A career in social justice: General Counsel for GetUp!

Going into the law, I thought I could be of use.

When Zaahir Edries was appointed to the role of General Counsel for activist group GetUp! in 2018, it was a professional moment more than 15 years in the making. A 2007 graduate of the UTS Master of Law and Legal Practice (now called the Juris Doctor), he had his sights set on a career in social justice since his teens. Then in 2008, at the age of 36, he found himself in a job where his work helps shape public policy outcomes for a more just and equitable Australia.   

“GetUp! is about climate justice, we’re about justice and equality and democracy, and now one of our biggest areas of focus for the last 18–24 months has been First Nations justice,” he says.

From a legal perspective, the work is varied – Zaahir provides advice to GetUp!’s Board, represents the organisation at state and federal enquiries and commissions, and serves as its contact point for government and statutory bodies. He also oversees GetUp!’s privacy, compliance and risk portfolios.

The work reflects exactly the sort of change he’s always wanted to be part of. Born into apartheid South Africa and growing up as a young Muslim man in the aftermath of 9/11, he felt driven to protect others who faced oppression.

“Going into the law, I thought I could be of use,” he says.

Gaining experience for a career in social justice

After completing his undergraduate studies, a postgraduate law degree was Zaahir’s next step. The Master of Law and Legal Practice was an obvious choice: the university’s postgraduate law degrees are characterised by flexible scheduling – part-time study options, evening classes and summer school, to name a few – that recognise the competing demands on students’ time.

For Zaahir, that flexibility was crucial to juggling work and his preference for full-time study. The opportunity to pick and choose a wide range of subjects was also appealing: he studied international, European and Islamic law, among others, getting his head around the concept of law as an instrument for global good.

“It set my path to doing social justice work because the subjects really helped me fine-tune what I wanted to do in the future,” he says.

We formed a supportive network which quickly evolved into the advocacy space.

Shortly after graduating from UTS, Zaahir used what he’d learnt to co-found the Muslim Legal Network (NSW). At the time, the network was a response to the ongoing challenges facing Muslim legal professionals in the aftermath of 9/11, offering mentoring, networking and professional opportunities for its members. Today, the network advocates on legal issues impacting the Muslim community and provides resources and referral services for community members.

“We formed a supportive network which quickly evolved into the advocacy space,” Zaahir says.

“The experience helped me to sharpen my skills as a graduate lawyer.”

Walking the talk on law as a tool for good

Over the next few years, Zaahir continued contributing to the network while simultaneously establishing his own career. His degree opened a lot of doors: he worked across the public and private sectors, trying his hand at everything from liability to commercial litigation and insurance, indemnity and financial law, and coronial inquests and royal commissions.

Some of his work had a clear social justice bent, while other roles gave him a solid grounding in the mechanics of the law. But his heart was firmly in social transformation: in 2015, he was appointed President of the Muslim Legal Network (NSW), a role that further increased his profile among activists and NGOs pushing for political change. And then, in 2018, GetUp! came calling.

Today, Zaahir spends his time doing the legal work that underpins extraordinary social justice campaigns — current GetUp! activities include efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef, ensure freedom of the press and prevent the destruction of Aboriginal cultural heritage.

It’s fast-paced, stressful and deeply meaningful work—and Zaahir Edries is right where he wants to be.