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Message from the Dean, Assoc/Prof Natalie Skead

Dean - Assoc/Prof Natalie SkeadWe are very much looking forward to concluding our 90th anniversary celebrations at our Gala Dinner at Winthrop Hall on Saturday, 1 September. It will be a wonderful night to catch up, reminisce and celebrate our achievements over the last nine decades. Cohort photos will be taken from 6pm. Tickets are on sale here.

A series of 90th anniversary events have given us the opportunity to engage with the wider UWA Law School community. Over the past 12 months, we co-hosted a Symposium in February with the University of Sydney on ‘International Commercial Dispute Resolution for the 21st Century: Australian Perspectives’ at the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia.

Justice James Edelmen with Corrs Chambers WestgarthIn March, the Honourable Justice James Edelman delivered a compelling George Winterton Memorial Lecture at the David Malcolm Justice Centre on ‘Constitutional Interpretation’. The lecture was a fitting tribute to one of our distinguished alumni who is widely regarded and fondly remembered as one of Australia’s foremost constitutional law experts. The lecture was followed by a dinner with members of the Winterton family, some of whom travelled from Sydney to attend the event. The dinner was generously hosted and sponsored by Corrs Chambers Westgarth.

Additionally, March saw the Law School jointly host with the Institute of Advanced Studies a public lecture by Professor Megan Davis entitled, ‘The Uluru Statement: Towards Truth and Justice’. The Law School, along with the School of Indigenous Studies, the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law, Jones Day and the Constitutional Centre of Western Australia also hosted a panel presentation on the ‘Constitutional Recognition of First Nations in Australia’ at which the speakers included Chief Justice Wayne Martin AC, Prof Megan Davis, Assoc/Prof Sarah Murray and Dr Ambelin Kwaymullina, with The Honourable Robert French AC as Chair.

2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the UWA Law Review, Australia’s oldest Law School review. We celebrated the occasion in April with a cocktail event acknowledging the significant contribution of past and present staff and student editors, members of the Editorial Advisory Board and contributors.

Stage 2 of the Beasley Law Library refurbishment was completed over summer and saw additional quiet study spaces added to the second floor of the Library. Students have welcomed the changes and we are looking forward to planning the remaining stages of the refurbishment.

We welcomed four new permanent members of staff to the Law School in the first half of 2018. Our new colleagues are profiled below.

I look forward to celebrating with you at the 90th Gala.

90th Anniversary Gala

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Remember to purchase your tickets for our 90th Anniversary Gala on Saturday 1 September 2018 at Winthrop Hall. A great chance to reminisce and catch up with Law School friends and dance the night away. Buy tickets here.

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News

Law School Opens Mediation Clinic

UWA has a long history of dedicating resources to providing mediation education and training to its staff and students.  The UWA Mediation Clinic is the next step in taking UWA’s leadership in mediation and connecting it with international research, community service and Clinical Legal Education (CLE). The UWA Mediation Clinic represents the coming together of ground-breaking research, generous support and a dedication to building excellence in mediation practice in Australia.

The UWA Mediation Clinic opened in January 2018 and will hold a formal launch on 27 July 2018. Lisha van Reyk is Clinic Manager and Research Co-ordinator and works closely with Clinic Director, Associate Professor Jill Howieson.

The Clinic aims to provide excellence in the practice, research and teaching of mediation. Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, the Clinic tailors the dispute resolution process to individual circumstances. The Clinic is designed to ensure that it maintains its theoretical underpinnings whilst providing professional clinical training and service.

The Clinic is the first comprehensive mediation clinic established at an Australian university. It provides free mediation services to its staff, students, alumni and community and engages in cutting-edge research and has already conducted several student, staff, community and lawyer-assisted mediations.

The CLE unit will be introduced in July 2019 and will offer a capstone learning experience to UWA Law School students supporting effective and deep student learning and transition out of Law School. It will offer a work-integrated learning experience allowing students to engage in ‘real-life’ mediations as mediation advocates and collaborate with world-class international researchers from the University College London.

The Law School and Corrs launch AI legal collaboration

The Law School and Corrs launch AI legal collaborationA special pro bono collaboration to help prepare law students for the increasing influence of artificial intelligence in the practice of law -  while at the same time benefiting the Australian not-for-profit sector  - has been announced by Australia’s leading independent law firm, Corrs Chambers Westgarth, and The University of Western Australia.

