Pip Coore

My Oxford journey began when I was a young girl living in a small country town in Australia.  I remember my grandfather, George, telling me that his grandfather, who was also called George, had studied at Oxford in 1884.  From that day on, it was a dream of mine to study there too. Over one century later, in 2014, once I completed my Bachelor Degrees in Brisbane, Australia, I applied for the MPhil in Law at Oxford.  The day I received my acceptance letter from Teddy Hall was a dream come true.

In 2014, during my first year at the Hall, I lived in the graduate accommodation on Norham Gardens (NSE) and was fortunate enough to be the NSE Student Representative.  In 2015, I had the privilege of being the MCR President.  During my Presidency, I worked hard to ensure that Teddy Hall’s MCR maintained its reputation as being the best in Oxford.

During my Presidency, the Hall celebrated the matriculation of the 3,000th woman.  As part of this celebration, I had the honour of travelling to New York with the (then) Principal Professor Keith Gull and his wife Dr Dianne Gull to speak at the 31st annual New York Dinner at the Racquet and Tennis Club about what life was like at the Hall.  I had the privilege of meeting many Aularians, past and present, from far and wide, as well as parents and friends of the Hall.  There was an immediate bond between us as we were all connected by one thing, the Hall.

As MCR President, I had the pleasure of welcoming students to the Hall from all corners of the world.  There were more than 300 students from over 70 different countries.  It truly was (and still is) a global network of motivated, dedicated and diverse individuals.  A highlight of my day was dropping by the MCR for a friendly chat and a hot cup of tea, particularly during the winter months.

I am currently completing the DPhil in Law at Teddy Hall under the supervision of Professor Jonathan Herring and Dr Charles Foster.  My research area is Elder Law, which includes equity, trusts and succession law.  In 2017, I worked as the Senior Associate to the Honourable Justice Edelman in the High Court of Australia.  In 2018, I was called to the Bar.  As a Barrister, my practice will have a particular focus on equity, trusts and succession law.

The Hall not only enabled me to gain a world-class education but it also gave me a group of life-long friends and many fond memories.  I am extremely proud to be an Aularian.  The Hall Spirit has guided me through my time at Oxford and will continue to guide me for the rest of my life.