Imogen Saunders

  • Lawyer, Lecturer & Researcher International Law, Australian National University

When did you graduate from Quintilian?

At the end of year 7, in 1993.

Where do you live now?

Canberra, Australia.

What do you do in your profession?

I teach classes at university: a bit like school, but with more students!  I have up to 300 law students in the biggest classes I teach.  I also do research and write articles and books, and do other things like coaching mooting teams (where students pretend to be in a real court and argue a legal problem).

How did you end up becoming a Lecturer & Researcher of International Law at ANU?

I did a law degree and UWA and worked as a lawyer in Perth for a while.  However I wanted to do more research, so I decided to do a PhD.  My area of law is international law – the law that regulates what countries can do – and the experts in this field are at ANU.  So I moved to Canberra to start a PhD in 2007, and never left!

What makes you excited about going to work each day?

Being able to teach students and see the moment where they understand a concept properly for the first time.  Not knowing what wonderful opportunity may arise each day – whether it’s taking a team to Thailand for a mooting competition, or meeting a judge from the International Court of Justice.

What are some of your fondest memories of Quintilian?

Building the playground! When we first moved to the Mt Claremont site, the amazing playground didn’t exist. All the parents and the kids got together to build it over several weekends. To be honest, us kids played a bit more than we helped, but it was lots of fun.

Family camp at Yanchep – back when Yanchep was considered a looooong way from Perth.

The end of year concerts – I kept coming back to these for a long time to see my little brother and sister (both grown up now!) perform.

What would you say to children learning at Quintilian today?

Quintilian is a fantastic place to start your learning journey.  Find out what you’re interested in knowing more about, and never stop asking questions.