AT THE FOREFRONT OF PRACTICAL LEGAL EDUCATION
WORKING WITH YOU, FOR YOU: ABOUT THE COLLEGE OF LAW
The College of Law is the school of professional practice for lawyers in Australia and New Zealand. With over 100,000 alumni, we’re the largest provider of practice-focused legal education in Australasia.
Whoever you are, however you learn, whatever stage of your legal career you’re at – there’s a place for you at the College.
OUR PURPOSE IS YOU
We exist to deliver flexible, practice-focused education. To enhance the careers of the legal industry’s professionals – in practical, personalised ways.
Our purpose is you. To support you in reaching your personal and professional potential. To expand your horizons by connecting you with a community of supportive, real-world relationships.
And to prepare you to succeed, in law. In whatever role you choose to pursue.
A PRACTICAL, PERSONAL APPROACH TO THE PROFESSION
At the College, we focus on the practical side of law – and the true relevance of training.
We help guide your career. We make enrolling easy. And we take an approach that’s equal parts practical and personal: tailoring your education to your lifestyle and circumstances.
We work in the profession, for the profession.
With you. For you.
OUR STORY, YOUR CAREER: NEARLY HALF A CENTURY OF SERVING YOU
The College opened its doors in 1974 – and has been at the forefront of practical legal education ever since.
Through state-of-the-art facilities, CBD-based campuses, and strong industry ties, we’re known as one of legal training’s most trusted names in Australia and New Zealand.
As we’ve grown and evolved, we’ve given more than 100,000 legal professionals the skills to thrive – across all facets of industry. Placing an emphasis not only legal education, but on leadership, wellbeing and resilience. (As FrontTier, our pioneering workforce wellbeing program, attests to.)
Along the way, we’ve also become one of the few non-universities to achieve status as a Self-Accrediting Authority from the Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency.
THE COLLEGE OF LAW IS
SUPPORTING YOU: IN THE CLASSROOM AND IN THE COMMUNITY
Here at the College of Law, we occupy a unique place in the legal profession.
Most lawyers in Australia and New Zealand start their career with us: from practical legal training to invaluable work experience.
However, we don’t just support legal professionals at the outset of their careers. We support them throughout their careers. We offer CPD and postgraduate programs, as well as free 1:1 career counselling.
Our approach? To play a role in your learning that goes beyond the classroom and into the broader legal community. To help you make that transition from course to career. And to ensure that, as the legal industry continues to develop, you grow with it.
A GROWING NETWORK OF LOCATIONS ACROSS THE WORLD
Sydney
Melbourne
Brisbane
Perth
Adelaide
Auckland
London
LEARNING, NOT EARNING: OUR CORPORATE HISTORY
As a proudly not-for-profit entity, the College of Law stands for learning – not earning. As such, we’re regulated by the Australian Charities and Not-For-Profits Commission.
Today, we’re a public company limited by guarantee. But it wasn’t always like that.
Up until 1 November 2010, we operated as a private company (College of Law Pty Ltd), and as a wholly owned subsidiary of the Law Society of New South Wales.
Then in 2009, a Supreme Court of NSW order enabled the College to transfer our business to the College of Law Limited – our new entity.
OUR HISTORY
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1974
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2004
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2005
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2006
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2008
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2015
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2016
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2018
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2019
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2020
1974
The College of Law New South Wales established
2004
The College of Law New Zealand established
PLT program launched in the ACT
2005
The College of Law Queensland established
The College of Law Victoria established
2006
The College of Law Western Australia established
2008
Master of Applied Law Programs launched in Australia
2015
The College of Law awarded self-accrediting authority
The College of Law South Australia established
2016
PLT program launched in Northern Territory
Centre for Legal Innovation founded
The College of Law Asia established
2018
The acquisition of CPD Interactive
2019
The College of Legal Practice UK established
2020
ACT PLT program accredited by the ACT Legal Practitioners Admissions Board
THE COLLEGE IS COMMITTED TO CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Corporate governance is core to ensuring the creation, protection and enhancement of stakeholder value.
The Board applies the Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission Governance Principles and where applicable the ASX Corporate Governance Principles and Recommendations.
In accordance with the ASX Principles, the College discloses the primary corporate governance documents below and information which demonstrate the College's commitment to corporate governance.
- Corporate Governance Charter
- Constitution
- The College's Board of Governors
- Board Corporate Committees and Charter
- College Committee Structure
- Academic Governance
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE CHARTER & CONSTITUTION
The Corporate Governance Charter was last revised in April 2023 and details the College’s commitment to corporate governance. It should be read as a broad expression of principles. The Board will review its Charter on an annual basis.
The Constitution is the College’s key governance document. The Board must ensure that it and the College complies at all times with the provisions of the Constitution.
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
The Board and management maintains the highest level of corporate ethics.
The Board comprises a majority of independent Non-Executive Governors, together with two Executive Governors, who have an appropriate level of skill, knowledge, experience and independence.
Neville Carter
Mr Neville Carter was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2009. He is a member of the Executive Committee and the Nominations Advisory Committee.
Mr Carter is also a Director of the College of Law New Zealand Limited, COL Hold Co Pty Limited, College of Legal Practice Limited and COL SIN Private Limited.
Mr Carter was previously a Director of ALPMA, College of Law Pty Limited, College of Law Queensland Pty Limited, College of Law Victoria Pty Limited, College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited and Quality in Law Inc.
He has served as the Group Managing Director and now Chief Executive Officer of The College of Law since 1995. He has extensive experience in the design and management of large professional education programs as well as a strong background in business and management training for the legal profession.
In the 2018 Australia Day Awards he was made a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to legal education, through executive roles, to the law as a legal practitioner, and to professional standards.
His previous positions include National Director, Institute of Professional Legal Studies, New Zealand; Associate Professor and Head of School of Legal Practice, UTS; Project Lead Professional Practice, Advanced Diploma in Law (ADIL) University of Technology (MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia); and partner in a three partner Sydney law firm. He is also a former Chairman of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council and an Evaluator for the Australian Business Excellence Awards.
Neville Carter AM ,
Joseph Catanzariti
Mr Joseph Catanzariti was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2009 and has served as Chair during that time. He is also the Chair of the Executive Committee and the Nominations Advisory Committee and a Member of the Remuneration Committee.
Mr Catanzariti is also a Director of the College of Law New Zealand Limited, COL Hold Co Pty Limited, College of Legal Practice Limited and COL SIN Private Limited.
He was previously the Chair of College of Law Pty Limited and a Director of College of Law Queensland Pty Limited, College of Law Victoria Pty Limited and College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited.
Mr Catanzariti is a Mediator and Strategic Adviser of Joseph Catanzariti and Associates, and also operates an incorporated legal practice which he established in 2024. He was previously Vice President of the Fair Work Commission, the national workplace relations tribunal between 2013 and 2024. Prior to Mr Catanzariti’s appointment to the Fair Work Commission he was a senior partner of Clayton Utz and Practice Leader of the Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety Practice Group. While practicing at Clayton Utz, Mr Catanzariti was a trusted adviser to many of Australia’s leading private companies and government departments, advising on all aspects of employment law and workplace relations, including developing employment relations strategies, industrial disputes, conciliation and arbitration before State, Territory and Federal Courts, work health and safety (WHS), employee fraud, discrimination, corporate governance, due diligence and senior executive remuneration and terminations. He is also a very experienced Commercial litigator.
Mr Catanzariti was a Member of the LGBTQI+ Law Committee Advisory Board of the International Bar Association (IBA) having previously been the Co-Chair of the LGBTQI+ Law Committee. He is currently the Scholarship Officer of the Rule of Law Forum of the IBA, having previously been the Asia Pacific Regional Forum Liaison Officer of the Rule of Law Forum. Mr Catanzariti is also a Member of the Advisory Board of Syncing Minds Partners LP.
He is an Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law and Justice, University of New South Wales, an Adjunct Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies, School of Business at Sydney University, and a Fellow of the Academy of Law and a Fellow of the College of Law.
In 2015 Mr Catanzariti was awarded an honorary Masters degree from the College of Law.