The new course at UWA Law School, ‘Legal APPtitude’, will involve students teaming up with lawyers from Corrs’ Perth office to develop AI applications to improve efficiencies and save costs for not-for-profits and provide other services for disadvantaged and vulnerable people.

Benefits will accrue directly to the Australian not-for-profit sector. At the same time, the course will provide students with a greater understanding of emerging AI-based technologies and improve the efficient delivery of legal advice.

Corrs’ partners Robert Franklyn and David Yates, with lawyer Michael Kingsbury, are leading the development from a Corrs’ perspective, with Kate Offer and Alex Cook from the UWA Law School co-ordinating efforts at the University.

Mr Franklyn said Corrs lawyers will work with the University to develop the new course curriculum, as well as assist and mentor students throughout the 12-week course as they design, develop and deploy the apps they create. Related work in assisting underprivileged groups and not-for-profits will be done on a pro bono basis by Corrs.

“Corrs already has an extensive pro bono program providing free legal services to many not-for-profits and underprivileged groups across Australia,” Mr Franklyn said.

“Many of these organisations are run by volunteers on a shoestring budget and the course aims, through the use of AI, to make their jobs easier and more efficient while building the technology skills that will be critical to the success of future lawyers.”

Dean of UWA Law School, Associate Professor Natalie Skead said the Law School is thrilled to be working with Corrs on this exciting and important new initiative.

“Not only will our law students have the opportunity to contribute to the not-for-profit sector in a meaningful way, but they will at the same time develop technological skills that will assist them as they transition into legal practice,” Associate Professor Skead said. “We are very grateful to Corrs for their support.”  
The new course is open to all students enrolled in a Juris Doctor (JD) and will commence in Semester 2, 2018. Interested students should contact the Arts and Law Student Office on (+61 8) 6488 2091.

Read more.

Student achievements

UWA Law alumni supporting women in Law through memorial Scholarship

Left to right - Anna Ciffolilli, Brianna Harcus, Nicoletta CiffolilliSisters, Anna and Nicoletta Ciffolilli, have given back to their alma mater through a scholarship supporting women undertaking the Juris Doctor (JD) who are academically capable but experiencing financial disadvantage. After recently losing both parents to cancer, Anna and Nicoletta Ciffolilli honour their memory in a way that not only captures their parents’ values around higher education, but empowers women and contributes to a positive transformation for a young person at a turning point in their lives.

The inaugural recipient Brianna Harcus is now in her second year of the JD. Receiving the Scholarship has enabled her to focus on studies without the strain of financial worries: “I cannot begin to express how much this means to me, and how grateful I am” Brianna said.

For more information on how to support a student through Scholarships please contact [email protected].

2018 Ciara Glennon Memorial Scholarship

Ciara Glennon Memorial Law Scholarship award recipient, Isabel Inkster

A third-year Law student with a passion for the law, arts and environment has been awarded this year’s Ciara Glennon Memorial Law Scholarship.

Western Australia's Chief Justice Wayne Martin QC presented Isabel Inkster, 24, of West Leederville, with the scholarship at The University of Western Australia. This year marks 20 years since the first scholarship was awarded following the death of UWA law graduate Ciara Glennon.

Isabel completed a Bachelor of Arts at UWA in 2015 and is now undertaking the Juris Doctor, writing a supervised research thesis on climate litigation.

The former Shenton College student has supported herself throughout her studies at UWA with a number of jobs including working at law firms, book stores and Fringe World Festival.

Isabel has also worked as a paralegal at the Mental Health Law Centre, and as a volunteer for RTRFM. She's currently employed as a research assistant in disputes and investigations with Allens Linklaters and as a contracted clerk with Albert Wolff Chambers.

The Ciara Glennon Memorial Scholarship was established in 1998 with the support of the Glennon family. It is sponsored by Ashurst (formerly Blake Dawson), the law firm where Ms Glennon worked.

Read the news article here.

Jessup moot team - Annabel Beech, Simon Burke, Zaccary Molloy Mencshelyi, Lynsey O%u2019Neil and Stephen Puttick

Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition

Our Jessup moot team performed exceptionally well in the National Championship held in Canberra in February. The team reached the semi-finals and Simon Bourke was named the 4th best oralist in the preliminary rounds. Congratulations to the team (Annabel Beech, Simon Burke, Zaccary Molloy Mencshelyi, Lynsey O’Neil and Stephen Puttick) and their coaches (Sam Pack, Isabella Bogunovich and Stefan Tomasich) on an outstanding Jessup campaign.

