Law School
From tradition to innovation, we are the leading Law School in Western Australia.
Our pathways, programs and teaching excellence ensure we continue to educate remarkable graduates and global citizens.
Our research contributes to a fair and just society.
We earn the trust of the communities we serve.
Discover the power of legal thinking. Discover the enduring value of diverse legal minds. Discover your place in law.
To be a world-class law school that nurtures diverse legal minds and inspires just and innovative approaches to the global challenges of the 21st century.
Our mission
To provide a creative and supportive teaching, learning and research environment of legal excellence that fosters critical thought, ethical scholarship and practice, and connects with diverse communities.
Over 90 years of excellence
Ranked in top 100 law schools in the world (QS and Times Higher Education 2020)
Research rated above world standard (ERA 2018)
UWA Law School is committed to upholding the rule of law, and the promotion of the highest standards of ethical conduct, professional responsibility, and community service.
In response to the outcome of the High Court of Australia’s investigation into the sexual harassment of six Judges’ Associates by former High Court judge, Dyson Heydon, the UWA Law School issued this statement on sexual harassment in law.
The UWA Law School condemns past and ongoing discrimination in the Australian legal system that continues to create profound injustice in the lives of First Nations peoples. We are committed to continuing to work in partnership with Indigenous peoples to create culturally safe teaching and research spaces and produce culturally competent graduates.
The UWA Law School is certified by the Australian Law School Standards.
Welcome from the Dean
Over 90 years of excellence in legal research, education and service.
Highly acclaimed teachers and researchers
UWA Law School comprises more than 50 scholars. Our staff are continually evolving to meet current and future predicted challenges, and we celebrate their international expertise and multidisciplinary areas of study. Our world-class researchers inspire just and innovative approaches to global challenges of the 21st century.
Our research areas
Administrative and Constitutional Law
See all staffCommercial and Corporations Law
See all staffCriminology and Criminal Law
See all staffDispute Resolution and Family Law
See all staffHealth and Consumer Law
See all staffLaw and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples
See all staffLaw and Society
See all staffLaw of Obligations
See all staffMining, Energy and Natural Resources Law
See all staffPrivate International Law
See all staffPublic International and Human Rights Law
See all staffTaxation Law
See all staffResearch entities
The UWA Law School supports the following research centres and networks.
Congratulations to our student award winners
- 2020 Law School Awards
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Ace Alltree Prize in Intellectual Property
Adehlia Emily Ebert
Adjunct Professor, Dr Brett Davies Prize in Taxation
Nicholas Matthew Lowry
Allens Prize in Law
Adehlia Emily Ebert
Cecil Bedford Thompson Brown Memorial Prize for Foundations of Public Law
Samantha Elizabeth Gates
Clifford Chance Prize for Dispute Resolution
Pia Kristen Edmondson
David De Barran Cullen Prize
Warren Keith Hennessy
Grant Robertson Memorial Prize in International Commercial Arbitration
Gandhi
Grotius Prize in Public International Law
Fiona Hayley Waring
Harold H Glass Memorial Prize
Fiona Hayley Waring
Jackson McDonald Pro Bono Committee JD Prize
Natalie Skovsted Fretton
John Fiocco Prize in Law
Marissa Louise Forbes
John Norman Barker Prize in Law
Aleasha Brooke Sanchez-Lawson
K W Hatfield QC Prize in Law
Aleasha Brooke Sanchez-Lawson
Kate King Legal Prize
Conor William James Patton
King & Wood Mallesons Prize in Law
Henry Mitchell Cooney
Kott Gunning Prize in Land Law
Ji Hoo Lee