He is a co-author of Workplace Bullying, 1st and 2nd editions, published by LexisNexis.
In the 2016 Australia Day Awards he was made a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, to legal education, to labour and employment relations, and to professional legal bodies.
Mr Catanzariti previously held the positions of President of the Law Council of Australia, President of the Law Society of New South Wales, President of the Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales, Chair of the Workplace Committee of the Law Society of New South Wales, and Secretary of the Industrial Relations Society of Australia (now known as the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association of Australia).
Joseph Catanzariti AM ,
Alison Belot
Ms Alison Belot was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2022. She is a Member of the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee.
She is a non-executive Director and Treasurer of Banyule Support & Information Centre.
Ms Belot has held various senior positions within BHP Billiton Limited including: Vice President Corporate Finance, Vice President Treasurer Front Office, Vice President Finance, Vice President and Global Process and data Owner Finance, Program Director Internal Control Evaluation, Market Risk Management, Special Projects and Manager Strategic Financing Group.
She has held senior positions with KPMG in Finance and Treasury Risk Management and was Manager Interest Rate Risk Management at ANZ. Ms Belot was an Honorary Fellow of Macquarie Applied Finance Centre, Macquarie University.
Alison Belot ,
Judith Choate
Ms Judith Choate was appointed the Board of the Company in 2018. She is also a member of the Audit Risk and Compliance Committee and the Chair of the College of Law South Australia Chapter Board.
Ms Choate is currently Special Counsel at Belperio Connell.
In August 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Brownhill and Keswick Creeks Stormwater Management Board (SA) and Chair of its Audit Committee.
Ms Choate was previously a Director, Legal Services, South Australia for KPMG, Partner and National Head of Tax and Revenue Piper Alderman; Founding Trustee, Remember the Holocaust Foundation; and Treasurer, Board of Management – Beit Shalom Synagogue Adelaide.
She is a corporate and commercial lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in private practice in Australia specialising in Australian Tax and Revenue Law. Ms Choate is a Chartered Tax Adviser.
She was previously Course Co-Ordinator and lecturer in Tax Law – Law Society of South Australia, GDLP and PLT Programs, Unit Co-ordinator and lecturer, Tax Law – Flinders University, Mentor – international post-graduate Tax Law students - University of Melbourne Law School and in 2015 was a finalist for the Tax Institute of Australia Chartered Tax Advisor of the Year Award.
Judith Choate ,
Dunstan de Souza
Mr Dunstan de Souza was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2018. He is also the Chair of the College of Law New South Wales Chapter Board and a Member of the Remuneration Committee.
Mr de Souza is a Senior Partner at Colin Biggers & Paisley. He joined the legal practice as a graduate solicitor in 1985 and became a Partner in 1993, practising primarily in property development. Mr de Souza was Managing Partner from 2007 to 2017.
Mr de Souza has led Colin Biggers & Paisley to becoming an elite legal practice, recognised for its top tier work, particularly in the specialisations of insurance, construction, property and commercial litigation. He was responsible for Colin Biggers & Paisley being the first Australian legal practice to open an office in the United Arab Emirates. He also established the CBP Foundation through which the firm has given significant funds to charities. In addition, the staff undertake volunteering and significant pro bono legal services.
Mr de Souza helped found ADVOC Asia in 1994, an international network of respected law firms established to help clients respond to the opportunities presented by the rapidly growing Asia Pacific economies. He was ADVOC Asia's President from 2002 to 2014.
Mr de Souza is the former Chair (and current Director) of Civic Disability Services Limited, a Director of Cronulla Sharks Water Polo Club and a former Director of the Hungry Point Reserve Trust.
Mr de Souza has a Bachelor Economics and Bachelor Laws from the University of Sydney.
Dunstan de Souza ,
Glenn Ferguson
Mr Glenn Ferguson was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. He is also the Chair of the College of Law Queensland Chapter Board and a Member of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Mr Ferguson is currently Managing Director of FC Lawyers.
Mr Ferguson was previously the Chair of College of Law Queensland Pty Limited. He is a Past President of the Law Council of Australia, LAWASIA and the Queensland Law Society. He is a Senior Counsellor with the Queensland Law Society, Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Notaries and Fellow of the College of Law.
In 2010 Mr Ferguson was appointed by the Prime Minister to the Expert Panel to consider the recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
Mr Ferguson served for ten years as a member of the Federal Attorney General’s International Legal Services Advisory Council and the Immigration Minister’s Advisory Board in relation to the regulation of migration agents. He has been appointed by both Federal and State Governments to various advisory boards and task forces in the legal, migration and business sectors.
Mr Ferguson has also held or continues to hold a number of board positions in both the public and private sector in the insurance, superannuation, education, sport, charity and information technology areas including chairing a publicly listed company. He is currently Chair of Lexon Insurance and was previously the Chair of WorkCover in Queensland.
In 2015 Mr Ferguson was awarded an honorary Master’s degree from the College of Law.
He is currently the Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
In the 2015 Australia Day Awards, he was made a member of the Order of Australia for his service to the legal profession both nationally and internationally – particularly in the Asia Pacific region and to the Community.
Glenn Ferguson AM ,
Alison Gaines
Ms Alison Gaines was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. She is also the Chair of the College of Law Western Australia Chapter Board, the Remuneration Committee and the Fellowship Advisory Committee. Ms Gaines is also a Member of the Nominations Advisory Committee.
Ms Gaines was previously the Chair of College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited.
In 2020 Ms Gaines founded Gaines Advisory, a board search and board consulting firm, where she is the Managing Director. She is the formerly global CEO of a boutique international search firm and leader of its international board practice, CEO of the Law Society of WA and Director of the Public Sector Management Office (WA Government) responsible for the Senior Executive Service. She has been an academic and researcher at several Australian universities.
Ms Gaines is also an active non-executive director and chair of boards and remuneration, nomination and ESG committees, and finance audit and risk committee member, for over 25 years. She is an active non-executive director currently on the Boards of Blackstone Minerals Ltd and Western Australia Opera and the independent Chair Nominations Committee Hockey Australia. She has been Deputy Chair and member of Council of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (WA Division) and ico-opted member to its Nomination Committee. She has accumulated over 25 years Board experience in Australia and internationally as a non-executive director and chair of companies, university, superannuation fund, public sector and industry training boards and professional associations.
Ms Gaines was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Murdoch University and received the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. She was previously a member of the Murdoch University Senate 1999 - 2008, and its Deputy Chancellor from 2006 –2008, Chair of the Murdoch University Foundation and Veterinary Trust and Adjunct Professor in its Law School.
Alison Gaines ,
Lewis Patrick
Mr Lewis Patrick was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011.
He is also a Director of COL Hold Co Pty Limited and was previously a Director of College of Legal Practice Limited.
Mr Patrick has over 30 years’ experience in general legal practice. He holds a Masters of Law and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning. Mr Patrick has also completed a SoTL (The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Leadership Certificate on Curriculum and Pedagogy in Higher Education at the University of British Columbia.
He is currently the Chairman of the Academic Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Academic Officer.
Previously Mr Patrick has held a variety of positions at The College of Law including Senior Lecturer; Lecturer; and Director, Co-operative Programs.
He is a member of the College’s Course Committee and Senior Management and Executive Management Teams. Mr Patrick is also a member of the Law Society of New South Wales. He is Past Chair of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council (APLEC) and Past Chair and current member of the Academic and Professional Development Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA).
Lewis Patrick ,
John Randall
Mr John Randall was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. He is also the Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Mr Randall was previously the General Manager Finance and Company Secretary of Metcash Limited. He joined the company in 1997 when it was Davids Limited and was a member of the team that re-engineered the company to create the successful Metcash business.
He is a Director of Outcomes Australia Pty Limited.
Mr Randall’s previous roles include Chief Financial Officer of Metal Manufactures Limited and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation Limited.
He is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He has experience in financial, marketing and operational management roles.
Mr Randall is the former President of the Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, a former National President of the Group of 100 and NSW President and National Board Member of CPA Australia. In addition to his involvement in professional associations, he has been, and is, actively involved in charitable organisations.