Staff news

Australian Awards for University TeachingLaw School Dean and Head of School, Associate Professor Natalie Skead received a National Award for Teaching Excellence from the Minister for Education and Training at the Australian Awards for University Teaching. The Award recognises her contribution to higher education that transforms students through innovative and reflective teaching that focuses on interaction, engagement and skills development.

Read the news article here

Professor Robyn Carroll, Dr Ambelin Kwaymullina, Associate Professor Jani McCutcheon and Dr Philipp Kastner

Congratulations to the 2018 UWA Law School teaching award recipients:

  • Dr Marilyn Bromberg – Blackstone Teacher of the Year
  • Meredith Blake– Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning
  • Kate Offer–Excellence in Teaching (Lecturer)
  • Liam Elphick–Excellence in Teaching (Early Career)
  • Aidan Ricciardo– Excellence in Teaching (Sessional Staff)
  • Assoc/Prof Ken Shao– Programs that Enhance Learning
  • Joanna Vincent– High Commendation –Excellence in Teaching (Sessional Staff)

The School congratulates Professor Robyn Carroll, Dr Ambelin Kwaymullina, Associate Professor Jani McCutcheon and Dr Philipp Kastner on their recent well-deserved promotions.

Grant successes have included:

  • Professor Harry Blagg and Dr Joe Clare: $60,000 from the Town of Port Hedland to undertake a review on Community Safety and Crime Prevention.
  • Professor Harry Blagg and Associate Professor Hilde Tubex: $25,000 from Abt Associates Pty Ltd (Consultancy) to undertake a literature review on ‘Better outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island young people moving in and out of detention’.

Associate Professor Sarah Murray was awarded a UWA Fay Gale Fellowship to visit a range of community court projects run by the Center for Court Innovation in New York City.

Professor Rick Krever was successful in obtaining a Herbert Smith Freehills Visiting Scholar Fellowship to Cambridge University.

The Law School has celebrated two new arrivals: David Hodgkinson’s son, Rupert and Dr Renae Barker’s son, Jethro.

Law School spotlight

Meet our new Law School Staff

Dr Joe Clare
Dr Joe Clare

What do you teach at the Law School?

I teach into the Criminology units of the Law and Society major. I also teach into the MA unit Foundations of Law and Governance.

What are your areas of research interest?

I am a quantitative criminologist with applied experience working with governments in Australia and Canada, helping make evidence-based strategic decisions and evaluate policy and practice. My research interests cover three broad areas. First involves operational research with Police. Recently, this has involved me evaluating the results of WAPol’s body-worn video camera trial, reviewing the Neighbourhood Watch program, and evaluating a locally run burglary prevention strategy. Second, I am interested in offender decision-making and the potential to implement targeted crime prevention strategies. Recent work has examined the importance of opportunity as a mediating factor in elder abuse prevention. Third, I am interested in the relevance of crime prevention theory in addressing academic integrity issues. Recent work has examined contract cheating.

What path have you followed since leaving Law School?

I studied at UWA, completing an undergraduate degree in Cognitive Science and a PhD in Psychology. My thesis took a mathematical psychology approach to investigating eyewitness memory and line-up decision making. After completing my PhD I worked at the UWA Crime Research Centre as an applied researcher, during which time I also completed a MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from Griffith University. In 2009 I spent some time in the Institute of Canadian Urban Research Studies (ICURS) at the School of Criminology, Simon Fraser University, BC, Canada, after which I worked in a strategic policy and research role with the Surrey Fire Service, BC, Canada. I returned to Australia as the Manager, Statistical Analysis for the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council, returning to academia in 2015. The common theme across these roles has been the need to use quantitative information to inform research, policy, and practice.

What are your aspirations for the Law School in the lead up to the 100th Anniversary?

I am enjoying contributing to the Law School’s Criminology research and teaching. I am keen to continue helping the UWA Law School make a positive contribution to preventing crime in WA.

Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas

What do you teach at the Law School?

This year I’m teaching property, remedies, and civil procedure. I’ve previously taught private international law, torts, and equity.

What are your areas of research interest?

My primary research area is private international law. I have a particular interest in cross-border media law issues. Recently, I’ve been publishing on injunctions which compel removal of content from the internet. I’m currently researching the private international law principles applicable to ‘privacy torts’ like misuse of private information. I’m also editor of the Media & Arts Law Review. In the next twelve months I’ll be working on an edited book titled Commercial Issues in Private International Law, with Hart publishing, and contributing as a co-author to the next editions of The Law of Torts (originally by Balkin and Davis) and Nygh’s Conflict of Laws in Australia (with Davies, Bell and Brereton).

