, in 2017 after seeing regular media coverage on African youth crime in Melbourne, he felt called to move to Victoria to be a role model for the younger people in his South Sudanese community.

He has largely worked as a criminal lawyer working with Papa Hughes Lawyers, Victoria Legal Aid, Salvos Legal before becoming a Director at Ajak, Wolan and Tut Lawyers which later became Ajak & Associates.

He credits one of his greatest achievements to be the co-founding of the African Australian Legal Network (AALN). The AALN seeks to is creating opportunities for aspiring law students and graduates from his community to get a foot in the door. The AALN was first convened in July 2018, and is now an incorporated association, the AALN is focused on the skills development, recruitment and retention of people of African descent in the Australian legal community.

The group has enjoyed success and support from oragnisations such as Victoria Legal Aid and the Office of the General Counsel, Department of Premier and Cabinet (Victoria), Castan Chambers and the Leo Cussen Centre for Law to name a few.

Daniel was awarded a 2020 Early Career Alumni Award by Flinders University for his significant contribution to the African-Australian community in Australia, including the development of professional networks and advocacy for African-Australian legal students.