John Randall ,
Kathryn Laurie
Ms Kathryn Laurie joined the College of Law in October 2011 and is the Company Secretary of The College of Law Limited and COL Hold Co Pty Ltd. She has over 20 years company secretarial experience, having worked in the Company Secretariat of Qantas Airways Limited, holding a number of managerial positions and Company Secretary of Qantas’ subsidiaries.
She holds a Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws, Masters of Applied Law and Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. In September 2010 Ms Laurie was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW.
She is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Fellow the Chartered Governance Institute.
Kathryn Laurie ,
Monica Patel
Ms Monica Patel is the Chief Financial Officer and has also been appointed Company Secretary. She is a Chartered Accountant (Australia and New Zealand).
Ms Patel is a Director of COL Hold Co Pty Ltd and COL SIN Private Limited.
She has over 25 years of commercial experience including ASX listed companies.
Monica Patel ,
BOARD CORPORATE COMMITTEES
Committees are established in accordance with the College’s Constitution. Committees have specific oversight responsibilities and are responsible for considering detailed issues and making recommendations to the Board for approval. The Board has approved charters for each Committee.
- Mr John Randall (Chair)
- Mr Glenn Ferguson AM
- Ms Judith Choate
- Ms Alison Belot
- Ms Alison Gaines (Chair)
- Mr Joseph Catanzariti AM
- Mr Dunstan de Souza
- Mr Joseph Catanzariti AM (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Ms Alison Gaines Governor Representative
- Vacancy Foundation Ordinary Representative
- Ms Emma German (College Ordinary (Alumni) Representative)
- Mr Laurie Shervington (Community Ordinary Representative)
- Ms Casandra Banks (Preferred Foundation Ordinary Representative)
- Mr Glenn Ferguson AM (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Ms Ann-Maree David (College of Law Queensland Executive Director)
- Mr Peter Ellender (External Member)
- Mr Angus Murray (External Member)
- Ms Samantha Bolton (External Member)
- Ms Diane Ruhl (External Member)
- Mr William O’Shea (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Ms Sophie Williams (Acting College of Law Victoria Executive Director)
- Mr Lachlan Fitch (External Member)
- Ms Val Pitt (External Member)
- Ms Jane Ward (External Member)
- Ms Meghan Warren (External Member)
- Ms Alison Gaines (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Ms Catherine Stokes (College of Law Western Australia Executive Director)
- Ms Rebecca O'Brien (External Member)
- Mr John Poulsen (External Member)
- Dr Pat Saraceni (External Member)
- Mr Laurie Shervington (External Member)
College of Law Western Australia Chapter Board Charter (PDF)
- Ms Judith Choate (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Mr Graham Jobling (College of Law South Australia Executive Director)
- Ms Christina Flourentzou (External Member)
- Selina Nikoloudakis (External Member)
- Mr Tom Simpson (External Member)
College of Law Southern Australia Chapter Board Charter (PDF)
- Mr Dunstan de Souza (Chair)
- Mr Neville Carter AM (CEO & Principal)
- Mr Morton Herschderfer College of Law NSW PLT Executive Director
- Mr Michael Adams (External Member)
- Ms Fiona Kirkman (External Member)
ACADEMIC GOVERNANCE
Structures, policies and processes upon which decisions are informed and authorised in pursuit of quality academic outcomes for students and lecturers.
The Academic Board has been established pursuant to article 8.10(c) of the Constitution.
The Board of Governors has delegated certain matters concerning the academic functions and policies of the College, including the approval and review of Academic Programs.
The College of Law is authorised to self-accredit its own programs at levels 8 and 9 of the Australian Qualifications Framework by the Commonwealth Tertiary Education Quality & Standards Agency (TEQSA).
ACADEMIC BOARD
Our Academic Board consists of internal and external members with appropriate levels of skill, knowledge, experience and independence.
Its main accountabilities are detailed in the Academic Board Charter.
Lewis Patrick is Chief Academic Officer and Deputy CEO of the College. He has been a Lecturer at the College since 1996 and a solicitor in private practice since 1978. He is a member of the Academic and Professional Development Committee of the International Bar Association.
Lewis Patrick ,
Robert Benjamin was one of the Commissioners constituting the Tasmanian Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government’s Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings reporting in 2023. He is a former Justice of the Family Court of Australia (2005-2021), Presidential Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (2005-2020) and for 30 years practiced as a family lawyer.
Robert is a former President of the Law Society of NSW, Chair of the College of Law, Chair of the Education Committee of the Family Court and was a member of the organising committee for the Judges Orientation Course operated under the auspices of the National Judicial College. Robert was involved in legal training through the University of Tasmania and the Tasmanian legal practice course and previously, on behalf of the Federal Government, worked with Zimbabwean judges, academics and women’s groups to develop and write a Family Law Act for the Zimbabwe Parliament and instructed Japanese and Australian mediators in ADR for Hague Abductions Cases in Japan.
In 2015, Robert was awarded an honorary Master’s degree from the College of Law and was made an Honorary Fellow of the College of Law. He was appointed Senior Counsel in May 2022.
The Hon Robert Benjamin AM SC ,
Professor Meyenn is one of Australia’s foremost university educators, having held such positions as Dean of the Faculty of Education at Charles Sturt University, President of the Australian Association for Research in Education and Provost CSU-Ontario. He also served on a number of federal and state education advisory boards.
Professor (Emeritus) Robert Meyenn ,
Professor Grantham holds the position of Professor of Commercial Law and serves as the Director of Teaching and Learning at the TC Beirne School of Law, University of Queensland. His academic contributions are extensive, comprising multiple monographs and casebooks, a wide array of journal articles, and the editing of multiple scholarly essay collections addressing matters of private and corporate law. He further lends his expertise as a member of the editorial boards for The Company Lawyer and the Journal of Corporate Law Studies and is the Australian editor of the Journal of Business Law.
Professor Ross Grantham ,
Jodie Masson is the managing partner of an independent specialist commercial property law firm. Her experience includes acquisitions, sales, leasing, agency law, project documentation and general property law advice. Jodie was made a fellow member of the Australian Property Institute as part of the API’s Property Leaders’ Program in 2011. She was selected by her peers for inclusion in Best Lawyers® in Australia in the practice area of Real Property Law from 2014 to 2018 and has been listed in Doyle’s Guide as a recommended property lawyer from 2016 to 2018.
Jodie Masson ,
Neville Carter is the CEO and Principal of The College of Law. He is a legal practitioner and academic of over 40 years standing and has been Principal of the College for over 25 years. Mr Carter is also a Director of the College of Law New Zealand Limited, COL Hold Co Pty Limited, College of Legal Practice Limited and COL SIN Private Limited. His previous positions include National Director, Institute of Professional Legal Studies, New Zealand; Associate Professor and Head of School of Legal Practice, UTS; Project Lead Professional Practice, Advanced Diploma in Law (ADIL) University of Technology (MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia); and partner in a three partner Sydney law firm. He is also a former Chairman of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council, Director of the Australasian Legal Practice Management Association and an Evaluator for the Australian Business Excellence Awards.
Neville Carter AM ,
Annie Jameson is a law graduate working in the litigation practice group at a well established country law firm. Annie completed her studies at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology in 2023, and is now completing her Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice (GDLP) through the College of Law. Prior to entering the legal field Annie gained valuable experience working for an international financial institution.
Annie also has experience working in property and conveyancing matters, corporate and commercial law, employment law and dispute resolution.
Annie Jameson ,
Sophie Williams is the Director of College of Law Victoria. She worked in private practice before making the shift into legal education, initially tutoring indigenous students as part of Deakin University’s Institute of Koorie Education, before working as a casual academic with Deakin Law School. In 2016, Sophie commenced work as a sole practitioner and shortly thereafter was introduced to the College by a colleague. Her engagement with College has proved to be the perfect marriage between the two disciplines of law and education that she has actively pursued throughout her professional life. Sophie maintains her principal practising certificate as an Australian Lawyer and has qualifications in Arts, Business and Law from Monash University.
