Melbourne JD Harold Ford Scholarships

Peter J. Jopling QC – Major Gift Donor

"Philanthropy and the concept of giving are part of the Australian psyche and particularly so in Melbourne. This city and its premier university have prospered due to the generosity of generations of its citizens… It is important for each of us to follow that example and to give as much as we are able to, both as a mark of respect for what the university has enabled those of us who are graduates to do with our lives, and in an effort to foster and encourage others who have benefited from the work undertaken by the university and its members. 

Mr Peter Jopling QC with Ms Kate Fitzgerald, Ms Khanh Nguyen and Ms Sasha Ponniah

As a former student of Professor Emeritus Ford, I wanted to pay my respect to him both for his outstanding leadership and scholarship in the field of corporations law, which has inspired generations of Melbourne law graduates, and for his humility and integrity which are equally inspiring.  

It is critically important to support the scholarship programme in order to eliminate the financial hurdles that might otherwise act as a barrier to entry and thereby deter the best and the brightest from embarking upon a legal career.

A vibrant and engaged civil society depends upon the rule of law to function effectively and to that end the profession and the community at large needs to ensure that the brightest and the best men and women are attracted to the study of the law."

Image: Mr Peter Jopling QC with three of the Melbourne JD Harold Ford Scholarships recipients, Ms Kate Fitzgerald, Ms Khanh Nguyen and Ms Sasha Ponniah.

This article originally appeared in MLS News, Issue 5, May 2011.