In the conservative legal profession, where formal suits are de rigueur, there is nothing boring or beige about First Nations Advisor and Lawyer Trent Wallace. In fact, the flamboyant UNE alumnus and casual lecturer prides himself in standing out so that other First Nations people might genuinely be included.
As the first Aboriginal person in his role in an international law firm (Ashurst), Trent has become a trailblazer in the cultural awareness space. In the firm's offices he ensures that all everyday business is informed by a deep respect for and understanding of First Nations culture; he drives Indigenous initiatives, consultation and engagement with staff and clients to ensure it "forms a central part of what the organisation does". On the international stage, Trent also advises staff on their anti-racist efforts.
"In my Ashurst role and as co-chair of the Legal Profession Reconciliation Network, I am asking the profession to change their thought processes; to platform and prioritise the rich diversity of First Nations voices in our work," he says.
"My whole life has been leading up to this moment, to playing a role in re-educating people; to invite them to step out of their Euro-centric world and into the cultural world, to learn how to respectfully engage with First Nations peoples. It wasn't a premeditated or strategic career move; it was simply a case of 'let's get this job done'.
Style and substance
Trent had always harboured a childhood dream to become a lawyer. But it wasn't quite that simple for someone who dared to be different - he describes his fashion style as something between Hello Kitty and Ozzy Osborne - and had experienced a lifetime of covert and overt racism, as well as family trauma.
"I'd always been told that kids like me didn't go to law school and kids like me didn't become lawyers," Trent says. "I wasn't embraced anywhere really, except at home, but each knockdown, each comment, each form of abuse only made me steelier. I have always been true to my Taurus nature – stubborn."
UNE studies provided a welcome escape and the opportunity to focus on his passion. "I had realised that it was the law that made the world go around; that the law shapes and influences the society in which we operate," Trent says. "I saw it as the key to changing my life and the life of mob. I saw that I could make an impact if I stuck it out.
"Study distracted me from the trauma in my personal life. It was my saviour and gave me the keys to my freedom - permission, of sorts, to leave behind a life I didn't want to live anymore, and to start a new chapter. I didn't know where I was going to end up or what I would do, but it was so exciting to be studying."
Trent credits his study buddy and personal hero, fellow student Jacqui Bilson, for maintaining his confidence and energy "to keep pushing forward", to take inspiration from "any small win".
Every subject I passed enabled me to shed a layer of oppression and shame; it was a continual revelation of my authentic self.
"Every subject I passed enabled me to shed a layer of oppression and shame; it was a continual revelation of my authentic self," Trent says.
"Studying showed me my strength and determination, and graduating meant the world to me. It was not just an achievement for myself, but for my family and mob; it was one for all the outsiders and freaks. I was proud of myself for the first time in my life."
After completing his law degree in 2016, Trent worked as a volunteer at the Central Coast Community Legal Centre, then took a graduate job as a solicitor with the Australian Government Solicitor (a division of the Attorney-General's Department). He served on the First Nations Team at the Disability Royal Commission in 2019-2020 before creating a practical cultural awareness training program for the UNSW PLT course, outlining how to engage effectively with First Nations peoples and address unconscious bias.
"I was seeing so much goodwill and heart in the legal profession, but also this really dangerous knowledge gap among seasoned and new practitioners working in the First Nations space," Trent says. "There was no real recognition that mob (First Nations peoples) are not a homogenous group - that there are so many rich and diverse voices. Often times, the legal world didn't have the correct knowledge to go into these traumatised and oppressed communities."
'I feel heard'
Delivering the training was the perfect springboard to his current role and Trent has every confidence that the tide is slowly turning.
"I feel heard in the legal setting and feel so much love and support from my team and firm," he says. "The needs of First Nations peoples are no longer being seen through a social change or pro bono lens; it's a whole-of-business action and I'm really excited to see that emerging. But we have to get it right, and that's through authentic First Nations leadership, which is still uncommon. Our participation in the workplace, in shaping the workforce and corporate Australia, is essential."
Carving out a space
Despite working in a very conservative profession, Trent says he has been embraced. "Here's me coming in - this tattooed, pierced Aboriginal guy who rarely wears suits (I prefer a different version of ‘formal attire’) - but I have been accepted for who I am," Trent says. "I have had champions of authenticity throughout my career and I came into the profession thinking, 'I'm not going to fit in anywhere here, so I'm just going to carve out my own space' and that's what I've done. First Nations peoples don't have a boys' club to rely on; we rely on the open hearts and minds of people, which is what I am increasingly seeing."
Teaching casually at UNE today "feels like the ultimate redemption". "I failed some subjects at UNE, but look at me now, in a profession that wasn't meant for me or created for me," Trent says.
Even the Law Society of NSW Journal featured Trent in 2019, resplendent in his Aboriginal flag ensemble of black velvet pants, shimmering gold top and red blazer. "I own two suits and have worn them a couple of times, but I describe my dress style more as faithful to rebellion," he says. "I've realised that I don't have to be dictated to by society. Change can start with one person."
Trent was speaking on Meanjin Country. Always Was, Always Will Be, Aboriginal land.