Sophie Williams
Karina Okotel holds the position of Academic Secretary at the College of Law. Karina founded the Racial and Religious Discrimination Legal Service Inc in 2022 and is its Principal Lawyer. Prior to joining the College in 2019, she worked primarily as a human rights lawyer in community law and at Victoria Legal Aid. She is a past Victoria Co-convenor of Australian Lawyers for Human Rights and served as Councillor and Deputy Mayor of the City of Glen Eira in Victoria.
Karina is a member of the Australian Tertiary Education Network on Disability and Heads of Student Administration (Australia and New Zealand).
Karina Okotel
Called to the Bar at Middle Temple in London in 2007, Alan originally practised as a barrister in England and Wales.
Alan came to Australia on a scholarship from the Inns of Court in London, spending time with Victoria Legal Aid, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and the Children's Court of Victoria. On completing his scholarship, Alan tutored and lectured at Monash University for five years. Alan joined the College of Law in 2018 to focus on vocational legal education.
Alan holds a PhD in children’s rights and restorative justice from Monash University.
Dr Alan Davis
ACADEMIC BOARD SUBCOMMITTEES
Academic Board subcommittees are established in accordance with the Academic Board’s Terms of Reference. Subcommittees have specific oversight responsibilities and are responsible for considering detailed issues and making recommendations to the Academic Board for approval.
The Academic Board has approved Terms of Reference for each subcommittee within its own Terms of Reference.
- Lewis Patrick, Chief Academic Officer (Chair)
- Karina Okotel, Academic Secretary (Secretary)
- Jenna Ash, The College of Law New Zealand Chief Academic Officer
- Mitchell Bailes, Manager of Program Operations and Delivery
- Deborah Battison, Executive Director ACT
- Ann-Maree David, Executive Director Queensland
- Dr Alan Davis, Director of Academic Quality
- Adrian Deans, Director of Academic Regulatory Compliance
- Simone Dixon, Director of Teaching, Learning and Design Directorate
- Rose Glue, The College of Law New Zealand Programme Director
- Morton Herschderfer, Executive Director NSW
- Graham Jobling, Executive Director SA
- James Jung, Director of International Relations and Development
- Isobel Merricks, Assistant Director of Teaching, Learning and Design Directorate
- Terri Mottershead, Executive Director of the Centre for Legal Innovation
- Michelle Nulty, Director of Customer and Student Engagement
- Tatiana Rabaeva, Head of Postgraduate Programs
- Catherine Stokes, Executive Director WA
- Sophie Williams, Executive Director Victoria
Group Course Committee Terms of Reference (PDF)
- Lewis Patrick, Chief Academic Officer (Chair)
- Karina Okotel, Academic Secretary (Secretary)
- Naomi Betridge, National Librarian
- Maria Corbisiero, Assistant Director Victoria
- Dr Alan Davis, Director of Academic Quality
- Simone Dixon, Director of the Teaching, Learning and Design Directorate
- Anita Hall, Senior Lecturer Queensland
- Jeanette Hobbs, PLSC Instructor New Zealand
- Max Lewington, Lecturer Queensland
- Isobel Merricks, Assistant Director of the Teaching, Learning and Design Directorate
- Terri Mottershead, Executive Director of the Centre for Legal Innovation
- Jane Boyd, Adjunct Lecturer NSW (Chair)
- Glenn Brissenden, Team Leader of Program Operations and Delivery (Secretary)
- Morton Herschderfer, Executive Director NSW (Chair)
- Dr Alan Davis, Director of Academic Quality
- Tania Digges, Assistant Director NSW
- Lee Horton, Senior Lecturer Victoria
- Jennifer Sturgess, Lecturer Queensland
- Karina Okotel, Academic Secretary, acts as Secretary to the committee
- The relevant Program Director for the stream (Chair)
- Academic Secretary (Secretary)
- An early career lawyer
- A cooperative partner representative
- A senior lawyer
- A lecturer who teaches in the relevant stream
- Neville Carter, CEO and Principal, or nominee (Chair)
- Grant Hutchinson, External Member appointed by the Chair of the Board of Governors
- Paul Mead, Assistant Director NSW
- Karina Okotel, Academic Secretary, acts as Secretary to the committee
- Any of three Board of Governors appointments (Prof Gino Dal Pont, The Hon Keith Mason AM QC, The Hon Peter Rose AM QC)
- The Academic Secretary (currently Karina Okotel) is secretary to the process
THE HIGHER EDUCATION STANDARDS
The Higher Education Standards is published by the Tertiary Education Quality & Standards Agency to prescribe and regulate the various activities of higher education providers in Australia.
Compliance with all standards is mandatory and is the responsibility of both the Academic Board and the College executive.
Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)
The AQF is a compendium of descriptors that articulates the way each award qualification is construed in Australia. It aims to provide consistency across different institutions.
The College is most concerned with level 8 (Graduate Certificates and Graduate Diplomas) and level 9 (Masters Degrees).
BOARD OF GOVERNORS
The Board and management maintains the highest level of corporate ethics.
The Board comprises a majority of independent Non-Executive Governors, together with two Executive Governors, who have an appropriate level of skill, knowledge, experience and independence.
Neville Carter
Mr Neville Carter was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2009. He is a member of the Executive Committee and the Nominations Advisory Committee.
Mr Carter is also a Director of the College of Law New Zealand Limited, COL Hold Co Pty Limited, College of Legal Practice Limited and COL SIN Private Limited.
Mr Carter was previously a Director of ALPMA, College of Law Pty Limited, College of Law Queensland Pty Limited, College of Law Victoria Pty Limited, College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited and Quality in Law Inc.
He has served as the Group Managing Director and now Chief Executive Officer of The College of Law since 1995. He has extensive experience in the design and management of large professional education programs as well as a strong background in business and management training for the legal profession.
In the 2018 Australia Day Awards he was made a member of the Order of Australia in recognition of his significant service to legal education, through executive roles, to the law as a legal practitioner, and to professional standards.
His previous positions include National Director, Institute of Professional Legal Studies, New Zealand; Associate Professor and Head of School of Legal Practice, UTS; Project Lead Professional Practice, Advanced Diploma in Law (ADIL) University of Technology (MARA, Shah Alam, Malaysia); and partner in a three partner Sydney law firm. He is also a former Chairman of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council and an Evaluator for the Australian Business Excellence Awards.
Neville Carter AM ,
Joseph Catanzariti
Mr Joseph Catanzariti was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2009 and has served as Chair during that time. He is also the Chair of the Executive Committee and the Nominations Advisory Committee and a Member of the Remuneration Committee.
Mr Catanzariti is also a Director of the College of Law New Zealand Limited, COL Hold Co Pty Limited, College of Legal Practice Limited and COL SIN Private Limited.
He was previously the Chair of College of Law Pty Limited and a Director of College of Law Queensland Pty Limited, College of Law Victoria Pty Limited and College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited.
Mr Catanzariti is a Mediator and Strategic Adviser of Joseph Catanzariti and Associates, and also operates an incorporated legal practice which he established in 2024. He was previously Vice President of the Fair Work Commission, the national workplace relations tribunal between 2013 and 2024. Prior to Mr Catanzariti’s appointment to the Fair Work Commission he was a senior partner of Clayton Utz and Practice Leader of the Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety Practice Group. While practicing at Clayton Utz, Mr Catanzariti was a trusted adviser to many of Australia’s leading private companies and government departments, advising on all aspects of employment law and workplace relations, including developing employment relations strategies, industrial disputes, conciliation and arbitration before State, Territory and Federal Courts, work health and safety (WHS), employee fraud, discrimination, corporate governance, due diligence and senior executive remuneration and terminations. He is also a very experienced Commercial litigator.
Mr Catanzariti was a Member of the LGBTQI+ Law Committee Advisory Board of the International Bar Association (IBA) having previously been the Co-Chair of the LGBTQI+ Law Committee. He is currently the Scholarship Officer of the Rule of Law Forum of the IBA, having previously been the Asia Pacific Regional Forum Liaison Officer of the Rule of Law Forum. Mr Catanzariti is also a Member of the Advisory Board of Syncing Minds Partners LP.
He is an Adjunct Professor, Faculty of Law and Justice, University of New South Wales, an Adjunct Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies, School of Business at Sydney University, and a Fellow of the Academy of Law and a Fellow of the College of Law.
