3rd Edition November 2014

50th Anniversary: Connecting our alumni locally and globally

Welcome to the third edition of The Monash Law e-Briefing, in what continues to be a celebratory and eventful year for the Law Faculty community.

We’ve now had four 50th anniversary celebrations globally, our Gala Dinner in Melbourne and alumni dinners in Hong Kong, London and Singapore.

We are also planning for a celebration in Malaysia before the end of 2014.

In September we held a dinner in London with a number of Law alumni currently working or completing postgraduate studies in the UK.

Guests were very appreciative of being able to attend this alumni dinner in London and help the Faculty celebrate this significant anniversary. They recognise the value of being part of the Faculty’s growing global presence and network.

We also held a Law alumni dinner in Singapore in October. Guests thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce and benefit from each other’s diverse industry knowledge and experience. The enriching discussion exemplified the broad and valuable skill set of Monash Law graduates.


Dean Prof Bryan Horrigan with Law alumni in Singapore (L-R: Ms Michelle Landy, the Dean, Mr Dinesh Menon, Mr Low Chee Wah and Mr Ivan Ang)

In addition to celebrating the Faculty’s 50th anniversary, these dinners have been great opportunities for our international Law alumni to connect and engage with each other and the Faculty.

Our recent initiatives including the Faculty’s new partnership arrangements with Oxford, Cambridge and King’s College London aim to build upon and strengthen our global reach and community. So too do the new Hong Kong student scholarship and internship initiatives launched by our Hong Kong alumni advisory chapter at their 50th anniversary celebration earlier this year.

It has been exciting to hear from alumni around the world about their successes and contributions to a diverse range of sectors including legal, corporate, academic, government and community.

We are committed and working hard to create more opportunities for alumni to engage and connect locally and globally.

We encourage you to visit the alumni section of our website where you can find out how to become more involved and engaged with the Faculty and also read about alumni achievements, privileges and benefits. 

Law Faculty celebrates 50 years with gala dinner

The Grand Hyatt Melbourne came to life as the Law Faculty celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala dinner with over 400 attendees. Read more

Watch 50th Gala Dinner video and
Reflections on the first 50 years video 

Honourable Justice Stephen Gageler presents the 20th Lucinda Lecture

In our 50th anniversary year, the Faculty was honoured to have the Honourable Justice Stephen Gageler of the High Court of Australia deliver the 20th Lucinda Lecture at our Clayton Campus on 15 September.

Read more or watch the 20th Lucinda Lecture video



The Hon Justice Stephen Gageler



Back row: Prof. The Hon. Peter Gray AM, Dr Vicky Priskich, Prof. HP Lee, Acting Dean Prof. Marilyn Pittard, Prof. Peter Johnson
Front row: The Hon. Michael Black AC, The Hon. Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC, The Hon. Justice Stephen Gagelar, The Hon. Chief Justice Diana Bryant AO

Victorian Ombudsman and Law alumna presents the 2014 Costello Lecture




LR: Mr Brian Walters QC, Ms Deborah Glass OBE, Victorian Ombudsman, Prof Marilyn Pittard, Associate Dean (International and Engagement), Rev Tim Costello AO, CEO World Vision Audstralia

Ms Deborah Glass OBE (Victorian Ombudsman and Law alumna) gave the annual Costello Lecture address in the Faculty’s 50^th anniversary year, reflecting on fairness and the role of her office in ensuring fairness for the community. 

Read more or watch the Costello Lecture address

50th Anniversary Reminder: Gala Dinner – 28 June 2014

Excitement is building with our upcoming 50th Anniversary Gala Dinner, to be held at the Grand Hyatt, Melbourne on Saturday 28 June 2014.

The event promises to be a highly memorable and special evening to celebrate the Faculty's 50th anniversary year. With special guests, a three-course meal and drinks, live music, the launch of the Faculty's History Book, a live auction and some surprises, the evening will be fun-filled!

See further details about the Gala Dinner.

We look forward to you joining us for a night to remember.

50th Anniversary: Celebration with Monash Alumni in Hong Kong

The Honourable
Dr Peter Costello AC

“The best law schools in the world have meaningful relationships with their alumni at home and abroad,” Professor Bryan Horrigan, Dean of the Monash Law Faculty said.

