Deng Adut at the age of six was snatched from his mother and forced to fight in the war that eventually split his homeland of Sudan. Trained to use an AK-47 and expected to either kill or be killed, Deng was eventually smuggled out of Sudan into Kenya before making it to Australia in 1998.

Deng’s life journey has taken him from an illiterate child soldier to a criminal lawyer making a difference in Western Sydney. His remarkable story has spread around the world, and has inspired millions of people, thanks to a viral video made by his alma mater, Western Sydney University.

While his life is now a long way from the privations of his childhood, Deng inspires others with his story of triumph over tragedy, and of the contributions that refugees can make to Australia’s rich community.

Deng is now a partner in the AC Law Group, a firm he co-founded with Joseph Correy in 2014, and works seven days a week. Deng practices in the areas of criminal, family, employment and international law. He is especially well known for his work as a criminal lawyer assisting the Sudanese community in Blacktown and for taking on refugee pro bono cases. Deng is a community award recipient and has been described in the media as a “remarkable person”. He devotes many hours of his personal time every week to mentoring, advising and supporting members of his community. He regularly acts as a spokesperson for the Sudanese community and has frequently appeared in the media to advocate for their interests.

Deng is currently completing a Master of Laws in Criminal Prosecution at Wollongong University with a thesis on war crimes, and says his ultimate dream is to return to South Sudan and prosecute those involved in the conscription of child soldiers.