Dean's Message
Welcome to Melbourne Law School – a vibrant intellectual community where generations of law students have enjoyed unparalleled learning opportunities. And all in the heart of what The Economist has declared to be the world's most livable city!
Our faculty has a rich history, having been the first to teach law in Australia. This is a faculty at the vanguard of legal education, firmly committed to offering Australia's most globalised programme of instruction, complemented by opportunities for our students to immerse themselves in experiences that will open their minds to the full range of possibilities that a qualification in law offers.
In 2009, we are building on our history of success as we continue the transition as Australia’s first fully-graduate Law School. This shift, formalised in 2008 by the admission of all-graduate students to pursue the Juris Doctor (JD) degree, equates legal education at Melbourne with the dominant global approach whereby specialist education in law is anchored in a broad undergraduate experience – thus enabling ever more creative and challenging forms of learning.
The changes we are implementing will benefit not only our JD students, but also our continuing LLB, Masters and Doctoral students who will share access to a challenging series of speakers and events, and have the privilege of affiliating themselves with one or more of the School’s cutting-edge research institutes and groups that span the legal spectrum from Asian Law to Environmental Law to Media and Communications Law.
Melbourne law students are highly sought-after by international organisations to take part in internships and voluntary work, and Melbourne Law School has a range of unique relationships that enable our students to immerse themselves in transnational legal studies. The Law School is the only Australian member of the unique London-based Centre for Transnational Legal Studies – a joint venture of ten leading international law schools – and is the only Australian member of the Association of Transnational Law Schools (ATLAS), a consortium of international universities dedicated to the intellectual formation of highly talented doctoral students, which fosters research in transnational legal issues.
And, when it comes to career planning, students at Melbourne are supported by the outstanding services of our comprehensive Legal Careers Office, and advice from our newly-launched system of lawyer and judicial mentors. From 2009, first year students will have the opportunity to be paired with a legal professional in their area of interest. The program will support students' formal academic training by providing a link to the profession and exposure to the practical realities of working in the law. It is designed to motivate and encourage students by providing a valuable opportunity to gain insight into the profession, develop networks and explore career options.
Beyond providing the most wide-ranging service in the country to students seeking law firm, corporate, public interest and public service careers, the Law School this year appointed its first Faculty Adviser, Academic Careers, and Faculty Adviser, Judicial Associateships. The Faculty Advisers will work closely with the Careers Office to oversee a process of proactive outreach to our students and provide interested students with one-on-one mentoring. They will also liaise with relevant employers to learn their hiring priorities and possible ‘fits’ with our students. These appointments reflect Melbourne Law School's commitment to enabling all of our students to access the broadest possible range of legal careers.
Many more exciting changes will be rolled out over the course of this and the next few years, changes which are designed to ensure that Melbourne remains at the pinnacle of legal education in Australia, and takes its place as one of the leading law schools in the world. To this end, we will continue to bring distinguished international experts to teach and lecture at Melbourne and to open doors for our students to further their education and to take up careers of global reach. Most fundamentally, we will ensure that a broad, outward-looking perspective infuses the whole of our teaching and learning process, in all of our programmes.
Professor James C. Hathaway
Dean