Lee Christensen Prize
Matthew Henry Ledger
Lidia Scafidi Memorial Prize in Evidence
Tae Hoon Kim
MinterEllison Prize in Contract F18/681
Thomas Daly Robins
Nicholson and Wheatley Memorial Prize in Property
Samantha Elizabeth Gates
Peter Birks Prize in Unjust Enrichment and Restitution
Harry Peter Sanderson
Peter Handford Prize in Law
Tristan Kubacz Taylor
Philip Lionel Sharp Memorial Prize in Law
Ashleigh Frediani
R.K. O'Connor QC Taxation Law Prize
Brianna Anne Steinochr
Richard McCormack Prize in Equity and Trusts
Bremer James Moore
STEP (WA) Prize in Taxation of Trusts
Christian John Foyle - 2020 Law School Prizes
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Adulting: Law for Everyday Lives
Lachlan Kyle Russell
Advanced Australian Corporate Taxation
Nicholas Matthew Lowry
Australian Oil and Gas Law
Henry Mitchell Cooney
Base Erosion, Profit Shifting and Transfer Pricing
Umashanker Radhakrishnan
Birth, Life, Death and the Law
Lachlan Kyle Russell
Business Law in Practice
Celeste Kate Travaglini
Commercial Law
Alice Rachael Archer
Company Law
Matthew Dylan Poli
Comparative Law
Isobel Beatrix Cole
Construction Law
Cassandra Simpson
Corporate Governance for Resources Companies
Stephanie Kate Bruce
Corporations Law
Bremer James Moore
Creative Expression and the Law
Tiffany Ann Chisholm Gardner
Crime and Society
Matthew John Cowan
Criminal Justice Systems
Stacie Cayla Blott
Criminal Law
Samantha Elizabeth Gates
Environmental Law
Helena Van Nguyen
Environmental Protection Law
Catherine Ann Callow
Evolution of Human Rights
Stacie Cayla Blott
Federal Jurisdiction
Samuel Michael Landro
Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions
Ella Catherine Regan
Gender and the Law
Tiffany Ann Chisholm Gardner
International Commercial Law
Georgios John Palassis
International Criminal Law
Zubayr Adnaan Abrahams
International Humanitarian Law
Paris Mandela Buti
International Investment Law
Benjamin Shong Hao Tan
International Legal Institutions
Jason Christopher Williams
International Sales Law
Ruvimbo Monica Ndoro
Introduction to Law
Benjamin Jae-Min Roshkov
Law in Action
Stacie Cayla Blott
Law of the Sea
William John Stokeley
Law, Advocacy, Activism and Change
Tiffany Ann Chisholm Gardner
Law, Conflict and Change
Matthew John Cowan
Legal APPtitude
Hannah Megan Cowie
Legal Framework of Business
Matthew Dylan Poli
Legislation in Practice
Harry Peter Sanderson
Media Law
Kristin Paul Bowtell
Mergers and Acquisitions
Reuben Elliott Edlin
Mining and Energy Law
Calvin Parker Best
Mining Law
Fiona Elizabeth Johnson
Oil and Gas Agreements
Josias Eduard Ferreira
Procedure
Amy Rose Thomasson
Professional Practice
Warren Keith Hennessy
Regulation: Theories and Practices
Ella Catherine Regan
Resource Taxation
Nicole Kathleen Moller
Social Media and the Law
Hannah Rose Begley
Space Law, Satellites and Drones
Megan Veronica Cramp
Special Unit: Technology Law and Governance
Olivia Carey De Koning
Succession Law
Olivia Carey De Koning
Taxation Law
Emily Victoria Hoare
Theory, Method and Contemporary Issues of International Law
Zubayr Adnaan Abrahams - 2019 and 2020 Law School Awards and Scholarships
- View the full list of UWA Law School 2019 prize winners and 2020 scholarship recipients and a selection of video messages.
Courses
UWA Law School fosters excellence, integrity and inclusivity in student learning through a diverse and inspiring range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses, teaching methods and learning environments. We are leaders in the scholarship of teaching and learning in law, and provide a world-class legal education experiences across all our programs.
Indigenisation of the Juris Doctor
Through the Indigenisation of the Juris Doctor project, the UWA Law School is incorporating Indigenous cultures, knowledges and perspectives throughout Juris Doctor (JD) degree. The project is a joint initiative of the Law School and the School of Indigenous Studies, and is overseen by a Reference Group of legal and cultural experts.