In 2015 Mr Catanzariti was awarded an honorary Masters degree from the College of Law.
He is a co-author of Workplace Bullying, 1st and 2nd editions, published by LexisNexis.
In the 2016 Australia Day Awards he was made a member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the law, to legal education, to labour and employment relations, and to professional legal bodies.
Mr Catanzariti previously held the positions of President of the Law Council of Australia, President of the Law Society of New South Wales, President of the Industrial Relations Society of New South Wales, Chair of the Workplace Committee of the Law Society of New South Wales, and Secretary of the Industrial Relations Society of Australia (now known as the Australian Labour and Employment Relations Association of Australia).
Joseph Catanzariti AM ,
Alison Belot
Ms Alison Belot was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2022. She is a Member of the Audit, Risk & Compliance Committee.
She is a non-executive Director and Treasurer of Banyule Support & Information Centre.
Ms Belot has held various senior positions within BHP Billiton Limited including: Vice President Corporate Finance, Vice President Treasurer Front Office, Vice President Finance, Vice President and Global Process and data Owner Finance, Program Director Internal Control Evaluation, Market Risk Management, Special Projects and Manager Strategic Financing Group.
She has held senior positions with KPMG in Finance and Treasury Risk Management and was Manager Interest Rate Risk Management at ANZ. Ms Belot was an Honorary Fellow of Macquarie Applied Finance Centre, Macquarie University.
Alison Belot ,
Judith Choate
Ms Judith Choate was appointed the Board of the Company in 2018. She is also a member of the Audit Risk and Compliance Committee and the Chair of the College of Law South Australia Chapter Board.
Ms Choate is currently Special Counsel at Belperio Connell.
In August 2018, she was appointed Chair of the Brownhill and Keswick Creeks Stormwater Management Board (SA) and Chair of its Audit Committee.
Ms Choate was previously a Director, Legal Services, South Australia for KPMG, Partner and National Head of Tax and Revenue Piper Alderman; Founding Trustee, Remember the Holocaust Foundation; and Treasurer, Board of Management – Beit Shalom Synagogue Adelaide.
She is a corporate and commercial lawyer with over 30 years’ experience in private practice in Australia specialising in Australian Tax and Revenue Law. Ms Choate is a Chartered Tax Adviser.
She was previously Course Co-Ordinator and lecturer in Tax Law – Law Society of South Australia, GDLP and PLT Programs, Unit Co-ordinator and lecturer, Tax Law – Flinders University, Mentor – international post-graduate Tax Law students - University of Melbourne Law School and in 2015 was a finalist for the Tax Institute of Australia Chartered Tax Advisor of the Year Award.
Judith Choate ,
Dunstan de Souza
Mr Dunstan de Souza was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2018. He is also the Chair of the College of Law New South Wales Chapter Board and a Member of the Remuneration Committee.
Mr de Souza is a Senior Partner at Colin Biggers & Paisley. He joined the legal practice as a graduate solicitor in 1985 and became a Partner in 1993, practising primarily in property development. Mr de Souza was Managing Partner from 2007 to 2017.
Mr de Souza has led Colin Biggers & Paisley to becoming an elite legal practice, recognised for its top tier work, particularly in the specialisations of insurance, construction, property and commercial litigation. He was responsible for Colin Biggers & Paisley being the first Australian legal practice to open an office in the United Arab Emirates. He also established the CBP Foundation through which the firm has given significant funds to charities. In addition, the staff undertake volunteering and significant pro bono legal services.
Mr de Souza helped found ADVOC Asia in 1994, an international network of respected law firms established to help clients respond to the opportunities presented by the rapidly growing Asia Pacific economies. He was ADVOC Asia's President from 2002 to 2014.
Mr de Souza is the former Chair (and current Director) of Civic Disability Services Limited, a Director of Cronulla Sharks Water Polo Club and a former Director of the Hungry Point Reserve Trust.
Mr de Souza has a Bachelor Economics and Bachelor Laws from the University of Sydney.
Dunstan de Souza ,
Glenn Ferguson
Mr Glenn Ferguson was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. He is also the Chair of the College of Law Queensland Chapter Board and a Member of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Mr Ferguson is currently Managing Director of FC Lawyers.
Mr Ferguson was previously the Chair of College of Law Queensland Pty Limited. He is a Past President of the Law Council of Australia, LAWASIA and the Queensland Law Society. He is a Senior Counsellor with the Queensland Law Society, Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors, a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Notaries and Fellow of the College of Law.
In 2010 Mr Ferguson was appointed by the Prime Minister to the Expert Panel to consider the recognition of Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.
Mr Ferguson served for ten years as a member of the Federal Attorney General’s International Legal Services Advisory Council and the Immigration Minister’s Advisory Board in relation to the regulation of migration agents. He has been appointed by both Federal and State Governments to various advisory boards and task forces in the legal, migration and business sectors.
Mr Ferguson has also held or continues to hold a number of board positions in both the public and private sector in the insurance, superannuation, education, sport, charity and information technology areas including chairing a publicly listed company. He is currently Chair of Lexon Insurance and was previously the Chair of WorkCover in Queensland.
In 2015 Mr Ferguson was awarded an honorary Master’s degree from the College of Law.
He is currently the Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of the Sunshine Coast.
In the 2015 Australia Day Awards, he was made a member of the Order of Australia for his service to the legal profession both nationally and internationally – particularly in the Asia Pacific region and to the Community.
Glenn Ferguson AM ,
Alison Gaines
Ms Alison Gaines was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. She is also the Chair of the College of Law Western Australia Chapter Board, the Remuneration Committee and the Fellowship Advisory Committee. Ms Gaines is also a Member of the Nominations Advisory Committee.
Ms Gaines was previously the Chair of College of Law Western Australia Pty Limited.
In 2020 Ms Gaines founded Gaines Advisory, a board search and board consulting firm, where she is the Managing Director. She is the formerly global CEO of a boutique international search firm and leader of its international board practice, CEO of the Law Society of WA and Director of the Public Sector Management Office (WA Government) responsible for the Senior Executive Service. She has been an academic and researcher at several Australian universities.
Ms Gaines is also an active non-executive director and chair of boards and remuneration, nomination and ESG committees, and finance audit and risk committee member, for over 25 years. She is an active non-executive director currently on the Boards of Blackstone Minerals Ltd and Western Australia Opera and the independent Chair Nominations Committee Hockey Australia. She has been Deputy Chair and member of Council of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (WA Division) and ico-opted member to its Nomination Committee. She has accumulated over 25 years Board experience in Australia and internationally as a non-executive director and chair of companies, university, superannuation fund, public sector and industry training boards and professional associations.
Ms Gaines was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the Murdoch University and received the 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award. She was previously a member of the Murdoch University Senate 1999 - 2008, and its Deputy Chancellor from 2006 –2008, Chair of the Murdoch University Foundation and Veterinary Trust and Adjunct Professor in its Law School.
Alison Gaines ,
Lewis Patrick
Mr Lewis Patrick was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011.
He is also a Director of COL Hold Co Pty Limited and was previously a Director of College of Legal Practice Limited.
Mr Patrick has over 30 years’ experience in general legal practice. He holds a Masters of Law and a Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching and Learning. Mr Patrick has also completed a SoTL (The Scholarship of Teaching and Learning) Leadership Certificate on Curriculum and Pedagogy in Higher Education at the University of British Columbia.
He is currently the Chairman of the Academic Board, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Chief Academic Officer.
Previously Mr Patrick has held a variety of positions at The College of Law including Senior Lecturer; Lecturer; and Director, Co-operative Programs.
He is a member of the College’s Course Committee and Senior Management and Executive Management Teams. Mr Patrick is also a member of the Law Society of New South Wales. He is Past Chair of the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council (APLEC) and Past Chair and current member of the Academic and Professional Development Committee of the International Bar Association (IBA).
Lewis Patrick ,
John Randall
Mr John Randall was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. He is also the Chair of the Audit, Risk and Compliance Committee.
