Celebrating Success in the Faculty of Law Community

Held in November, the event highlighted the achievements of students and staff and the generosity of donors and community partners. The Awards Emcee, Associate Professor Jane Wangmann, co-director of the Brennan Justice and Leadership Program, described the Awards as:

an occasion to honour the excellent academic and co-curricular achievements of our students, our staff and to express our gratitude to those whose support plays an important role in our students’ and staff success.

This year, the inaugural First People’s Community Partnerships award recognised the collaboration between Aunty Bronwyn Penrith and the Faculty.  Aunty Bronwyn Penrith is a Wiradjuri and Yuin woman, Elder and director of the Mudgin-gal Aboriginal Women’s Centre in Redfern. She has served as a consultant to the Waran-gi Pyalla (meaning ‘right fight’ in the Gadigal language) Indigenous Graduate Attribute Working party from its establishment in 2017.  Aunty Bronwyn Penrith provides cultural guidance and leadership to support the embedding of the UTS Indigenous Graduate Attribute in our law programs. When presenting the award, Dr Marcelle Burns, Associate Dean (Indigenous Leadership and Engagement) noted:

This award acknowledges the valuable contribution that Aunty Bronwyn has made to the Law Faculty and UTS.  Her wisdom and generosity in sharing her knowledge and experience is highly valued and appreciated.  In presenting this award, we also hope to inspire our UTS Law community to work in partnership with First Peoples – as many already do – and give recognition to the importance of building relationships and reciprocity with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to inform our teaching, research and service activities.

The Faculty was privileged to welcome back Law alumna, Justine Anderson, as the keynote speaker. As President of the Women Lawyers Association NSW, Justine spoke about the life of Veronika Pike, a pioneer female lawyer who instigated the establishment of Women Lawyers. The Association is the donor of the Veronika Pike prize, presented to the best performing female student in the subject Evidence. 

Students are at the centre of the Awards.  Acknowledgement and support of law students is made possible by the ongoing generosity of donors through scholarships, subject prizes and awards for leadership, participation andsocial justice.  Equity scholarships enable students, passionate about social justice, to undertake a law degree through financial assistance. Subject prizes recognise the commitment of students to achieving their academic best in areas of the law that inspire them. Students who have participated in co-curricular activities, such as the UTS Law Mooting Competition Program, the Australian Law Students’ Association Competitions and the First Year Peer Mentoring Program are also recognised for their engagement. 

The Faculty’s commitment to social justice was also celebrated through the Brennan Justice and Leadership program, a co-curricular offering managed jointly by the UTS Law Students Association and the Faculty. Students in the program can work towards an award based on volunteer service and critical reflection, through discussions, books and films connected by the theme of justice.  Students who achieve the required service hours and reflection points receive the Brennan Justice and Leadership Award. This year, 21 law students received the Award.  Recipient Cameron Mark, a Juris Doctor, shared his experience in the program:

... my key takeaway from the Program that I’d like to share with everyone tonight - not just the students: through volunteer work, you can get to meet a variety of people from all walks of life. You’ll be one of many helping hands benefiting community members, that you may never even meet. And that’s okay – because every single hour you give, will still be valued and appreciated by someone in need.

UTS law students are inspired by their teachers, who guide them through the rigorous study of the law and its role in society. Their expertise in research and legal education transforms student learning as an innovative and collaborative experience. Students are invited to critique the law and to develop as ethical and inquiring legal professionals. Our academics are capably supported by professional colleagues, who ensure that the administration of teaching drives excellence in quality and delivery. Several academic and professional staff were acknowledged for their excellence in research and teaching:

Brett Heino: Lyndal Taylor & Emma Holt Teaching Award

Ken Wu: Daniel Tirado Excellence in Teaching Award (casual Academic)

Maria Abertos and Joyce Georgi: Team Award for Excellence in Teaching and/or the Student Experience

Laura Smith-Khan and Genevieve Wilkinson: Early Career Researcher Excellence in Publication

Michael Rawling: Excellence in Research Impact and Engagement Award

Law Dean, Professor Anita Stuhmcke, in welcoming attendees, spoke about the Faculty’s commitment to social justice and its strong reputation for excellence in legal education and research.  She noted:

In 2023 we spent much of this year developing our new faculty strategy –and our vision sets out what we are and will be, the vision of UTS Law being to:

• create knowledge and drive debate. To lead ethically. To create positive social change.

• centre Indigenous excellence. To harness law and technology for a just and sustainable future.

• be kind, community focused and accessible.

These are not just words.  Tonight we will see that this what our Law Faculty does.  

The list of the student recipients can be found here and the list of donors can be found here.