Melbourne Law School is one of the professional

graduate school Postgraduate education, graduate education, or graduate school consists of academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications usually pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate (bachel ...

s of the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. Located in

Carlton, Victoria Carlton is an inner-city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, three kilometres north of the Melbourne central business district within the city of Melbourne local government area. Carlton recorded a population of 16,055 at the 2021 census. ...

, Melbourne Law School is Australia's oldest law school, and offers J.D.,

LL.M A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is a postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in another subject. In many jurisdi ...

, Ph.D, and LL.D degrees. In 2021–22, THE World University Rankings ranked the law school as 5th best in the world and first both in Australia and Asia-Pacific. Alumni of Melbourne Law School include four prime ministers of Australia, three

governors-general Governor-general (plural governors-general), or governor general (plural governors general), is the title of an official, most prominently associated with the British Empire. In the context of the governors-general and former British colonies, ...

, four chief justices of Australia and thirteen Commonwealth

attorneys-general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

. Alumni include a current judge of the

International Court of Justice The International Court of Justice (ICJ; , CIJ), or colloquially the World Court, is the only international court that Adjudication, adjudicates general disputes between nations, and gives advisory opinions on International law, internation ...

, a current justice of the

High Court of Australia The High Court of Australia is the apex court of the Australian legal system. It exercises original and appellate jurisdiction on matters specified in the Constitution of Australia and supplementary legislation. The High Court was establi ...

, the current chief justice of the

Family Court of Australia The Family Court of Australia was a superior Australian federal court of record which deals with family law matters, such as divorce applications, parenting disputes, and the division of property when a couple separate. Together with the Fed ...

, the current

governor of Victoria The governor of Victoria is the representative of Monarchy of Australia, the monarch, currently King Charles III, in the Australian state of Victoria (state), Victoria. The governor is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the premier of V ...

, the current solicitor-general of Australia, the current president of the

Australian Human Rights Commission The Australian Human Rights Commission is the national human rights institution of the Commonwealth of Australia, established in 1986 as the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) and renamed in 2008. It is a statutory body fu ...

, the current

Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission The Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission is a statutory authority in the Australian state The states and territories are the national subdivisions and second level of government of Australia. The states are partially so ...

er and the current chairwoman of the Victorian Bar Council. Established in 1857, Melbourne Law School initially offered LL.B degrees for those seeking a first degree in law. However, in 2007 Melbourne Law School ceased accepting students into this program and instead offered only a J.D. Admission to Melbourne Law School is competitive, with applicants typically requiring a distinction average or higher in their undergraduate degree for admission to its J.D. program. Applicants seeking to study the LL.M program require high results in their undergraduate law studies. Melbourne Law School publishes a number of academic journals, including the ''

Melbourne University Law Review The ''Melbourne University Law Review'' is a triannual law journal published by a student group at Melbourne Law School covering all areas of law. It is one of the student-run law journals at the University of Melbourne and is widely regarded as ...

,'' the

Melbourne Journal of International Law The ''Melbourne Journal of International Law'' is a biannual peer-reviewed law review affiliated with the Melbourne Law School. It encompasses a broad range of topics within both public and private international law. It was established in 2000 an ...

and the ''

Australian Journal of Labour Law The ''Australian Journal of Labour Law'' is a triannual peer-reviewed law journal that was established in 1968. It is published by LexisNexis in collaboration with the Centre For Employment and Labour Relations Law ( Melbourne Law School). It c ...

.'' Melbourne Law School is host to a number of research centres and institutes, specialising in a wide variety of legal fields. It also offers subjects taught overseas and partner programs with leading international law schools. The Law Library of Melbourne Law School encompasses three floors offering access to a variety of resources including periodicals and law journals. Students can participate in a number of organisations designed to enrich student life.

History

There was no organised legal education in Australia until the start of

lectures A lecture (from ) is an speech, oral presentation intended to present information or teach people about a particular subject, for example by a university or college teacher. Lectures are used to convey critical information, history, backgroun ...

at Melbourne Law School in 1857. Prior to this, the majority of

common-law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prec ...

lawyers had never attended university. A small proportion of people in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and her

colonies A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule, which rules the territory and its indigenous peoples separated from the foreign rulers, the colonizer, and their '' metropole'' (or "mother country"). This separated rule was often or ...

