How a working-class kid went from bricklayer to Wollongong magistrate

Mr Douglass was "exposed to a lot of stuff" growing up in a "truly working class family" in the western suburbs of Sydney, and joining the law profession was the furthest thing from his mind.

"There was no real expectation in relation to education and I went very poorly in my first HSC attempt....[I got] 153 out of 500," he said.

"I probably only stayed at school to play footy as I knew how hard work was. I went straight into a trade, my brother was a bricklayer and I became a bricklayer."

Mr Douglass also drove trucks and worked at Roads and Maritime Services for a time.

But in his mid to late 20s the keen surfer became dissatisfied with work.

A father of two children at the time and having just renovated a house and having a mortgage, he returned to study to start his Law Degree at the University of Wollongong.

"I found the university environment really friendly and quite a good learning environment, particularly for an older bloke who didn't have the skills of all the younger people. They really nurtured me and helped me. I did reasonably well at university."

Although excelling at contracts and tort law at university, Mr Douglass drifted towards criminal law when he opened his private practice.

After practicing for a number of years he decided to join the bench.

"In my childhood there is no way I thought I would have been where I am now," he said.

"A lot of people talk about how their younger days were a bit wild. I grew up in the western suburbs of Sydney, I was exposed to a lot of stuff."

Mr Douglass, who said he still felt indebted to UOW, was happy to talk to students at the event sponsored by law firm, Allens Linklaters.

"I'll tell them my story to try to inspire them and push themselves," he said.

"With my background I just appreciate education and what it has done for me and I'm a believer that education and learning how to write and communicate is a really important empowering thing and Wollongong university accepted me and gave me those skills so I'm indebted still."

The Law Society also hosted the Honourable Justice Lea Armstrong, president of the New South Wales Civil and Administrative Tribunal and defence barrister and refugee advocate Deng Adut.

Society president Sophie Whittaker said the intimate dinner was an opportunity for students to find inspiration and motivation to succeed in the stories of others, and network with legal professionals who have achieved great success in their chosen fields.

Miss Whittaker said the speakers all recounted their journeys into the profession, the adversity they had overcome to get to where they were, and left students with key messages to carry through in their studies and into the profession.

"The purpose of the evening was to demonstrate the value of diversity of experience and opinion in the legal profession and reassure students, that their background should not limit the opportunities available to them in the profession," she said.

"The experiences that people have shape the lawyers they become, and ultimately allow them to pave the way for others. Our three key speakers are examples of this.

"Students studying law at UOW need the occasional reminder that they can achieve greatness, however, the night was a true success, as students walked away feeling motivated to leave their mark and have an impact in the profession."