Student health and well-being
The UWA Law School is committed to the health, well-being and safety of all of our students. We strive to support our students to stay well and thrive throughout their studies.
Global study opportunities
The UWA Law School is a community full of dedicated and passionate people who foster an environment of encouragement and acceptance. Studying Law at UWA has opened up countless opportunities for both my individual development and to make an impact in the community.Joshua Sanchez-Lawson
Blackstone Society President 2018
Our alumni
Over the past 90 years we have gone from strength to strength, and have a long and proud history of excellence in legal education, research and community service.
Read about our history and alumni
Dean's Circle
Executive education and CPD
- Goods and Service Taxation
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This unit provides an intensive study of Australia's GST law including its current scope and application to domestic supplies, exports and imports of goods and services. The course will be led by Professor Rick Krever. Rick is a leading taxation law and policy expert. He has been closely involved in modern Australian tax reform initiatives for many years, including in his roles as a member of the Commonwealth Government's Taxation Law Improvement Project Consultative Committee and the Review of Business Taxation (Ralph Review). Professor Krever has been a professor-in-residence at both the Australian Taxation Office and the Australian Treasury, and has twice been seconded to the International Monetary Fund.
Date: 7 – 10 June 2022
Price: $3,300
CPD: For attendance at this short course, practitioners are entitled to 6 CPD points in competency area 4: Substantive Law. The practitioners must attend the entire workshop to claim the points.
Further information and registration here
- Select Topics in Insurance Law
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This unit will commence with a short introduction to insurance law, examining key concepts associated with general insurance as a risk transfer loss spreading arrangement. It includes analysis of the common law and relevant equitable principles and close examination of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cwlth), covering topics such as the duty of utmost good faith, causation, subrogation and double insurance and contribution. This will be followed by advanced teaching of insurance law topics selected for their interest, complexity, controversy or topicality.
Date: 18 – 21 July 2022
Further information and registration here
Price: $3,300
CPD: For attendance at this short course, practitioners are entitled to up to 6 CPD points to be selected from the competency areas Ethics and Professional Responsibility (1 point available) and Substantive Law (14 points available) depending on the sessions they attend.
- UWA Law School Online CPD Series
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UWA Law School CPD events for 2022 will be listed in the coming weeks.
Obiter Dicta - our news
Read the last issues of Obiter Dicta, our newsletter for alumni, staff and community:
Alumni who would like to receive copies of the newsletter should update their details.
To read previous editions of Obiter Dicta, visit our archive.
UWA Law Review
Engagement and opportunities
- John Toohey Oration
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The John Toohey Oration is a biannual Oration organised by the UWA Law School. The Oration, which commenced in 1998, honours the career and contribution to public life of a distinguished graduate of The University of Western Australia, the Hon. John Leslie Toohey. After graduating in Arts and Law, the Honourable John Leslie Toohey AC QC went on to become an outstanding legal practitioner and, as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, one of the country's most eminent jurists.
The Oration is given by distinguished speakers on a variety of topics. The most recent Toohey Oration was on Thursday 19 August 2021 at the Supreme Court of Western Australia. The Hon. Robert French AC delivered the Oration which was titled ‘A true Australian Republic: True to our history, fit for our future.’For more details about the Hon. John Toohey AC QC and details of past Oration speakers, visit the John Toohey Oration Lecture Series.
- Tutoring in the Law School
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The Law School often needs sessional teachers (tutors) for law subjects in the Juris Doctor (JD) and in undergraduate units. If you are interested in tutoring, as a first step, please contact the unit coordinator of the unit you are interested in working in to see if they have availability.
- Judge in Residence Scheme
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The Judge in Residence program encourages and fosters engagement between the judiciary and Law School staff and students. It supports sitting and retired judges to engage in academic activities, including writing and developing research topics and projects.