Mr Randall was previously the General Manager Finance and Company Secretary of Metcash Limited. He joined the company in 1997 when it was Davids Limited and was a member of the team that re-engineered the company to create the successful Metcash business.
He is a Director of Outcomes Australia Pty Limited.
Mr Randall’s previous roles include Chief Financial Officer of Metal Manufactures Limited and Overseas Telecommunications Corporation Limited.
He is a graduate of the University of Sydney and Harvard Business School’s Advanced Management Program. He has experience in financial, marketing and operational management roles.
Mr Randall is the former President of the Accounting Foundation, University of Sydney, a former National President of the Group of 100 and NSW President and National Board Member of CPA Australia. In addition to his involvement in professional associations, he has been, and is, actively involved in charitable organisations.
John Randall ,
Kathryn Laurie
Ms Kathryn Laurie joined the College of Law in October 2011 and is the Company Secretary of The College of Law Limited and COL Hold Co Pty Ltd. She has over 20 years company secretarial experience, having worked in the Company Secretariat of Qantas Airways Limited, holding a number of managerial positions and Company Secretary of Qantas’ subsidiaries.
She holds a Bachelor of Business, Bachelor of Laws, Masters of Applied Law and Graduate Diploma of Applied Corporate Governance. In September 2010 Ms Laurie was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW.
She is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia and a Fellow the Chartered Governance Institute.
Kathryn Laurie ,
Monica Patel
Ms Monica Patel is the Chief Financial Officer and has also been appointed Company Secretary. She is a Chartered Accountant (Australia and New Zealand).
Ms Patel is a Director of COL Hold Co Pty Ltd and COL SIN Private Limited.
She has over 25 years of commercial experience including ASX listed companies.
Monica Patel ,
OUR FELLOWS
The College of Law Fellowships were established by the Board of Governors to recognise outstanding contributions to legal practice and/or the work of the College, and also to acknowledge the accomplishment of our Masters Degree graduates who are required to achieve very high standards to acquire and retain fellowship.
There are three categories of College Fellows: Honorary Fellow, Academic Fellow and Graduate Fellow.
Honorary Fellows are outstanding members of the profession who have been associated with The College of Law over many years. Honorary Fellows include members of the Board of Governors, Academic Board, Curriculum Advisory Committees and others who have made a substantial contribution to the work of the College.
Joseph Catanzariti
Mr Joseph Catanzariti AM was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2009 and has served as Chair during that time. He is the Chair of the Executive Committee and the Nominations Advisory Committee. Mr Catanzariti is a Vice President of the Fair Work Commission, the national workplace relations tribunal. He is also an Adjunct Associate Professor in Work and Organisational Studies, School of Business at Sydney University and a Visiting Professorial Fellow, School of Law, Faculty of Law at University of New South Wales.
Prior to Mr Catanzariti’s appointment to the Fair Work Commission he was a senior partner in the National Clayton Utz Workplace Relations, Employment and Safety Practice Group. Mr Catanzariti previously held the positions of President of the Law Council of Australia, President of the Law Society of New South Wales, Chair of the Workplace Committee of the Law Society of New South Wales, and Secretary of the Industrial Relations Society of Australia (1997-2011).
Joseph Catanzariti AM ,
Robert Benjamin
Justice Robert Benjamin is a judge of the Family Court of Australia and deputy chair of the College’s Academic Board. He is a past president of the Law Society of NSW and was for many years the chairman of the Society's Family Law Committee. He has long been recognised as one the foremost family law experts in Australia.
The Hon Robert Benjamin AM SC ,
Gino Dal Pont
Professor Gino Dal Pont (University of Tasmania) is one of the most prolific legal writers in Australia. Besides being the author of the revised Solicitors Manual, he has also been a frequent contributor to the Law Society Journal and is General Editor of Halsbury’s Laws of Australia.
He has occasionally served on the College’s Course Review and Approval Panels and is a member of the College’s External Appeals Panel, the final avenue of appeal for students with academic and other grievances.
Professor Gino Dal Pont ,
John Dowsett
The Hon Justice John Dowsett AM was appointed to the Federal Court in 1998. Prior to that he served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland from 1985 after being appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1984. Justice Dowsett has had a career-long interest in education. He has been a long-time friend of the College of Law generally and Queensland in particular where he has provided technical advice on programs over the years and supported us on a range of issues.
The Hon Justice John Dowsett AM ,
Glenn Ferguson
Mr Glenn Ferguson is the Managing Director of Ferguson Cannon Lawyers in Queensland. He is a Past President of the Law Council of Australia, Lawasia and the Queensland Law Society. He is a Senior Counsellor with the Queensland Law Society, Founding Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Fellow of the Australia and New Zealand College of Notaries.
Mr Ferguson served for ten years as a member of the Federal Attorney General’s International Legal Services Advisory Council and the Immigration Minister’s Advisory Board for the regulation of migration agents. Mr Ferguson has also held or continues to hold a number of board positions in both the public and private sector in the insurance, superannuation, education, sport, charity and information technology areas. He is currently Chair of Workcover Queensland and Lexon Insurance.
Mr Ferguson was appointed to the Board of The College of Law Limited in 2011. He is also the Chair of the College of Law Queensland Advisory Board.
Mr Glenn Ferguson ,
Neil Gold
Professor (Emeritus) Neil Gold is an old friend of the College, and revered in the world of practical legal education as one of the foremost brains in our sector of work. He is an Emeritus Professor of Law from the University of Windsor in Canada where he started in academe back in 1973 and has made numerous contributions to the evolution of practical legal training throughout the common law world. He has been involved formally and informally with the College on multiple occasions over the years, including the generation of the Gold Report into College Scholarship back in 2010 – an initiative which helped the College prepare for its recent, successful application for Self Accrediting Authority.
Professor (Emeritus) Neil Gold ,
Ron McCallum
Professor (Emeritus) Ron McCallum AO is a former member of the Board of Directors of the College. He was the foundation Blake Dawson Waldron Professor in Industrial Law in the Faculty of Law of the University of Sydney. He took up this position in January 1993 and retired from this position on 30 September 2007. Ron is the first totally blind person to have been appointed to a full professorship in any field at any university in Australia or New Zealand. Ron McCallum was employed on a fixed-term contract as a Professor of Labour Law in the Faculty of Law of the University of Sydney from 1 February 2008 until 31 December 2010. In January 2011, he was appointed to an Emeritus Professorship in the Faculty of Law of the University of Sydney.
Professor (Emeritus) Ron McCallum AO ,
Ken McKinnon
Professor (Emeritus) Ken McKinnon was a long-serving former member of the Board of Directors. He is one of Australia’s most senior educators, with experience at the highest levels in universities, schools and government. He was Vice-Chancellor of Wollongong University from 1981 until 1995. He was also Vice-Chancellor at James Cook University before going to Charles Darwin University as Interim Vice-Chancellor in 2002-2003. He has been described as the doyen of Australian Vice-Chancellors.
Professor (Emeritus) Ken McKinnon ,
June McPhie
Ms June McPhie was a long-serving former member of the Board of Directors. She is a former President of the Law Society of NSW and long-serving councillor of the LSNSW. She has been a country solicitor in Albury and Cooma for many years.
Ms June McPhie ,
Steve Mark
Mr Steve Mark AM has had a long and varied career in the public sector, culminating in his appointment as Commissioner for the Legal Services Commission for NSW from its inception in 1994 – the first of its kind in the world. Throughout that appointment he was extraordinarily generous with his time – giving numerous lectures every year to PLT students who very much valued his advice and earnestly hoped never to see him again.
Mr Steve Mark AM ,
Keith Mason
Former Justice Keith Mason AC is a former President of the Court of Appeal of New South Wales. Previously he was Chairman of the New South Wales Law Reform Commission from 1985-1987 and 1989-1990. He was Solicitor-General of NSW from 1987-1997. Mr Mason became President of the Children's Medical Research Foundation in 1995. He has also been a justice of the Supreme Court of Fiji. In 2006, he joined the Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales as a Professorial Visiting Fellow. He is also a Senior Fellow at Melbourne Law School. Mr Mason was a member of the Course Advisory Committee which was heavily involved in the creation of the College of Law’s Commercial Litigation Practice curriculum.