What path have you followed since leaving Law School?

I completed articles at Lavan while doing an LLM at UWA. After a brief taste of solicitor life, I went to Korea and interned with the UNCITRAL Regional Centre for Asia and the Pacific. After that I joined Curtin Law School as an Associate Lecturer; when I started I was just looking for a way to pay the rent while having a vacation from lawyering. But I really enjoyed the work. I kept lecturing while doing an MBA—it was a hectic year. Between teaching periods, I also studied private international law in The Hague. Around that time, I befriended David Rolph at a conference, who encouraged me to defect to the University of Sydney. I was at Sydney Law School for the last couple of years. I convened a compulsory final-year course in private international law and pursued a PhD in the same under the supervision of David and William Gummow. I returned to WA earlier this year. I’m enjoying life back in Perth.

What are your aspirations for the Law School in the lead up to the 100th Anniversary?

With all the noise about how the legal profession is changing, I hope that the Law School maintains focus on its core competencies. Most importantly, I hope we continue to build upon our reputation for quality teaching. With the slightly-condensed format of the JD, we will continue to strive to maintain the rigour that has distinguished UWA’s law degree in Western Australia. But we should be judging ourselves against an international standard, particularly in respect of research output. If UWA is to continue its advance in the international law school rankings, we need to aim for world-class impactful research: research that is used by practitioners, courts, and lawmakers. I’ll push myself hard in furtherance of those aspirations.

Dr Melanie O’Brien
Melanie O'Brien

What do you teach at the Law School?

In the Master of International Law, I teach Foundations of Public International Law and International Humanitarian Law. In the JD, I teach Public International Law and run the Supervised Research unit.

What are your areas of research interest?

My research covers the fields of international criminal law, human rights, feminist legal theory, military law, international humanitarian law, comparative criminal law and peacekeeping. This sounds like a lot of areas, but they all intersect quite significantly. My work is also very inter-disciplinary, as I engage with history, anthropology, sociology, international relations and political science.

One area of research I have been working on for over 15 years is criminal accountability for peacekeepers for the commission of sexual exploitation and abuse. I recently published a book analysing the ability of Australia and the US to prosecute their peacekeepers for sexual exploitation and abuse, which takes an in-depth look at the laws of those countries applying to peacekeepers. Another main area of research, on which I am currently writing a book, is the intersection of human rights and genocide, in which I present the genocide process through a lens of human rights violations. I have conducted extensive field work and research around the world, in Argentina, Armenia, Austria, Cambodia, Israel, Germany, the Netherlands, South Africa, Turkey, the UK and the USA, including interviewing genocide survivors and visiting former camp and killing sites.

What path have you followed since leaving Law School?

My path has been very busy and geographically all-over-the-place in the years since my undergrad! After completing my BA/LLB at Newcastle Uni (Aust), I did an internship at the Australian Law Reform Commission, and then worked as a paralegal at the Crown Solicitor’s Office in Sydney while I completed my Grad Dip in Legal Practice. After that, I did my Master in International Human Rights Law at the University of Lund in Sweden. That was followed by six months as a law clerk in the Legal Advisory Section of the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Netherlands. I completed my PhD at the University of Nottingham. During that time, I worked as a legal research assistant for the ICC National Implementation Project of the International Criminal Justice Unit.

After completing my PhD, I took up a research fellowship at the ARC Centre of Excellence in Policing and Security at Griffith University in Brisbane. During this time, I took leave for six months to take up the role of Human Rights Legal Officer at the then-newly formed National Human Rights Institution of Samoa (through Australian Volunteers for International Development).

Since my work at Griffith University, I have worked as a researcher for Anti-Slavery Australia focusing on international human rights aspects of slavery-related issues in Australia, including trafficking in persons for organ removal; and recently completed a research fellowship at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland, where I conducted my research on genocide and human rights, and co-organised the 2017 International Association of Genocide Scholars conference.

What are your aspirations for the Law School in the lead up to the 100th Anniversary?

I would like the UWA Law School to be a significant player globally as a principal destination for students from overseas to undertake a Master in International Law. The dual Master program, combining the MIL with the Master of International Relations, is a substantial drawcard for students interested in international law. I want to hear students in Europe saying ‘I’m going to UWA for my MIL!’. I am delighted to join the UWA Law School at a time when it moves forward with regards to equality, diversity and inclusion amongst its staff, and I know this will only strengthen the Law School as a research hub and a producer of more open-minded and inclusive lawyers.