, including Australia at the time, chose to study law in college before entering the legal profession. Like many of its peers, the University of Melbourne did not teach law at its inception in 1855, although by the second year of teaching enrolments at the institution were so low that teaching in the fields of law and medicine was suggested in order to attract students. Compared to sciences that needed expensive equipment, law could be taught more affordably and draw in a useful number of students. William Hearn

New admission roles created by the Supreme Court of Victoria gave prospective lawyers the choice between completing an exam administered by the Court, or completing a course of study at Melbourne Law School, with the thirty-three law students of 1857 more than doubling total enrolments at the university.

Richard Clarke Sewell was the first appointed lecturer in law. Sewell was educated and qualified; however, he was eventually found to be unsuitable for the role to which he was appointed. Born in England, Sewell had twelve siblings. His father was a solicitor. Sewell was educated at Winchester and then Oxford University, becoming a fellow of

Magdalen College Magdalen College ( ) is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. It was founded in 1458 by Bishop of Winchester William of Waynflete. It is one of the wealthiest Oxford colleges, as of 2022, and one of the strongest academically, se ...

and graduating with a doctorate in civil law. He came to Victoria in 1855, although his reason for doing so is unclear. He was admitted to the Victorian bar, where he practiced criminal law. After Sewell was hired, the new course's outline was finalised, and he may have shared part of the design credit. The course started with an encyclopaedic introduction and was split into terms and years rather than subjects. Sewell struggled with the commitments of teaching, with his initial lectures bland and poorly received by students. Attendance started to fall, and Sewell resigned. The first students studied for a certificate that, with practical training, qualified them for admission to legal practice. In 1860 they were given the additional option of studying for a degree. Melbourne Law School was expanded and reorganised in 1873, becoming the Faculty of Law. In 1873, William Hearn was appointed as the first dean of Melbourne Law School, lecturing in subjects such as constitutional law. Hearn would go on to be elected to the

Victorian Legislative Council The Victorian Legislative Council is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Victorian Legislative Assembly, Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House, Melbourne, Parliament ...

for Central Province. Sir William Harrison Moore was appointed as the third dean of Melbourne Law School, succeeding Edward Jenks. Moore was somewhat controversial as a new dean, proposing that

Roman law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

(a strong influence on the civil law system predominant in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, but less important to the

common law Common law (also known as judicial precedent, judge-made law, or case law) is the body of law primarily developed through judicial decisions rather than statutes. Although common law may incorporate certain statutes, it is largely based on prece ...

system in Australia) no longer be taught at the university, and the removal of legal procedure as a separate

undergraduate Undergraduate education is education conducted after secondary education and before postgraduate education, usually in a college or university. It typically includes all postsecondary programs up to the level of a bachelor's degree. For example, ...

course. The first woman to enrol at Melbourne Law School was Flos Greig in 1897. Greig would graduate in 1903, the first woman in Victoria to do so, and only the second in the country, after Ada Evans who graduated the previous year from the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

. Greig received third-class honours for her degree, placing her second in her year level. Melbourne Law School under Moore opened its doors to practising lawyers in addition to academics, visiting lecturers in the year of 1908 including people such as High Court Justice H. B. Higgins, Chief Justice of Victoria Sir

John Madden John Earl Madden (April 10, 1936 – December 28, 2021) was an American professional football coach and sports commentator in the National Football League (NFL). He served as the head coach of the Oakland Raiders from 1969 to 1978, leading them ...

, and judge of the

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court compri ...

Leo Cussen. The school, located then in what is now known as the "Old Law" building, struggled for room and resources, Moore having to contribute some of his personal library for the use of students, and some lectures having to be held in the Supreme Court building in the city. The school continued to grow throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and underwent a major transformation with the appointment of

Sir Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

as dean in 1951. Sir Zelman shaped Melbourne Law School after the United States model, rather than the British model that is common in Australia. Sir Zelman reformed teaching, research and academic recruitment. Under his stewardship, full-time academics came to dominate teaching, instead of part-time practitioners. Many prominent international academics were invited to study at the school, and many Australians were given the opportunity to study abroad. In 2007, Melbourne Law School accepted its last cohort of LL.B students. From 2008 the only degree offered by Melbourne Law School qualifying for legal practice is the graduate-entry JD. This change to an entirely graduate law school is consistent with university-wide changes occurring under

Vice-Chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

Glyn Davis Glyn Conrad Davis is an Australian academic and public servant. He served as the Secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet from 6 June 2022 to 16 June 2025. From January 2005 until September 2018, he served as vice-chancello ...

