TC Beirne School of Law

The UQ Law School is the law school of the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. Founded in 1936, the school is the sixth-oldest law school in Australia and the oldest and most prestigious in Queensland. The school is currently the most-cited law school in Australia. Its alumni include six Australian High Court Justices including two Chief Justices of Australia.

The entering undergraduate class typically consists of about 200 LLB students per year (the smallest cohort of students among Go8 universities), and admission is highly competitive, with minimum selection thresholds ranging around ATAR 99.00-98.00 (OP 1–2). UQ Law additionally offers LLM, MICLaw, MICLaw/MCom, MIL, MIR/MIL, MPhil and PhD degrees. Though no exact figure can be found, the total student enrolment is estimated to be 1200–1650 students (with ~500 students, about 30% of the total student cohort).

The school, as part of the Faculty of Business, Economics and Law (BEL), works closely with several student associations including the University of Queensland Law Society Inc. (UQLS), the Justice and the Law Society (JATL) and the Australian Legal Philosophy Students Association (ALPSA).

History

Although the Law School began properly teaching in 1936, a Faculty of Law was established ''pro forma'' with the foundation of the University of Queensland in 1911. This enabled the university to confer ''ad eundem gradum'' degrees'','' an honorary degree recognising the award given by another university, and Doctors of Laws '' honoris causa,'' recognising the contribution of selected persons toward the establishment of the university''.''

A limited amount of law subjects began to be taught in 1926- when the first Garrick Professor of Law was appointed. However, this was under the ambit of the university's faculty of arts, as no law school had been properly established yet. In 1935 Thomas Charles Beirne endowed the university with £20,000, enabling the university's senate to officially approve the law school on 10 May 1935. In May 1936, students commenced studies under the newly formed TC Beirne School of Law.

Reputation and student achievements

Since 1935, twenty-seven UQ Law graduates have won Rhodes scholarships. In 2020, two UQ law students won scholarships to study at the University of Cambridge. Eleven UQ Law students have won Fulbright Scholarships since 1955. Ten UQ Law students have won New Colombo Plan Scholarships or Mobility Grant Programs since 2014.

The UQ School of Law is well regarded as one of the world's foremost law schools for mooting; significant mooting achievements include the following:

Notable international advocacy competition accolades

* World Champions (2005, 2014, 2018) in the prestigious Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (currently sharing third place with University of Melbourne's Law School). Semi-Finalists (2007). Baxter Award for Best Respondent or Applicant Memorial (2004, 2014, 2017). Evans Award for Best Overall Memorial (2017).
* World Champions (viz. winner of the Frédéric Eisemann Award) (1997, 2000) in the prestigious Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot. Runners-up (1998, 2002). Equal Third Place (2020). Teams from UQ Law (TCB) have been the most successful to partake in this moot (by way of moot wins and runners-up).
* World Champions (2008, 2012, 2013, 2018, 2019) in the International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot.
* World Champions (2018)
along with students from other Australian law schools
in the 17th Tokyo Negotiation and Arbitration Moot (aka Intercollegiate Negotiation Competition).
* World Champions (2015) in The Sarin Leiden International Air Law Moot Court Competition.

Notable domestic advocacy competition accolades

* Australian Champions (2013, 2020) in the Sir Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot.
* Australian Champions (2001) in the ALSA Red Cross International Humanitarian Law Moot.
* Australian Champions (2016, 2018) in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students' Moot.
* Australian Champions (2017) in the Castan Centre Human Rights Law Moot.
* Australian Champions (2014) Negotiating Outcomes on Time (NOOT) Competition.
* Australian Champions (2008, 2011, 2014) in the Administrative Appeals Tribunal National Mooting Competition.
* Australian Champions (2004, 2008, 2009, 2012) in the QUT Torts Moot Competition, making them the most successful school to partake in the moot.
* Australian Champions (2009, 2012) in the Shine Lawyers Torts Moot Competition.
* Winner (2005) National Family Law Moot Competition.