Former Justice Keith Mason AC ,
Gabriel Moens
Professor Gabriel Moens is Professor of Law at Curtin Business School and a long-term member of the WA College Board of Directors. He is a respected legal academic with a strong record of publishing books and journal articles.
Professor Moens has held several senior university positions including:
- Dean and Professor of Law, Murdoch University School of Law
- Professor of Law and head, Graduate School of Law, The University of Notre Dame
- Visiting Professor of Law, Loyola University New Orleans School of Law
- Garrick Professor of Law, University of Queensland
- Director, The Australian Institute of Foreign and Comparative Law, T C Beirne School of Law
Professor Gabriel Moens ,
Bill O'Shea
Mr Bill O’Shea was appointed as Alfred Health’s first General Counsel in 2003. Prior to joining Alfred Health he was managing partner and head of the Commercial Law Practice Group of national law firm Hunt & Hunt.
He was President of the Law Institute of Victoria in 2003 and a member of its Council for 7 years. He is Chair of the College’s advisory board in Victoria and is a life member and Past President of the Australia China Business Council in Victoria.
Mr Bill O’Shea ,
Peter Rose
The Hon Peter Rose AM QC was a leading barrister who took silk in 1988 and was later appointed to the Family Court of Australia where he served for over 12 years. During that time he was generous enough to be the inaugural Chair of the College’s Applied Law (Family Law) Program. He was an extremely activist chair, made a vital contribution to the development of the curriculum and was also an enthusiastic guest lecturer. The outstanding success of the Family Law Program is in no little part attributable to Peter’s efforts.
The Hon Peter Rose AM QC ,
Laurence Shervington
Mr Laurence Shervington is a long-term member of the WA College Board of Directors. He is a former senior member of Squire Sanders Corporate Commercial Division, with more than 35 years' experience dealing with corporate issues, particularly capital raising, reconstruction, mergers and acquisitions, directors’ duties and corporate governance advice, due diligence, risk management issues and ASIC licensing and investigations. He has advised the Law Society of Western Australia on the corporate structure and corporate governance processes and procedures of its professional indemnity insurance division, Law Mutual, which involved advising on complex conflict and liability issues and advising on appropriate corporate governance policies and practices for the new structure.
Mr Laurence Shervington ,
Gillian Triggs
Professor (Emeritus) Gillian Triggs is the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission, taking up her appointment by the Commonwealth Attorney-General in 2012. She was Dean of the Faculty of Law and Challis Professor of International Law at the University of Sydney from 2007-12 and Director of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law from 2005-7. She is a former Barrister with Seven Wentworth Chambers and a former Governor of the College of Law. She has been a consultant on International Law to King & Wood Mallesons, a Board Member of the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH), the Australian representative on the Council of Jurists for the Asia Pacific Forum for National Human Rights Institutions, Chair of the Board of the Australian International Health Institute, a member of the Attorney General's International Legal Service Advisory Council and Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans.
Professor (Emeritus) Gillian Triggs ,
OUR TEACHING STAFF
Deborah Battisson
Executive Director
BEc, LLB, GDLP, MEd
As our ACT-based Executive Director, Deborah is committed to excellence and innovation in the delivery of practical legal education. Deborah is motivated by developing and supporting new lawyers as they transition from law school to legal practice.
Andrew Johnson
Lecturer
BEng, BA, BLLP(Hons)
Since 2009, Principal at Johnson and Associates Lawyers. Previous roles include solicitor at Groom & Lavers, McCullough Robertson, Herbert Geer, in-house lawyer for Queensland Rail, and lecturer at Griffith University and College of Law (NSW).
Asheesh Kalmath
Lecturer
BA, LLB
Diana Mills
Adjunct Lecturer
BA, LLB, GradDipMentalHealth
Florence Thum
Assistant Director and Lecturer, Psychotherapist and Coach
LLB, GradCertEd, Mcounselling and Applied Psychotherapy, LLM
Former litigation and dispute resolution lawyer with postgraduate qualifications in law, education and psychotherapy, Florence is keen to extend your professional skills in the modern workplace.
Frances Moffitt
Solicitor and Adjunct Lecturer
Glenda Carry
Legal Risk Manager
Lawcover
James Hall
Senior Lecturer
Jane Boyd
Senior Lecturer
LLB, LLM
Jane was admitted in 1979 and has worked as a lawyer since then. She started her own practice in 1984, focusing on property, commercial, wills and estates matters. She has been at the College since 1986 and has been a senior lecturer for 30 years.
Jason Keane
Lecturer
BA(Hons), LLB, LLM
Jason Keane has over 30 years in legal practice and is a member of the Law Society of NSW.
Jim McInerney
Lecturer
BEc, LLB
Jim has practiced as solicitor and barrister for 20 years in NSW. He has experience in Criminal Law defence work. He has been a lecturer at the College of Law since 2008.
Judith Dean
Lecturer
Karina Okotel
Academic Secretary and Lecturer
BA(Hons), LLB
Karina Okotel is Principal Lawyer at the Racial and Religious Discrimination Legal Service Inc. Karina also holds the roles of Academic Secretary and Student Liaison Officer at the College.
Keiko Togami Evans
Lecturer
BA, LLB, GDLP
Since 2016, Keiko has taught PLT with a focus on engaging learning. She explores AI and EdTech, leads the Civil Litigation (NSW) subject, and is pursuing a Master of Education.
Michael Joyce
Assistant Director
LLB(Hons)
I have been a solicitor since 1989 mainly in general practice. I have taught at The College of Law since 2003 and am Head of the Online Courses in NSW since 2020.
Morton Herschderfer
Executive Director
B Political Science, LLB, LLM, Grad Cert Tertiary Education (Management)
Morton was called to the NSW Bar in 1994 and has appeared in all NSW and Commonwealth Courts and Tribunals. He has practiced in a wide range of jurisdictions over the years, primarily specialising in Equity, Insurance, Commercial, Criminal and Personal Injury Law.
Neil Watt
Principal Solicitor
Neil Watt Consulting
Paul Mead
Assistant Director
DipLaw, GradCertHighEd
Paul has, in over forty years in legal practice, engaged in private practice in Sydney and Country NSW, the Law Society of England and Wales (Legal Aid) and Westminster City Council City Solicitors Office, as well as in corporate practice in NSW and the ACT.
Peter Driessen
Lecturer
BA, LLB, GAICD
I have a diverse legal background as a suburban, city and rural practitioner as well as a corporate counsel specialising in legal professional indemnity. I am proud to impart my knowledge and experience to the next generation of lawyers.
Rina Sheftalovich
Lecturer
BBus, LLB, LLM
Rina is a senior commercial litigator, with experience in a wide range of commercial disputes predominantly in medium-sized legal practices in Sydney. She is currently a co-chair of the NSW Civil Litigation Practice Group.
Robyn Bradey
Mental Health Consultant/Trainer
RB Counselling & Consultancy Services
Sharyn Croke
Lecturer
DipLaw, MHist, GradCertArts, PGCertLaw, LLM
With 25+ years in law, Sharyn mentors future lawyers, sharing insights on ethics and justice.
Tania Digges
PLT NSW Assistant Director - Head of Campus Course
Bec, LLB (Hons)
Tania Digges is a senior lecturer who has taught in both the Masters of Applied Law program and across all of College’s PLT offerings. She is a specialist in construction law with experience in engineering and infrastructure projects in Australia, the UK, Europe, South East Asia, the Middle East and South America.
Tiffany Thomas-McCarthy
Assistant Director
BBus, LLB, GDLP
Prior to commencing work at the College of Law in 2011, Tiffany worked in medium sized firms and a small boutique firm specialising in instance litigation, product liability and property claims, and estate litigation.
Timothy Walter
Lecturer
BA, LLB
Tim Walter has worked for the NSW Port Authority, for law firms in London, and for medium and large city law firms in Sydney and Canberra, as well as in general practice with suburban law firms, eventually becoming an Accredited Specialist in Personal Injury Law, before joining the College of Law as a lecturer.