Melbourne Model The Melbourne Model is a standardised academic degree structure which was introduced at the University of Melbourne in 2008. The Melbourne Model is designed to align itself "''with the best of European and Asian practice and North American trad ...

, although Melbourne Law School does offer some subjects to the university's

students (known as 'breadth' subjects).

Admissions

Entrance to Melbourne Law School at the University of Melbourne

Prior tertiary performance

Applicants for the Juris Doctor program require a three-year bachelor's degree or equivalent. The performance of an applicant in this degree and any previous tertiary study is assessed. For a competitive application, the weighted average mark (WAM) across tertiary studies must be generally be at least 70%. The requirements are based on the academic grading system in Australia, which means students must typically achieve the grade of Distinction throughout their studies in order to be admitted, or the equivalent of a 3.5 GPA or above when converting for the academic grading system used in the United States.

Law school admissions test

The school previously required the law school admissions test (LSAT) be sat, with the results considered in deciding whether to admit an applicant. In 2022, the school announced the LSAT would no longer be required. The board of admissions removed the requirement due to the impact of COVID-19 on students, and initially planned to reinstate the requirement once restrictions were eased. However, the school permanently removed the LSAT as doing so increased diversity and access to the program while maintaining strong academic standards. The process of removing the LSAT requirement was criticised by the University of Melbourne Student Union, noting the WAM requirement remained high and "severe lack of organisation displayed by the School" in not providing students sufficient notice or detail surrounding the decision.

Costs

Students studying the J.D. program do so in either a Commonwealth Supported Place or full-fee paying place. Fees for students in a Commonwealth Supported Place were $15,142 per year in 2023, while fees for full-fee paying students were $42,784 per year. Eligible students in either fee type may defer payment of tuition through the Higher Education Loan Program.

Academics

Research centres

Melbourne Law School is host to a number of research centres and institutes, specialising in a wide variety of legal fields: *Asian Law Centre *Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Ethics *Centre for Comparative Constitutional Studies *Centre for Corporate Law *Centre for Employment and Labour Relations Law *Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society *Centre for Media and Communications Law *Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law *Competition Law and Economics Network *Electoral Regulation Research Network *Health Law and Ethics Network *Institute for International Law and Humanities *Intellectual Property Research Institute of Australia *Melbourne Climate Futures *Obligations Group *Peter McMullin Centre on Statelessness *Tax Group

Mooting

Mooting at Melbourne Law School was made mandatory in 1958. Mooting continues to be mandated as assessment at Melbourne Law School for some core J.D. subjects, such as

constitutional law Constitutional law is a body of law which defines the role, powers, and structure of different entities within a state, namely, the executive, the parliament or legislature, and the judiciary; as well as the basic rights of citizens and, in ...

, and is widely pursued by the student body in both internal and external moot court competitions. Melbourne Law School's internal moot court competition takes place in Melbourne Law School's purpose-built moot court. It is organised and run each year by the Melbourne University Law Students' Society, and is currently sponsored by a number of commercial law firms. Melbourne Law School students have achieved success in multiple international moot court competitions. Teams from Melbourne Law School have won the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition and the ELSA Moot Court Competition three times, and in 2012 a team from Melbourne Law School won the IASLA Space Law Moot Court Competition. A Melbourne Law School team also won the inaugural Victorian Championship Moot in 2013.

External programs

Melbourne Law School offers subjects taught in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

Delhi Delhi, officially the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi, is a city and a union territory of India containing New Delhi, the capital of India. Straddling the Yamuna river, but spread chiefly to the west, or beyond its Bank (geography ...

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

and

Geneva Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...

, and has partner programs with many of the world's leading law schools, including

University of Virginia School of Law The University of Virginia School of Law (Virginia Law) is the law school of the University of Virginia, a public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded by Thomas Jefferson in 1819 as part of his "academical village", and now ...

Georgetown University Law Center Georgetown University Law Center is the Law school in the United States, law school of Georgetown University, a Private university, private research university in Washington, D.C., United States. It was established in 1870 and is the largest law ...

University of Toronto Faculty of Law The University of Toronto Faculty of Law (U of T Law, UToronto Law) is the law school of the University of Toronto, located at the University of Toronto#St. George campus, St. George campus in Downtown Toronto. It is the top ranked common law facu ...