Dr Marco Rizzi
Dr Marco Rizzi

What do you teach at the Law School?

I currently teach Contract and Torts in the JD program.

What are your areas of research interest?

I consider myself a sui generis private lawyer, in the sense that what interests me the most in private law (and more specifically torts) is its interaction with the public sphere and the public interest. In recent years I have focused on the interplay between tort law and risk regulation in its contemporary hybrid (public-private) and transnational form. The overarching question underpinning my research so far has been whether national legal tools are adaptable to new rule-making mechanisms that escape the traditional public law v private law divide, and lack the characteristics of traditional justiciable "hard law". This has led me to investigate the potential for torts to function as a surrogate of participatory democracy in non-inclusive rule-making models; the role of expertise in the exercise of privatised public functions; the impact of regional and international trade agreements and practices on regulatory models; and, more generally, the potential of private law remedies to enhance accountability of regulators and vindicate fundamental public policy choices.

What path have you followed since leaving Law School?

I graduated from the University of Pisa (Italy). Alongside my law degree I also obtained an Honours Diploma in legal sciences from the Sant'Anna Schol of Advanced Studies in Pisa. After law school I moved into legal practice for two years. I worked in a commercial law firm as a legal advisor on the interactions between domestic and EU private law. I came back to academia when I obtained funding to undertake graduate studies at the European University Institute in Florence, where I completed an LLM in European, Comparative and International law and my PhD. I then made the rather unconventional choice of moving to a small developing island state, Seychelles, where I joined the very young local university that goes by the name of UniSey. I then came to Perth in March this year, with my wife and 4 months old daughter, to start an exciting new chapter!

What are your aspirations for the Law School in the lead up to the 100th Anniversary?

One aspect that attracted me to UWA Law School is the attention that is devoted to teaching, which in many universities around the world is increasingly considered a mere 'chore'. We should nurture this characteristic and build strong bridges between teaching and research. We live in a legal environment strongly influenced by international and transnational inputs. Traditional law-making mechanisms are often subordinate to market-driven 'soft' instruments that deeply impact our legal systems. The new rule-makers are located in organisations that can be hard to reach, whether it is informal regulatory networks, new generation trade agreements such as TPP, or private influence groups. How do we ensure legitimacy and accountability in this unsettled scenario? And how do we make sure that reactions to genuine concerns aren't monopolised by populistic and anti-scientific discourses? A modern law school should prepare students to face this complex and global legal environment, and I will work to make sure that these contemporary issues form an integral part of the curriculum.

Meet PhD student, Jeanette Jensen

PhD Student Jeanette Jensen

How would you describe your research and what does it entail?

The purpose of my research is to propose regulatory solutions to the problem of diffuse source water pollution from agriculture in Australia. This kind of pollution poses a threat to the environment, water supply and human health, but it is a very complex problem to address because of the socio-economic importance of the industry.
For this reason, my research is socio-legal and will entail empirical research to understand the political barrier to regulation. I will also engage in the scientific aspect, as that is another important barrier to regulation. The legal analysis will consist of a comparative analysis with the European Union’s regulatory strategies to address agricultural diffuse source pollution, as the EU has had regulation concerning the issue since 1991.

What path have you followed since leaving Law School?

That is a good question. I’ve gone with the flow to be honest. I came to Australia with my Danish LLB and LLM, which are not recognised here. So, I did the Master of Mining and Energy Law here at UWA to get some knowledge about Australian law in an area of interest. During that degree I started working as a research assistant and it just so happened that the professor I was working for, Alex Gardner, was looking for a PhD student with European legal knowledge.

What are you enjoying about doing a PhD at UWA?

I love UWA in general for its inclusiveness, multicultural feel, beautiful campus, and approachableness of its academics.  For those reasons, I feel very lucky to be a student here. Another important thing for enjoying doing a PhD at UWA is the collegial feeling I have with my fellow PhD students.
What advice would you offer prospective PhD Students?

First of all, be sure of your reasons for wanting to do a PhD. You need to like working on your own and be able to manage a high degree of uncertainty.

Secondly, be on campus as much as you can. The professional and emotional support you get from fellow students and the academics around is crucial and invaluable.

Alumni news

The Hon. Justice Edelman reflects on his time at the Law School