From fleeing the Bosnian War as a teenage refugee to her appointment to the District Court, Judge Dženita Balić has not had a typical journey to the bench.
In the latest episode of The Callover podcast Judge Balić speaks with host Georgia Athanasellis about her childhood experiences, the development of her passion for the law, the importance of patience and her views on advocacy.
Judge Balić details the lessons her life and career journey have taught her thus far.
“As I’ve gone through the legal profession, I’ve realized very quickly that there are a lot of people who have all sorts of stories and people need help, and people need to be exposed to other people’s experiences,” her Honour said.
“I’ve met a lot of different people in my life who taught me a lot of things.”
After witnessing the aftermath of genocide in Bosnia, Herzegovina and Rwanda, Judge Balić said she became interested in the law as a young girl.
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“A lot of our family conversations and focus was around that,” her Honour explained.
“I think I felt a sense of identity or association with that.
“Justice was, well, it was when it became natural, you know? So, you pick up your bags, and you leave your home, and someone tells you to get out, and you are trying to survive.”
During the discussion, she explained how her work has taught her that “preparation is key” and what she believes is a vital part of advocacy.
“As I went along, I learned what was important, what was not important,” she said.
“The best advocate that I have felt that I have observed with my own eyes, is the one that has passion, is the one that has this authenticity to them.”
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Judge Balić also emphasized the importance of diversity in the legal profession and detailed what advice she would give early career lawyers.
“You can’t control the things that are going to go well or not,” her Honour said.
“Build your networks. Have friends, colleagues, listen to other people from other areas of the law, listen to their stories. Why do they do what they do? Open your horizons.”
The Callover is a podcast created by young lawyers, for young lawyers. It is hosted by the QLS Future Leaders Committee, dedicated to inspiring a generation of connected, capable and healthy young lawyers. You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or your favourite podcast app.