More than 60 people attended a Monash alumni dinner in Hong Kong in April with the Vice-Chancellor and President, and the Dean of Law, amongst many other prominent guests.

The dinner celebrated the Monash Law Faculty’s 50th anniversary and laid the foundations for some key local fundraising initiatives. Guests in attendance were alumni from the region, who occupy high level positions in government, business and law including judges, law firm partners, CEOs and other senior professionals.

This dinner was generously hosted by Monash Law alumnus and Group Chief Executive of Dairy Farm International, Mr Graham Allan and his wife Judy and we thank Mr and Mrs Allan for their kind and generous support in hosting this special event.

50th Anniversary: Eleventh Fiat Justitia Lecture: The Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC

Left to right: Professor H P Lee, the Dean,
the Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn
Warren AC, the Honourable
Michael Black AC,
Professor Marilyn Pittard.

In our 50th anniversary year, the Faculty was honoured to have the Honourable Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC of the Supreme Court of Victoria deliver the Eleventh Fiat Justitia Lecture.

Held in March at the Monash University Law Chambers, the Chief Justice gave us an eloquent, enlightening and highly relevant presentation on ‘The Access to Justice Imperative: Rights, Rationalisation or Resolution?’ with a speech entitled ‘How has the legal field and market changed?’.

This landmark address has already attracted considerable national publicity and we encourage you to view the presentation online.

50th Anniversary: The Great Law Week Debate - "The more laws, the less justice" (Cicero)

Mr Sam Whitney, Mr Tim Rankin,
Ms Elizabeth King, the Honourable
Justice Christine Thornton,
Associate Professor Adam McBeth,
the Honourable Professor Nahum Mushin,
Ms Catherine Dunlop, Associate Professor
Paula Gerber, Mr Richard Attiwill QC,
Ms Melinda Scaringi,
Professor Marilyn Pittard.

Our annual Great Law Week Debate was recently held during National Law Week. This year, a team of prominent Monash Law alumni competed against a team of current Monash Law staff on the highly controversial topic “The more laws, the less justice” (Cicero).

The Monash Law alumni team, arguing the affirmative case, consisted of Mr Richard Attiwill QC (BA 1992, LLB(Hons) 1992), a Queen’s Counsel since 2013, followed by Ms Catherine Dunlop (BEc 1993, LLB 1995), a highly regarded Partner at Maddocks and a lifelong member of the Monash Association of Debaters (MAD), and as third speaker, Ms Elizabeth King (LLB 1994), a well renowned barrister and academic.

Dean’s message and invitation

Professor Bryan Horrigan

Welcome to this first edition of our new e-newsletter, The Monash Law e-Briefing. It is being launched in our Faculty’s 50th anniversary year. We hope that it keeps our alumni and the broader legal profession informed and connected with us and one another. Complementing our twice-yearly publication of Law Matters, The Monash Law e-Briefing is designed to be an accessible, regular, and useful briefing on Faculty matters and commentary of interest and relevance to you.

Now recognised as a truly global law faculty, we attract top students, provide first-rate opportunities, produce world-class research, and benefit from high-quality alumni, many of whom are well known as thought leaders and pioneers in their chosen professional careers throughout the world. In keeping with this societal outreach and track record after 50 years, The Monash Law e-Briefing aims to provide many things of value to you in your everyday work, engagement with us, and connections with others in professional life.

Let our 50th Anniversary celebrations begin!

From left: Chair, Monash Law School
Foundation, Ms Jane Hodder,
Vice Chancellor and President Professor
Ed Byrne AO and
Professor Bryan Horrigan

This year, the Faculty of Law celebrates its 50th anniversary. We look forward to welcoming many of you back to the Faculty to help us mark this momentous occasion. We will be holding several events throughout the year to celebrate.

The celebrations began late last year when Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Ed Byrne AO, together with Professor Bryan Horrigan, Dean, Faculty of Law and Ms Jane Hodder, Chair, Monash Law School Foundation welcomed distinguished guests and alumni to a cocktail reception to officially launch the 50th Anniversary Celebrations of the Faculty of Law in 2014.