Law at the University of Melbourne

Both the Law Library and the University of Melbourne Archives hold materials relating to the history of legal teaching at the University of Melbourne.

The University Council meeting minutes of 8 December 1856 note: 'Upon the motion of the Chancellor it was resolved "that it is desirable that lectures on Law ... be delivered at the University during the ensuing year".' The council requested that Sir Redmond Barry prepare a plan embodying the objects of this resolution, and on 12 March 1857 the Council formally adopted this plan as the Regulations for Law Students.

The first lecturer in Law was Richard Clark Sewell who was appointed to the position by the University Council on 26 January 1857. Sewell resigned after just six months due to ill health, and Henry Samuel Chapman was appointed as his replacement for the remainder of the term. By the beginning of 1858, the need for two lecturers was recognized, and James Wilberforce Stephen and Richard Annesley Billing were appointed to teach first and second year law.

The first Dean of law, William Edward Hearn, was appointed in 1873. Hearn lectured in Constitutional Law and Jurisprudence.

Faculty of Law

Faculty minute books, 1873 - 1979
Faculty correspondence, 1932 - 1977

Faculty of Law academics

Professor Peter Brett, 1954 - 1967
Sir David Derham, 1931 - 1964
Professor Harold Arthur Ford, 1966 - 1978
Sir William Edward Hearn, 1826 - 1888
Sir William Harrison Moore, 1902 - 1954
Sir George Paton, 1933 - 1962
Julian Phillips, 1932 - 1988

Student life

Articled Law Clerks' Society and Articled Law Clerks' Debating Society

Author: Articled Law Clerks' Society (Melbourne, Vic.)
Title: Rules
Published: Melbourne: The Society, 1891
Location: Law Library
Call number: UniM Law RB 347.06 A791

Author: Articled Law Clerks' Society (Melbourne, Vic.)
Title: Report and Balance sheet of the Articled Law Clerks' Society for the Year ...
Published: Melbourne: The Society, 1891-
Location: Law Library
Call Number: UniM Law RB347.06 A791

Law Students' Society of Victoria

Title: The Summons: A Magazine of Legal and General Literature: Issued by the Articled Law Clerks' Society, Melbourne
Published: Melbourne: The Society, 1891-1903
[Vol. 1, no. 1 (Sept. 1891)]-v. 12, no. 3 (May 1903)
Location: Law Library
Call number: UniM Law RB SUMM v.5-10 photocopy; UniM Law RB
SUMM v.11-12 photocopy
Location: Special Collections
Call number: UniM Baill SpC/UM f 371.8434 SUMM v.1-4, v.5-10, v.11-12
Lib. has: v.1, no.1-v.12, no.3(Ba) ; v.1, no.1-v.10, no.6 (Law) Sept. 1891-May 1903 ; Sept. 1891-Dec. 1901, lacks Apr.-May 1896
Phys desc.: 12 v. ; 25-28 cm.
Notes: Quarterly, 1891-1901. Description based on: Vol. 1, no. 2 (Dec. 1891). Other title information dropped circa 1901. Vol. 2, no. 1 (Sept. 1892)-v. 11, no. 1 (Sept. 1901) issued by the Law Students' Society of Melbourne

University of Melbourne Law Students' Society

Author: University of Melbourne. Law Students' Society
Title: Minutes of Meeting
Published: [Parkville, Vic.] : The Society, 1975-78
Location: Law Library
Call number: UniM Law RB 348.07119451 UNIV

Images (from UMAIC, University of Melbourne Archives Image Catalogue)

Title: Law School staff and students, University of Melbourne, circa 1876
Record ID: UMA/I/1532
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Title: Final Year Law Students, University of Melbourne, 1898
Record ID: UMA/I/1588
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