It is hard to believe that it is now nearly five years since I started as Dean at Melbourne Law School. The Council has recently been good enough to extend my term for an additional five years and I am looking forward to continuing to work with our staff, students, alumni, friends, international partners, the legal profession and all the many other people who make this role such an enjoyable one. Many thanks to so many of you for your support of the Law School during my first term – I look forward to continuing to work with you during my second term.
In this edition you will learn more about some of the members of the MLS alumni community, including The Hon. Linda Dessau AM, Governor of Victoria and gain insights into some pathways taken by our graduates who have been working overseas in a variety of roles.
You can also read about the Alan Goldberg Scholarship which was recently launched at Arnold Bloch Leibler with the support of several very generous sponsors who wanted to celebrate Alan's substantial contributions to the legal profession. This scholarship is the latest in a series of generous gifts which have supported chairs, visiting fellows, and students; this philanthropy makes a substantial difference to the Law School.
It is also appropriate to acknowledge some people who have made an enormous contribution who will be leaving us at the end of the year. Loane Skene will retire after decades of service leading the health and medical law teaching and research programs in the Law School. In a distinguished career, Loane has made a real contribution to creating an understanding of the complex issues which underpin medical and scientific advancements and has also offered substantial leadership to the University, particularly through her role as President of the Academic Board.
We will also farewell Janice Luck who is also retiring after a long period, during which she has contributed to the intellectual property law teaching of the Law School while also maintaining a substantial legal practice. She has played an important role in bringing together the profession and the academy and we are grateful for her work. Finally, Gerry Simpson will be returning to the London School of Economics and Political Science where he will take up a chair in international law. Gerry is a leading international lawyer whose work is admired around the world; we certainly hope that he continues to stay connected to Melbourne despite his move back to the United Kingdom.
As 2015 draws to a close, my sincere thanks to those of you who have contributed to the Law School in so many ways this year. I look forward to continuing to meet and hear from many of you in the coming years.