Bridging Systems, Serving People: Nurul’s Journey Through Law Across Continents
Foundations in Two Legal Worlds
For Nurul Khan, Principal Lawyer at SR Lawyers, the decision to pursue law was rooted in purpose. Long before establishing his practice in Australia, he began his legal career in Bangladesh with a singular goal: to serve society and give voice to those who struggled to access justice. This enduring commitment to equity and fairness continues to permeate through his approach to legal practice today.
Having completed legal education in both Bangladesh and Australia, Nurul’s navigation of two distinct legal systems has equipped him with a deep understanding of their respective expectations and complexities. One of the most significant transitions he encountered was adjusting to the Australian academic style, which places greater emphasis on critical analysis and problem-solving.
Adjusting to a new legal landscape came with its share of challenges from language barriers and cultural differences to unfamiliar statutory frameworks. Rather than viewing these as obstacles, Nurul embraced them as opportunities for growth. With persistence and continuous learning, he steadily gained confidence in the Australian legal environment, drawing on the values that defined his early career.
Building Credibility and Perspective
Nurul’s diverse background has set him apart. Before entering private practice in Australia, he served as a judge in Bangladesh — a role that profoundly shaped his legal reasoning. The discipline of evidence analysis, impartiality, and fair process are principles he continues to uphold, opting for a structured and balanced approach to every client matter.
Later, during his time at the Commonwealth Bank, Nurul gained first-hand insight into the inner workings of financial institutions. The exposure to commercial frameworks proved invaluable, especially as he transitioned into focusing on property and commercial law in his current practice. Nurul credits his career progress to being open to any role that offered practical exposure, no matter how small.
A Practice Guided by Community
Spanning across property, commercial, corporate and immigration law, the intentional breadth of Nurul’s practice is evidence of both his professional interests and the needs of his communities. When working with clients from diverse backgrounds, Nurul approaches each matter with cultural sensitivity. Understanding the cultural context of a client is essential to providing practical, tailored legal advice, he explains. His extensive community involvement also reflects this ethos. Nurul treats professional success as a tool for collective progress. It is evident through our interview with Nurul that service to his community is a responsibility that he prioritises above all else.
Resilience and Career Advice
Nurul’s migration journey was not without difficulty. Arriving in Australia as an international student, he initially pursued business studies before later transitioning into law — a path he now wishes he had taken from the outset of his tertiary studies. “Still, I gained so much knowledge that I now use every day,” he reflects. No regrets.”
He openly acknowledges the difficulty of entering the Australian legal industry as an internationally trained lawyer, citing both his and his wife’s experience. Together, they discovered that persistence and reputation can often outweigh background.
For lawyers in the early stages of their careers, Nurul shares three pieces of advice:
Focus on skill and integrity first, not income. If you build capability and ethical grounding, the rest will follow.
Stay connected to your community. Build genuine relationships, understand local needs, and serve with empathy.
Be open-minded and resilient. Your path likely won’t be linear. But if you keep learning, adapting, and showing up, you’ll get where you need to be.
A Global Perspective with Local Impact
Nurul remains deeply attuned to the intersection of migration, law and lived experience. Many of his clients arrive in Australia uncertain of their legal rights or how to navigate pathways to residency. His approach is to listen to his clients carefully, understand their background and then craft solutions that align with their individual realities.
The value of cultural competency in legal practice is something Nurul continuously emphasises. For lawyers working with diverse communities, cultural sensitivity isn’t optional. It is essential in order to be an effective and respectful lawyer.
Closing Thoughts
Nurul’s career is defined not by a singular title, but by a continuous process of learning, adapting, and giving back. From courtroom benches in Bangladesh to property settlements in Australia, his journey offers a blueprint for how legal knowledge can transcend borders, and how lawyers can serve clients with both technical expertise and cultural understanding.
To Nurul, law is a lifelong commitment to fairness, resilience and community.
Written by Ananya Goswami
Edited by Adelheid Ye and Ai-Vy Nguyen
With special thanks to Nurul Khan for sharing his story, and to Adelheid Ye, Ananya Goswami, and Tashi Saini for conducting the interview.