Double degrees: University of Waikato graduands Alister (left) and James Moran are all set to receive their law degrees on Friday in Tauranga.
Not everyone gets the opportunity to graduate alongside their brother, but Alister and James Moran of Te Puke are about to do it for the second time with the same degree.
Best mates as well as identical twins, the Morans, 26, graduate on Friday in Tauranga with their Bachelor of Laws degrees from the University of Waikato – Alister with first-class honours and James with second-class, first division honours.
The twins also both graduated with business degrees in 2007.
Different directions for the first time
From next week, for the first time, they’ll be heading in different directions. James is starting with Tauranga law firm Sharp Tudhope in the business and commercial team, while Alister is in the process of applying for positions which could take him anywhere in the country.
The brothers had always intended to study law but their career pathway led them first to Otago University, where they both completed Bachelor of Commerce degrees in 2007.
Commerce and law a good mix
“We were both good at maths and accounting at school and it was a natural pathway to study commerce, but my aim was always to study law. Having both degrees will be an excellent combination of skills for the commercial law environment,” says James.
When the family moved to the Bay of Plenty in 2008, James and Alister enrolled in the law programme at the University of Waikato, basing themselves in Hamilton for the next four years.
Twins supported each other through study
The twins have always played the same sports and enjoyed similar hobbies – they surf and play cricket – so it was no surprise that they went on to study and flat together as well. They say it helped them keep focused and push each other along.
“Doing a law degree can be challenging and complex and you have to spend your time wisely. That can mean giving up a lot of your social life, but by doing that together we were able to support each other and keep focused,” says James.