Law School

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

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. 

The UWA Mediation Clinic offers a tailored mediation service to help people to resolve University, workplace, family and community conflict.

Find out more

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.

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. If your organisation is interested in offering an internship to a law student, to find out more please refer to our ‘Internship Expressions of Interest’ webpage.

UWA Law School and the Minderoo Tech & Policy Lab in the Law School held the inaugural French Dialogues on Thursday 6 October 2022 at 5.30pm. The French Dialogues is a panel of experts from various disciplines who discuss a contemporary and pressing issue.

The 2022 Dialogues addressed 'The Future of Artificial Intelligence and Humans: Should we unplug the machines?'. The panel consisted of experts from law, computer science, business and the humanities. The French Dialogues honours the Hon. Robert French AC, a UWA Law School alumnus (LLB ’71), former Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and current Chancellor of UWA.

UWA Law School and the Supreme Court of Western Australia hosted an address by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Singapore on Wednesday 27 July 2022 in the Supreme Court of WA, Stirling Gardens.

The topic of the Chief Justice’s address was 'The Law of Commerce in the 21st Century: Transnational Commercial Justice Amidst the Wax and Wane of Globalisation.'

A copy of the Chief Justice's paper is available here.