Tony Dyer
Lecturer
Dip Law SAB
Yvette Boulos
Lecturer
BA, LLB, GDLP
Yvette is an experienced practicing lawyer who is passionate about using her skills, knowledge, and experience to guide and mentor PLT students and ensure they have a positive start to their career and maintain good mental health.
Anita Hall
Senior Lecturer
BA, LLB(Hons), GCHEd, MEd, MQLS
From a professional background in commercial litigation, Anita now helps new lawyers develop skills for legal practice in the PLT program. Anita also volunteers at Caxton Legal Centre, advising on civil and human rights issues.
Ann-Maree David
Executive Director
BA, LLB, GDLP, LLM, MEd, GAICD
She worked in the area of insurance litigation until September 2003, before taking up a position as a solicitor with the professional indemnity insurer of the Queensland Law Society. She returned to private practice in April 2006 before joining the College of Law at the end of 1997.
Graeme Haas
Senior Lecturer
LLB
Jennifer Sturgess
Lecturer
BA, BEcon, LLB(Hons), GDLP, LLM
Jennifer was admitted as a solicitor in 1996. She has over 11 years’ experience as a practitioner in private practice working for general and professional indemnity insurers.
Kali Astill
Assistant Director
BA, LLB(Hons)
With over 20 years in the legal industry in Brisbane, Kali is passionate about legal education and supporting the growth of students’ confidence and capability, as they achieve their goals.
Leisa Flatley
Adjunct Lecturer
LLB, GDLP, Dip of Law
Miriam Yates
Director and Research Fellow / Adjunct Lecturer
Equitus and University of Queensland
Tara Cush
Lecturer
BSc, LLB(Hons), GDLP
Tara has been employed by the College of Law as a lecturer since September 2012. Prior to this, she was employed as a solicitor in private practice for 11 years.
Graham Jobling
Executive Director
College of Law
Bteach (EdTrainAdults), GradCertEdStud (DigitLrn)
Beth McKenzie
Lecturer
LLB, GDLP, LLM
Dr Alan Davis
Director of Academic Policy and Senior Lecturer
PhD (Monash), BMus (Edinburgh), MA (Law) (Bristol), Postgrad Dip. Bar Vocational Studies (Cardiff)
Joanna Abraham
Lecturer
BJourn, JD, GDLP
Joanna Abraham is the President of Victorian Women Lawyers and an award-winning lawyer in Administrative, Immigration & Refugee Law. She is listed as one of Australia’s leading lawyers in Human Rights Law 2024 and Australia's 40 under 40 Most Influential Asian-Australians.
John Molloy
Lecturer
BA, LLB (Hons), GDLP, LLM
John Molloy has worked as a legal practitioner and judge's associate in Melbourne, Sydney, Hobart and Phnom Penh. His interests include privacy, technology, human rights and administrative law.
Kate Ross
Lecturer
BA, Bbus, LLB
Kate’s career encompasses private practice in both top-tier and small law firms, as well as roles in the union movement and legal assistant sector. Most recently, she was the Director of Legal Services at a large Community Legal Centre for five years, where she developed innovative legal programs and championed community advocacy.
Katherine Baldanoff
Lecturer
BA, LLB, GDLP
Katherine joined the College in 2021 after returning from 20 years in Asia. Her background is litigation and insurance law, and she is also an accredited mediator. Katherine maintains a current Practising Certificate in Victoria.
Lee Horton
Assistant Director
BA (Crim Justice), Dip Law (LPAB) GDLP, Cert IV (TA), LLM
With expertise in litigation, admin law, wills, estates, and property, Lee teaches PLT and CEM and has 20 years' experience as a practising lawyer.
Maria Corbisiero
Assistant Director
BBSc, BSW, GradDipIRP, LLB (Hons), GDLP
Maria’s experience includes private practice and 15 years as a Barrister. She has taught at the College since 2007, using her experience to prepare students for entry to the profession.
Ryan Licastro
Assistant Director
LLB (Hons), GDLP, Cert IV Learning and Teaching
Ryan joined the College in 2018, after 8 years in litigation practice. Since joining the College, Ryan has focused on legal education with a passion for curriculum and mentoring law graduates.
Sophie Williams
Academic Staff Representative and Executive Director
BA, BBus, LLB(Hons)
Sophie joined the College in 2017, after a career focused on the dual disciplines of law and education. She maintains her Principal Practising Certificate and is presently completing an LLM (Dispute Resolution) with Monash University.
Uthra Ramachandra
Lecturer
BA, LLB, LLM
Uthra has recently joined the College of Law from the Victorian Bar, where she had experience appearing in criminal, family, administrative and Children’s Court matters. She began her legal career in a large commercial law firm.
Catherine Stokes
Executive Director
BA, LLB(Hons), Grad Cert Leadership
Experienced, professional leader and educator. Experience as a lawyer in private practice and in government legal practice, in Perth and in London. Licensed Mental Health First Aid Instructor, including Mental Health First Aid courses for Workplaces and for the Legal Profession.
Cathryn Urquhart
Adjunct Lecturer and Facilitator, Legal Practice Management Course
The College of Law
Greg Wolff
Lecturer
Katherine Thomas
Adjunct Lecturer and Facilitator, Legal Practice Management Course
The College of Law
Kathy Bogoyev
Assistant Director
BA, LLB (Hons), GradCertMed (Fam), GAICD
Kathy is a senior legal practitioner with broad and diverse experience as General Counsel and Company Secretary, a Senior Solicitor in the government legal service and Principal Solicitor at a community legal centre.
Lucy Dickens
Senior Associate and Adjunct Lecturer
Birman & Ride and The College of Law
Max Lewington
Lecturer
BA Jurisprudence, MA
Before working at the College, Max was Practice Director, Legal Services, Department of Communities (formerly Child Protection). Prior to that, Max was Solicitor-in-Charge Dispute Resolution Program, Legal Aid WA and was in Private Practice as partner, sole practitioner and employed solicitor working across Criminal Law, Family Law, Conveyancing and Property, Commercial Litigation and Wills and Estates.
Nigel Siegwart
Senior Associate and Adjunct Lecturer
Birman & Ride and The College of Law
Pia Castelli
National Director of Co-operative Programs
CENTRE FOR LEGAL INNOVATION
Created by the College of Law in 2016, to act as an innovation and tech focussed think tank, the Centre for Legal Innovation (CLI) provides a platform for experience sharing, networking, collaboration and practical research in legal practice.
It supports and engages with legal professionals as they navigate their transformation journey.
Terri Mottershead
Executive Director, Centre for Legal Innovation
(Australia, New Zealand and Asia)
As the Executive Director of the Centre, Terri collaborates internationally with leaders of legal businesses to transform capabilities and practices. She leads CLI’s global initiatives including the Generative AI Initiative, Legalpreneurs Lab and The Legalpreneurs Sandbox podcast. In 2024, Terri’s work in legal generative AI was recognised with her appointment as the inaugural Chair of the Queensland Law Society’s AI in Legal Practice Consulting Committee, one of five International Legal Technology Association (ILTA) global Influential Women in Legaltech Honorees, and as a Finalist in the inaugural Australian AI Awards in the "AI Female Leader of the Year - Enterprise" category. Prior to joining CLI, Terri was a practising lawyer, founded start-ups on three different continents, and established or led the talent management functions for global firms and associations in Asia and the US. She is an award-winning legal educator, having taught postgraduate students in law and business in Australasia and the USA.
THE CENTRE FOR LEGAL INNOVATION'S WORK
The work of the Centre is guided by a global Advisory Board comprised of practising professionals from Australia, New Zealand, Singapore and the USA.
The Centre’s work is focussed in three main areas: emerging legal practice, legaltech/AI and innovation which is delivered through its signature initiatives including:
Legal Generative AI Initiative
A platform for local and global discussions on Gen AI in all facets of legal practice.
Resource Hub
An exceptional on-demand library of videos on what’s trending in legal practice from global thought leaders and doers.
NETWORKS
The Centre for Legal Innovation actively pursues collaboration opportunities with those organisations interested in new technologies and transforming the industry.
We are delighted to acknowledge the following organisations as friends of CLI:
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