Building

In 2015, UQ commissioned a refurbishment of the west wing of the heritage-listed Forgan Smith building; focused on re-imagining the School of Law and the Walter Harrison Law Library and signalling a re-imagined program restructure and smaller cohort size. In 2017, Brisbane based architecture firm BVN completed the School of Law's Forgan Smith Building refurbishment. The re-imagined west wing of the Forgan Smith building has since won numerous awards:

* RAIA National Awards – Educational Architecture Award;
* RAIA National Awards – Interior Architecture Award;
* RAIA Qld Chapter – Interior Architecture Award;
* RAIA Qld Chapter – Educational Architecture Award;
* Australian Interior Design Awards Best of State Queensland – Commercial winner;
* RAIA Qld Chapter Brisbane Regional Commendation – Interior Architecture; and
* RAIA Qld Chapter Brisbane Regional Commendation – Educational Architecture.

Academics

The UQ Law School is Queensland's premier law school; usually achieving the highest rank for law of any Queensland university. The UQ Law School is Australia's best academically-performing law school, as measured by the averaged QS c''itations per paper'' (CPP) and QS '' H-Index citations'' (H-index) ranking, at 27.5; ANU College of Law follows UQ Law at an averaged CPP & H-index ranking of 38.5.

When focusing on objective academic performance indicators, University of Queensland's School of Law performs extremely well, often appearing to be Australia's foremost law school: according to Quacquarelli Symonds (QS), the school has ranked 1st (nationally) for CPP in 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020; and 1st, 3rd, and 2nd (nationally) regarding H-index in 2018, 2019, and 2020 respectively. Globally, the school currently ranks =25th for QS' CPP metric (alongside Cambridge University's law school) and =30th for QS' '' H-Index citations'' metric''.''

Notably, UQ's Law School achieved a THE-WUR ''citation ranking'' of 3rd globally (1st domestically) in 2017 (THE 2018)- two positions above Yale Law School, six positions above top-ranked Duke Law School, and just one position below Harvard Law School. UQ's Law School also recently received a THE-WUR ''research ranking'' of 36th in the world (THE 2020).

Current and previous ranking positions

''(Positions enclosed in parentheses refer to domestic ranking)''

Notable ranking positions have been emphasised.

''*THE-WUR ranks ahead of the current year (e.g. the ranking(s) released in 2019 were "2020" rankings).''

**''The'' ''ARWU Law subject ranking does not necessarily reflect the quality of a given law school (hence why universities without law schools feature on the ranking- see Princeton University). The ARWU Law subject ranking primarily measures the amount and performance of papers which relate to Law (the ranking additionally may include papers from Law-related subjects such as Policy, Public Affairs, and Criminology- hence why Griffith University, renowned for Criminology, performs well solely on the ARWU Law subject rankings) and that are associated with, or originate out of, a given university.''

''*** This subject ranking includes research on social policy, political science, education, demographics, law, and public health and administration.''

UQ Law Centres

* Australian Centre for Private Law (ACPL)
** The APCL aims to foster the development and understanding of private law through the means of advanced research, and seeks to effectively disseminate that research through education and professional outreach.
* Centre for Public International and Comparative Law (CPICL)
** The CPICL is a large research centre that brings together faculty members and doctoral students to support, coordinate, promote and showcase work related to: Public International Law; Private International Law; Comparative Law; Competition Law; Constitutional Law; Administrative Law; Human Rights Law; Law of Institutions; Legal Philosophy; International Criminal and Humanitarian Law; and The Law of International Organisations.
* Marine and Shipping Law Unit (MASLU)
** The MASLU is a community of legal scholars focused on teaching, researching and consulting services in maritime law and international law of the sea. The MASLU also collaborates with other recognised marine centres on multi-disciplinary projects, and liaises with legal and marine scholars on multiple issues.
* UQ Pro Bono Centre
**The UQ Pro Bono Centre strives to be a national leader in developing, promoting and providing student pro bono legal services, as well as to educate about the importance of access to justice. About 30% of TC Beirne School of Law's students are registered to the pro bono program offered by the centre.

Scholars

*Professor Rick Bigwood (acting head of school)
*Professor James Allan
*Professor Nicholas Aroney
*Professor Kit Barker
*Professor Peter Billings
*Professor Anthony Cassimatis
*Professor Jennifer Corrin
*Professor Heather Douglas
*Professor John Devereux
*Professor Craig Forrest
*Emeritus Professor Nicholas Gaskell
*Professor Ross Grantham
*Professor Graeme Orr
*Professor Patrick Parkinson, (former head of school and academic dean).
*Emeritus Professor Suri Ratnapala
*Professor Andreas Schloenhardt
*Professor Brad Sherman
*Professor Tamara Walsh

