Law Faculty’s excellence in legal education

These Citations acknowledge excellence in teaching and student support. They represent a sustained commitment to student learning which is representative of the faculty’s approach to delivering high quality legal education and in ensuring students have opportunities to grow their experience.

All three citations submitted by the faculty were successful.  

Miranda Kaye

Former lawyer, Miranda Kaye received a citation for approaches to teaching that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn. As a family law scholar, Miranda’s real-world and research-inspired focus enables her provide opportunities for students to achieve the necessary competencies for best practice in family law. Her approach to learning is to equip students with skills that are both legal and non-legal. These include skills in working with vulnerable clients, such as those impacted by domestic violence and vicarious trauma.  

Social justice is core to Miranda’s work as seen in her encouragement of students to critique the legal system and to consider how they can contribute to its improvement through their own practice.  Miranda is a passionate and reflective teacher who inspires her students to achieve excellence in their study.  Her former students have won prizes in essay writing, published thesis supervised by Miranda and chosen careers in family law.  

Miranda consistently receives highly commendable student feedback as evidenced by one student’s response to the statement as to whether their teacher facilitated their learning:

I don't just strongly agree that, overall, I am satisfied with how this staff member facilitated my learning - I absolutely, completely, wholly agree. She has turned what I feared would be a difficult and triggering subject into one where I have loved turning up to class.

Christine Giles, Tom Foran and Dr Laura Smith-Khan

The team of Christine Giles, Tom Foran and Dr Laura Smith-Khan received a citation for innovation, leadership and scholarship that has influenced and enhanced the student learning experience through the Communicating with Clients Project. The Project assists students to develop skills in interviewing clients, taking instructions, and providing oral advice. Combining Laura’s research expertise, Christine’s expertise in learning design and education and Tom’s expertise in migration practice, the Team progressively developed and continuously refine cutting-edge learning materials and activities to improve students’ communication skills.

The results of the project are evidenced by the significant increase in the number of students who have successfully completed the Independent Capstone Assessment which is a requirement for graduates to become Registered Migration Agents. Feedback from students who participated in the program is highly positive. Students advise that having access to the learning materials complemented the project’s live feedback and peer-modelling, allowing them to develop confidence in their specialised communication skills as future Registered Migration Agents. Graduates reported the project positively affected their confidence and career choices.

Associate Professor Laurie Berg, a research and teaching scholar in migration law and a guest lecturer in the Graduate Diploma, shares her observation of the project:

I observe learners who lack prior legal experience and who may struggle with proficiency in English rapidly acquiring skills in interpreting legislation and administrative rules and grappling with the responsibilities and duties of care held by migration advisors towards clients.

Dr Genevieve Wilkinson, Beth Patterson, Crystal Meikle and Dr Maxine Evers

The team of Dr Genevieve Wilkinson, Beth Patterson, Crystal Meikle and Dr Maxine Evers received a citation for their innovation and leadership in enhancing the student experience in the Allens Neota Law Tech Challenge for Social Justice.   

The Law Tech Challenge is part of the Law Brennan Justice and Leadership program, a co-curricular initiative established in 2011 to enable law students to expand their justice consciousness. The Challenge is offered to Brennan students through a partnership with international law firm Allens and Neota Logic, a global technology company.

Through the expert guidance of Genevieve, Beth, Challenge alumni, Allens and Neota Logic mentors, law students, with no pre-existing legal tech skills, learn to innovate with technology-based tools, utilising design-thinking principles to build apps that meet their clients’ instructions and are ready for implementation. Completing the Challenge equips students with diverse ‘new’ legal skills by training them in legal technology, project and client management, and digital marketing so they can build apps for not-for-profit clients that streamline social justice activities and enable clients to focus on their core business.

Ethan Huang, a former Challenge participant and now at solicitor with Gilbert + Tobin, reflected on his learning experience of developing an app with his team for Refugee Legal Centre:

The Challenge elevated my law school training by teaching and putting into practice skills ranging from communication and stakeholder management to user experience design, project management and app development.