, and the

National University of Singapore Faculty of Law The National University of Singapore Faculty of Law (NUS Law) is Singapore's oldest law school. NUS Law was initially established in 1956 as the Department of Law in the University of Malaya, and subsequently, University of Singapore. After its ...

. Melbourne Law School is a founding member of the

Center for Transnational Legal Studies The Center for Transnational Legal Studies (CTLS) is a global educational center for the study of transnational law. The Center was founded in London in October 2008 as an initiative by Georgetown University Law Center, providing educational ser ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, and contributes both staff and students to the Center every year. Additionally, Melbourne Law School has

dual degree Joint degrees are academic qualifications awarded through integrated curricula often jointly coordinated and delivered by multiple higher education institutions, sometimes across different countries. Graduates may receive a single qualification ...

arrangements with the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

, the

University of Cambridge The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

, the National University of Singapore Faculty of Law,

New York University School of Law The New York University School of Law (NYU Law) is the law school of New York University, a private research university in New York City. Established in 1835, it was the first law school established in New York City and is the oldest survivin ...

, and the University of British Columbia's Peter A. Allard School of Law.

Law library

The law library is located on levels 3, 4 and 5 of Melbourne Law School at the Parkville Campus of the university. The law library offers research tools that include authorised law reports, Australian Case Citator Comparison, deep linking information, keeping up to date in law, legal abbreviations, legal citation style guides, reference management, style guides for authors, and theses advice. The catalogue of books at the library encompasses new books, a rare book collection, past exams and readings online, and a digital repository.

Publications

Melbourne University Law Review

Students of the JD program are involved in preparing and publishing the ''Melbourne University Law Review,'' a triannual

law journal A law review or law journal is a scholarly journal or publication that focuses on legal issues. A law review is a type of legal periodical. Law reviews are a source of research, imbedded with analyzed and referenced legal topics; they also provi ...

covering all areas of

law Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior, with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been variously described as a science and as the ar ...

. It is one of two student-run law journals at the

. Students who have completed at least one semester of law are eligible to apply for membership of the

editorial board The editorial board is a group of editors, writers, and other people who are charged with implementing a publication's approach to editorials and other opinion pieces. The editorials published normally represent the views or goals of the publicat ...

. Applicants are assessed on the basis of their performance in a practical exercise, academic aptitude, proofreading skills, editing skills and enthusiasm. The 2022

editors-in-chief An editor-in-chief (EIC), also known as lead editor or chief editor, is a publication's editorial leader who has final responsibility for its operations and policies. The editor-in-chief heads all departments of the organization and is held accoun ...

are Daniel Beratis, Danielle Feng and Deylan Kilic-Aidani. Occasionally, the journal produces a symposium issue devoted to a particular aspect of law. Past symposium issues have focused on the centenary of the

federation of Australia The Federation of Australia was the process by which the six separate British self-governing colonies of Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia (which also governed what is now the Northern Territory), and Wester ...

, contemporary human rights in Australia, and

tort law A tort is a civil wrong, other than breach of contract, that causes a claimant to suffer loss or harm, resulting in legal liability for the person who commits the tortious act. Tort law can be contrasted with criminal law, which deals with crime ...

. The Review's alumni include two High Court Justices, three Solicitors-General, five Federal Court judges and at least six Supreme Court judges.

Australian Journal of Labour Law

The Australian Journal of Labour Law is a triannual peer-reviewed law journal that was established in 1968. It is published by

LexisNexis LexisNexis is an American data analytics company headquartered in New York, New York. Its products are various databases that are accessed through online portals, including portals for computer-assisted legal research (CALR), newspaper searc ...

in collaboration with the Centre For Employment and Labour Relations Law within Melbourne Law School. It covers

Australian labour law Australian labour law sets the rights of working people, the role of trade unions, and democracy at work, and the duties of employers, across the Commonwealth and in states. Under the ''Fair Work Act 2009'', the Fair Work Commission creates a na ...

. The

are Andrew Stewart of the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

, John Howe of the

, and Shae McCrystal of the

. The journal is abstracted and indexed in EBSCO databases.

Melbourne Journal of International Law

The Melbourne Journal of International Law (MJIL''') is a biannual peer-reviewed law review published by Melbourne Law School covering all areas of public and private

international law International law, also known as public international law and the law of nations, is the set of Rule of law, rules, norms, Customary law, legal customs and standards that State (polity), states and other actors feel an obligation to, and generall ...