Publications

The following publications are produced by staff and/or students at UQ Law:

*'' University of Queensland Law Journal (UQLJ)''
**UQLJ is one of Australia's leading law journals and, established in 1948, is arguably Australia's oldest university law journal. Unlike other university law journal publications, UQLJ's editorial board consists entirely of leading domestic and international academics, ranging from the University of Oxford to the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, Hamburg.
*''LAWASIA Journal''
**LAWASIA Journal is a leading international law journal primarily dealing with legal issues and developments in the Asia Pacific region. LAWASIA Journal's editorial board consists entirely of legal scholars and members of the judiciary in the Asia Pacific region; such as former justice of the High Court of Australia, Michael Kirby, and former Chief Justice of India, M.N. Venkatachaliah.
*''Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal''
**The Australian and New Zealand Maritime Law Journal (ANZ Mar LJ) is the online incarnation of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand Journal (MLAANZ Journal). The ANZ Mar LJ focuses on making contributions to the areas of maritime law and commerce. The ANZ Mar LJ is edited by, and features contributions from, academics as well as students.

Alumni

The UQ School of Law's alumni include:

Jurists

* Matt Foley, former attorney-general of Queensland, former arts minister, former president of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties, current barrister and adjunct professor at the University of Queensland.
* Francis Patrick Donovan, former ambassador and jurist.
* Walter Campbell, former governor of Queensland, former Judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
*Gerard Brennan, former chief justice of the High Court of Australia.
*Harry Gibbs, former chief justice of the High Court of Australia.
*Noel Power, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Hong Kong.
* Ian Callinan, former justice of the High Court of Australia.
* William Webb, former justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland and the High Court of Australia, former president of the International Military Tribunal for the Far East.
* Patrick Keane, current justice of the High Court of Australia, former chief justice of the Federal Court of Australia.
*Sarah Derrington, judge of the Federal Court of Australia, president of the Australian Law Reform Commission, and former dean of the TC Beirne School of Law.
*Quentin Bryce, former governor-general of Australia.
* Una Prentice, first graduate of the school and first female Commonwealth Prosecutor.
*Gerald Edward (Tony) Fitzgerald, former judge of the Federal Court of Australia.
*Geoffrey Davies, former judge of appeal on the Queensland Court of Appeal.
*Desmond Derrington, former judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
*Catherine Holmes, Queensland Chief Justice.
Politicians, public servants and vice regals
*Queensland Premiers, such as Annastacia Palaszczuk, Peter Beattie and Wayne Goss.
*Mark McGowan, Premier of Western Australia.
*Current Members of Parliament, such as Cameron Dick, Murray Watt and Mark Ryan.
*George Brandis, former politician, current diplomat and the Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom.
*Paul de Jersey, former chief justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland; current governor of Queensland.
* William George Hayden, former governor-general of Australia, former minister for foreign affairs and trade, former leader of the Labor Party and Leader of the Opposition.
*Clem Jones, former lord mayor of Brisbane.
*Peter Doyle, ambassador to Ethiopia.
* Peter Maurice Arnison, former governor of Queensland, retired major general, former vice chancellor of Queensland University of Technology.

Business leaders

* Matthew McLennan, former managing director of Goldman Sachs, head of Global Value team for First Eagle Investment Management, member of the board of dean's advisors for Harvard School of Public Health.
* Catherine Tanna, managing director of EnergyAustralia, member of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia.
* Raynuha Sinnathamby, managing director of Springfield City Group.
* John Story, former chancellor of the University of Queensland, former directorships in Echo Entertainment Group, CRS Ltd, Suncorp Group Ltd, Tabcorp Holdings Ltd, and Magontec Ltd.

Higher education

* Megan Davis, UNSW pro vice-chancellor indigenous, former commissioner of the NSW Land and Environment Court, UN expert member of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Peoples.
* Leenen Forde, former chancellor of Griffith University, former Governor of Queensland.
* Llew Edwards, former chancellor of the University of Queensland, former Queensland state politician and Liberal Party leader.

Other

* Michael Ware, Award-winning journalist and award-winning documentarian.

See also

* University of Queensland Union (UQU)
*Group of Eight (Australian universities) – for a complete list of Group of Eight law schools and their rankings.

References

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University of Queensland
Law schools in Australia
Educational institutions established in 1936
1936 establishments in Australia