Finding your place in justice: Austin Hasan’s story
Austin Hasan didn’t enter law with a fixed destination in mind. But she did know one thing early on: she wanted to help people.
Austin has always been drawn to how people communicate — particularly in moments of stress — and how systems shape those interactions.
As she started studying a law degree at Bond University, she didn’t know where that interest would take her — but she trusted the answer would come with experience.
Learning the system from the ground up
Rather than choosing a narrow path straight out of uni, Austin took a deliberate approach: she started in entry-level roles across Queensland Courts and moved through a range of jurisdictions.
From criminal listings to probate matters and court operations - each role added another layer of understanding.
“I wanted to see how the justice system actually worked — not just in theory,” she said. “Every area showed me something different about people and processes.
She saw how legal processes can feel intimidating; how stress and uncertainty shape behaviour; and how clarity — or the lack of it — can change outcomes.
That broad grounding became her self-made graduate program — one that helped her identify where her strengths could make the greatest difference.
Finding her calling in conciliation
That place turned out to be conciliation.
Today, Austin works with the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management, supporting Queenslanders to resolve disputes without the need for escalation to a tribunal or court.
Conciliation provides a structured, confidential space for people to talk through issues, understand the legislation, and explore solutions they can agree on themselves.
“I’m there to guide the conversation,” she says. “To help people understand their options — and to help them hear each other.
Her background across the courts gives her a strong sense of what happens when disputes escalate — and how early resolution can be beneficial.
"Dispute resolution empowers parties to take control of the outcome so they walk away with actions they can confidently carry out.
By demonstrating to parties how to communicate effectively and by providing information about their rights and obligations, parties are able to walk away from the conciliation with the tools required to resolve any future disputes."
Austin remembers one conciliation where both parties arrived, convinced there was no way forward.
The conversation was tense at first, but gradually shifted. By the end of the session, not only had they reached agreement — they were talking about meeting for coffee.
“That’s the power of people feeling heard,” she says. “It changes the tone of everything.”
Lived experience that shapes her work
Austin’s approach is also shaped by lived experience.
She grew up on the Gold Coast in a close Indonesian community, where families gathered often, shared food, and supported one another through everyday life. That environment taught her the value of connection and mutual understanding — lessons she carries into her work today.
Later, recovering from an acquired brain injury deepened her awareness that everyone arrives carrying something unseen.
“You don’t always know what someone has had to overcome just to show up,” she says. “That changes how you listen.”
Advice for future justice professionals
Austin’s message for students and graduates considering a career in law or justice is reassuringly simple.
“You don’t need to have it all figured out at the start,” she says.
“Trying different roles helped me understand the system and myself. It showed me where my skills, interests, and values really lined up.”
Learn more about conciliation and how the process works: https://www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/body-corporate/disputes/dispute-services/conciliation-adjudication-referee-orders.