The 2022 Judge in Residence is The Honourable David Newnes. Open to sitting judges during a sabbatical (WA, Australia, overseas) or retired state, federal and High Court judges (including overseas judges) who wish to be part of the Law School community, the Judge in Residence program offers:
- The opportunity to be involved in the life of the UWA Law School.
- An office in the UWA Law School.
- Access to UWA Library facilities and service during your time in residence.
- Access to student researchers (with payment arrangements subject to negotiation).
- The opportunity to guest lecture and make other presentations to students and staff.
- Audit of postgraduate units taught by the UWA Law School.
In return, the Judge in Residence:
- Has regular interaction with members of the Law School.
- Provides informal mentoring of academic staff and students.
- Maintains a regular presence at the Law School (at least once a week) throughout their residency.
- Has opportunities to contribute to teaching.
How to apply
Contact Senior Lecturer and Deputy Head (Community and Engagement) Jacinta Dharmananda:
Tel: +61 8 6488 3955
Email: jacinta.dharmananda@uwa.edu.au - Law School Advisory Board
- The role of the Law School Advisory Board is to provide advice and an external perspective on the Law School’s strategic direction. This includes, for example, the direction and scope of the School’s teaching programs and research activities, its external engagement, and fundraising. We are fortunate to have a Board that consists of members of the legal profession from a diverse range of roles, experience and levels of seniority. For current members of our Advisory Board, please see here.
- UWA Mediation Clinic
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The UWA Mediation Clinic offers a tailored mediation service to help people to resolve University, workplace, family and community conflict.
- Legal APPtitude
- The Law School is the leading law and technology law school in Western Australia. In collaboration with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, the UWA Law School delivers Legal APPtitude. In the unit students team up with lawyers from Corrs to develop artificial intelligence solutions to some of the not-for-profit sector’s most pressing problems.
- Visiting scholars
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The UWA Law School’s Visiting Scholars Program hosts academics from around Australia and overseas to undertake research and to participate in the communal life of the Law School. Approved visiting scholars are provided with a workspace, IT access and a computer (where possible) and library access. They are encouraged to participate in the academic life of the Law School and University, including seminars and public lectures.
Application process
Prospective visitors should email the following to the visiting scholars coordinator at least three months prior to their intended visit:
- a brief curriculum vitae that includes details of academic employment, qualifications and publications
- a one- to two-page proposal outlining the research project, planned collaboration with UWA Law staff and any other activities intended during the visit
- a copy of a letter from your home university confirming that you are an academic (not a student) and will be taking sabbatical leave for the duration of your visiting academic appointment, and confirming that you will be returning to full-time employment when the visiting appointment ceases
- copy of biodata page (photograph page) of passport (if available). An appropriate visa must have been obtained to allow commencement of this appointment
Applications are considered in advance of the proposed visit and all applicants will be notified as soon as possible after a decision is reached. Any further information that is required to implement the decision will be sought at this point. The Visiting Scholars Program receives many applications from prospective visitors and unfortunately not all can be supported.
- Legal internship and Clinical Legal Education
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The Law School provides a Clinical Legal Education program through which our students can participate in local, national and international legal internships with law firms, courts, government agencies, non-governmental organisations and the UWA Mediation Clinic. The focus is upon social justice and commercial placements.
News
How can Russia's invasion of Ukraine end? Here's how peace negotiations have worked in past wars
An end to the bloodshed and destruction of Ukraine can be negotiated, but such negotiations need to be mediated carefully.
Read moreHas data collection from professional athletes gone too far?
A new discussion paper from the Australian Academy of Science and The University of Western Australia’s Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab has found the growth in personal and sensitive information collected from professional athletes over the past decade has outpaced the scientifically proven benefit to players.
Read moreACCC vs Big Tech: Round 10 and counting
Australia is engaged in an ongoing debate about the laws needed to respond to advances in digital technology and AI.
Read moreUWA Law School (M253)
Access
Opening hours: 8.30am – 4pm