The human rights lawyer gets to stay updated on the latest Gen Alpha slang and TikTok trends
Khushaal Vyas started out as a corporate litigator with Baker McKenzie, but it wasn’t long before he found himself returning to the roots of why he became a lawyer in the first place: the influence of an aunt who championed the cause of the underprivileged and oppressed in India.
Today, Vyas stands up for the cause of young people in the workplace and has been an Australia Day ambassador since 2018. In the first part of this interview, he tells Australasian Lawyer what the role means to him and what he enjoys about being an ambassador.
What made you choose a career in law?
My family always thought it was the way to go for me because I talked too much! In all seriousness, I was influenced by my aunt who has spent her life advocating for underprivileged and oppressed communities in India. Growing up around that, you learn pretty quickly that law and advocacy can have a huge impact to both individuals and our nation more broadly.
What inspired you to make the jump to focusing on human rights law, particularly working with young people?
I did have an enjoyable, memorable and formative start to my career at Baker McKenzie in commercial litigation. However, the goal for me in practicing law was never really to remain in commercial practice. As I mentioned earlier, my aunt’s work in India was something that had a very big impact on me growing up. The philosophy for me had always been that if I’m privileged enough to study law then it follows that I should be using that privilege to work with those that who have to overcome tremendous barriers in their access to justice.
Other than helping me stay on top of the latest Gen Alpha speak and TikTok trends (though despite my best efforts, I’m still getting called ‘unc’), working with young people was a perfect fit. Having been a member of my local council’s youth advisory committee in Western Sydney, I did get a unique perspective of the barriers young people face that don’t often receive the same coverage as other issues. With young workers in particular being vulnerable to some of the worst kinds of workplace exploitation (and the corresponding short and long term financial and social impacts it can have), I felt my skillset had the potential to have a meaningful impact in this space. I’m very glad I made that jump and grateful we get to do the work that we do.
What does it mean to you to be selected as an Australia Day Ambassador?
I’ve been lucky enough to have been an ambassador since 2018 and honestly it means as much now as it did back then. It’s undoubtedly a huge honour but it’s also resulted in some of the most special memories and experiences thanks to the people and communities I’m able to speak with. Having gone from places like Broken Hill to Bourke to Woodenbong to Kyogle and beyond, I’ve had the chance to meet with some of the most incredible communities who embody exactly what the word ‘community’ means.
With so many having experienced the impact of bushfires, floods and drought, it’s been incredible to learn from the local heroes in each of these places and it’s been such an eye-opening experience. To then have the opportunity to share my own stories and views on where we need to go as a nation, it’s pretty special. Plus I’ve had the chance to play some seriously intense country cricket matches and hold a baby wombat too – so that’s pretty cool!