. It was established in 2000. ''MJIL'' is edited and managed by an editorial board of around 70 Melbourne Law School studentsl, and overseen by an advisory board. The 2022 Editors are Matthew Carlei, Tegan Evans and Nicholas Hui. Additional journals published by Melbourne Law School include the ''Australian Journal of Asian Law'' (in conjunction with the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

and the

University of Washington The University of Washington (UW and informally U-Dub or U Dub) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington, United States. Founded in 1861, the University of Washington is one of the oldest universities on the West Coast of the Uni ...

), and ''Media and Arts Law Review''. Melbourne Law School publishes the

Australian Guide to Legal Citation The ''Australian Guide to Legal Citation'' (AGLC) is published by the ''Melbourne University Law Review'' in collaboration with the ''Melbourne Journal of International Law'' and seeks to provide the Australian legal community with a standard fo ...

, the most widely followed authority for legal citation formats in Australia.Legal citation
, Guide to Legal Research, Library, University of New South Wales accessed 3 September 2011. Melbourne Law School students also produce a newspaper, ''De Minimis'', and a magazine, "Purely Dicta".

Rankings

Melbourne Law School has been consistently ranked as the top law school in Australia. Melbourne Law School has been consistently ranked among the top law schools in the world.

Student organisations

Several student organisations are associated with Melbourne Law School.

Melbourne Law Student Society

The Melbourne University Law Students' Society represents all law students at the Melbourne Law School. The society was originally known as the Law Clerk's Society. Unlike today, members used to comprise primarily of students working as an articled clerk in a law firm. By the 1950s, most members of the society were fulltime students and became based on campus. Today the society is a student club and consists of approximately one hundred students who on a volunteer basis deliver programs and events. Its president is Sabrina Liang.

Global Law Students Association

The Global Law Students Association (GLSA), which focuses on international legal issues, careers and provides additional support for

international student International students or exchange students, also known as foreign students, are students who undertake all or part of their secondary or tertiary education in a country other than their own. In 2022, there were over 6.9 million international ...

s at Melbourne Law School.

Melbourne China Law Society

The Melbourne China Law Society, facilitates the comparative study of Chinese,

Hong Kong Hong Kong)., Legally Hong Kong, China in international treaties and organizations. is a special administrative region of China. With 7.5 million residents in a territory, Hong Kong is the fourth most densely populated region in the wor ...

and

Australian law The legal system of Australia has multiple forms. It includes a written constitution, unwritten constitutional conventions, statutes, regulations, and the judicially determined common law system. Its legal institutions and traditions are subs ...

, as well as providing

Mandarin Mandarin or The Mandarin may refer to: Language * Mandarin Chinese, branch of Chinese originally spoken in northern parts of the country ** Standard Chinese or Modern Standard Mandarin, the official language of China ** Taiwanese Mandarin, Stand ...

language training to Melbourne Law School students.

Melbourne Law Masters Student Association

The Melbourne Law Masters Student Association (MLMSA) represents the collective interests of all MLM (Melbourne Law Masters) students within Melbourne Law School.

Deans

Below is a list of the deans of Melbourne Law School from 1873 to the present: *1873–1888 William Hearn *1889–1892 Edward Jenks *1893–1927 William Harrison Moore *1928–1936 Kenneth Bailey *1937–1937 George Paton *1938–1942 Kenneth Bailey *1943–1951 George Paton *1951–1963

Zelman Cowen Sir Zelman Cowen, (7 October 1919 – 8 December 2011) was an Australian legal scholar and university administrator who served as the 19th Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1977 to 1982. Cowen was born in Melbourne, and attended ...

*1964–1964 Harold Ford *1964–1966 Zelman Cowen *1967–1973 Harold Ford *1973–1977 Sandford Clark *1978–1983 Colin Howard *1984–1986 Mark Weinberg *1986–1988 Harold Luntz *1989–2002 Michael Crommelin *2002–2003 Ian Ramsay *2003–2007 Michael Crommelin *2008–2009 James Hathaway *2010–2011 Michael Crommelin *2011–2017 Carolyn Evans *2017–2018 Jenny Morgan *2018–2022 Pip Nicholson *2022–2024 Matthew Harding *2024–Present Michelle Foster

Notable alumni

Alfred Deakin Alfred Deakin (3 August 1856 – 7 October 1919) was an Australian politician who served as the second Prime Minister of Australia, prime minister of Australia from 1903 to 1904, 1905 to 1908, and 1909 to 1910. He held office as the leader of th ...

