Malcolm DH Smith Memorial Scholarship

Professor Malcolm Smith

The Malcolm DH Smith Memorial Scholarship was launched in 2010 in tribute to Professor Smith, a leading international figure in Asian legal studies and the Founding Director of the Asian Law Centre at the University of Melbourne. This scholarship was initiated by members of the Asian Law Centre, with the support of Dr Rosalynd Smith, widow of Professor Smith.

The scholarship is designed to assist first-year Melbourne JD students who have completed an undergraduate law degree or a degree majoring in Asian studies at a tertiary institution in Australia or Asia.

Professor Smith [LLB (Hons) 1968, LLM 1972] is remembered for his exceptional contribution to Asian legal studies. He joined the Law School in 1987 as Foundation Professor of Asian Law, and was Associate Dean of the Faculty of Law in 1990-91 and 1997-99. In 2004 he was appointed a full-time professor of law at Chuo University in Tokyo, the first Australian to hold such a position.

Melbourne Law School expresses sincere appreciation to Dr Rosalynd Smith, and the many friends and colleagues of Professor Smith who have generously donated to the scholarship.

Donations

We are extremely grateful for the recent donation of alumnus Jim Craig and his wife Claudia Craig. Both Claudia and Jim were students of Professor Smith in the Melbourne Law School’s Masters of Law programme. Jim completed his Masters in 1992 and went on to work as a lawyer in Japan. Claudia pursued her post-graduate law studies in Japan under Professor Smith’s mentorship and also worked in a Tokyo law office.  They are both delighted to make a contribution to the Malcolm DH Smith Memorial Scholarship fund in recognition of the contribution made by Professor Smith to their careers, and to enable others to benefit from similar experiences.

Donations to the Malcolm DH Smith Memorial Scholarship fund would be gratefully received at any time. Gifts over $2 are tax-deductible.

Donate to the Scholarship

2018 Scholarship Recipient

Claritta LeeThe 2018 recipient of the Malcolm DH Smith Memorial Scholarship is Ms Dong Won (Claritta) Lee.

Claritta graduated from the University of Melbourne in 2016 with a Bachelor of Commerce (Economics and Finance).  She also completed a Graduate Diploma of Translating and Interpreting (Korean) with First Class Honours in 2017.  She is currently undertaking the first year of the JD at Melbourne Law School.

Claritta has engaged with a diverse range of cultures, languages and people, and developed her interests in world issues and international relations.  She hopes to work as a diplomat in the future, so has been making efforts to maintain her proficiency in four languages: Korean, English, French and Japanese. She passed the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI) Exams to work as a NAATI certified interpreter and translator for Korean.

Claritta's research interests range from public and international law, policy making, to medical law and consumer law. She believes that having an in-depth understanding of public and international law and its impact on the interactions between countries will assist in working towards a mutually beneficial and amicable relationship between Australia and South Korea. She finds the cross-cultural and cross-jurisdictional analysis in consumer and medical law very interesting. She hopes to explore how law can better reflect the changing values of the modern society and how it can continue to empower individuals’ rights.

In the long-term, Claritta hopes to contribute her cross-cultural communication skills and legal knowledge she gains from JD studies to foster a robust, collaborative relationship between Australia and South Korea.