, the 2nd

prime minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia. The prime minister is the chair of the Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the Australian Government, federal executive government. Under the pr ...

, Sir

Robert Menzies The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' () "fame, glory, honour, praise, reno ...

, the 12th prime minister of Australia,

Harold Holt Harold Edward Holt (5 August 190817 December 1967) was an Australian politician and lawyer who served as the 17th prime minister of Australia from 1966 until Disappearance of Harold Holt, his disappearance and presumed death in 1967. He held o ...

, the 17th prime minister of Australia, and

Julia Gillard Julia Eileen Gillard (born 29 September 1961) is an Australian former politician who served as the 27th prime minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013. She held office as the leader of the Labor Party (ALP), having previously served as the ...

, the 27th prime minister of Australia, all graduated from Melbourne Law School. Three governors-general and at least 13 attorneys-general have also graduated from Melbourne Law School, including Gareth Evans, Nicola Roxon and

Mark Dreyfus Mark Alfred Dreyfus (born 3 October 1956) is an Australian politician and lawyer. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and has been the MP for Isaacs since the 2007 election. Dreyfus served as the attorney-general of Austral ...

. Foreign politicians who attended Melbourne Law School include Neri Javier Colmenares, a member of the House of Representatives of the Philippines, Adnan Buyung Nasution, member of the Presidential Advisory Council of the Republic of Indonesia and Dame Meg Taylor, former ambassador of Papua New Guinea to the United States and former secretary general of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Four Melbourne Law School graduates have served as

Chief Justice of Australia The chief justice of Australia is the presiding justice of the High Court of Australia and the highest-ranking judicial officer in the Commonwealth of Australia. The incumbent is Stephen Gageler, since 6 November 2023. Constitutional basis Th ...

. This number includes Sir

Owen Dixon Sir Owen Dixon (28 April 1886 – 7 July 1972) was an Australian judge and diplomat who served as the sixth Chief Justice of Australia. Many consider him to be Australia's most prominent jurist.Graham Perkin �Its Most Eminent Symbol Hidde ...

, one of Australia's most eminent jurists,Justice Jim Spigelman, "Australia's Greatest Jurist," presented in Sydney, May 2003. and Sir

Isaac Isaacs Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, (6 August 1855 – 11 February 1948) was an Australian lawyer, politician, and judge who served as the ninth Governor-General of Australia, in office from 1931 to 1936. He had previously served on the High Court of Au ...

, the first Jewish chief justice. Geoffrey Nettle, a current justice of the High Court of Australia, graduated from Melbourne Law School. In addition, two Melbourne Law School graduates have served on the

: Hsu Mo and

Hilary Charlesworth Hilary Christiane Mary Charlesworth (born 28 February 1955) is an Australian international lawyer. She has been a Judge of the International Court of Justice since 5 November 2021, and is Harrison Moore Professor of Law and Melbourne Laureate ...

. Francis Gurry, the director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization,

Gillian Triggs Gillian Doreen Triggs (born 30 October 1945) is an Australian and British public international lawyer, specialising in human rights and trade and commercial law. She is also an academic, barrister, and director. She became widely known in Aust ...

, the president of the Australian Human Rights Commission, and Samuel Pisar, the UNESCO special envoy for Holocaust education, all graduated from Melbourne Law School. Melbourne Law School graduates in the business world include James P. Gorman, chairman and CEO of

Morgan Stanley Morgan Stanley is an American multinational investment bank and financial services company headquartered at 1585 Broadway in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. With offices in 42 countries and more than 80,000 employees, the firm's clients in ...

. Renowned lawyer, Leon Zwier, graduated from Melbourne Law School. Legal academics who graduated from Melbourne Law School include Sir David Derham, the founding dean of Monash Law School, Greg Craven, the vice-chancellor of the

Australian Catholic University Australian Catholic University (ACU) is a public university in Australia. It has seven Australian campuses and also maintains a campus in Rome. History Australian Catholic University was opened on 1 January 1991 following the amalgamation ...

, and Sir

John Monash General (Australia), General Sir John Monash (; 27 June 1865 – 8 October 1931) was an Australian civil engineer and military commander of the World War I, First World War. He commanded the 13th Brigade (Australia), 13th Infantry Brigade befor ...

, a vice-chancellor of the University of Melbourne and decorated

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

general.