Government / governance

Through the Australian Law Reform Commission, the Victorian Law Reform Commission, the Victorian Parliament and the Australia Institute, Monash Law Clinics offers students a chance to see policy and law reform processes at work.

The Australian Law Reform Commission reviews Australia’s laws to ensure they provide improved access to justice for all Australians by making laws and related processes more equitable, modern, fair and efficient. The Victorian Law Reform Commission holds a similar role in respect of Victorian laws, dealing with references from the Attorney-General and community law reform projects suggested by the public.

Committees of the Victorian Parliament consider policy and law reform issues relating to a range of pending legislation and important social issues.

The Australia Institute is an independent public policy think tank. It provides input into a range of law reform processes.

Students will undertake research and other written tasks for one of these institutions, and will contribute to law reform papers, reports and submissions.

Students will be supervised by a member of Monash Academic staff with oversight from staff at the host institutions.

This is a very limited opportunity that will only be offered to selected students. The primary placement location will be at Monash Law Clinics Melbourne (at Monash Chambers, 555 Lonsdale St).

The inaugural Monash Law Sports Law Clinic will run from May to August 2025. This clinic will provide opportunities for students to learn practical aspects of sports law. Notably, students undertaking the placement in this clinical period will be focussing on the governance, and policies and procedures of Monash University sporting clubs. Students will be engaging with issues of sporting club governance, and their work might extend to anti-discrimination law and inclusion issues, safety and concussion protocols, and dispute resolution.

The clinic will also provide students with opportunities to connect with people working in sports law. It will give students a deeper sense of what it means to work in a sports-related legal role.

About UN Global Compact Network Australia

As a special initiative of the UN Secretary-General, the United Nations Global Compact is a call to companies everywhere to align their operations and strategies with ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption. Launched in 2000, the mandate of the UN Global Compact is to guide and support the global business community in advancing UN goals and values through responsible corporate practices. With more than 10,000 companies and 3,000 non-business signatories based in over 160 countries, and more than 60 Local Networks, it is the largest corporate sustainability initiative in the world.

In Australia, the business-led Global Compact Network Australia (GCNA) brings together participants to the UN Global Compact, including a number of Australia's leading companies, civil society organisations and universities in a platform for dialogue, learning, influence and action that is practical and leading edge. We guide businesses on how a principles-based approach to doing business by advancing the Ten Principles and contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) drives long-term business success.

About the placements

The United Nations Global Compact offer placement opportunities across the following areas:

• Business & Human Rights
• Sustainability & Governance

CP3 2026 INTENSIVE PLACEMENT 

• Placement Days : Tuesday & Thursday,
• Structure: 7-week intensive, 2 days per week either Block 1: 17 August - 2 October or Block 2: 5 October - 20 November. (please include preferred block in application statement)

The Victorian Gambling and Casino Control Commission (VGCCC) is an independent statutory authority with a globally leading approach to regulation of the gambling industry. We play an important role in ensuring that gambling in Victoria is free from criminal influence while minimising harm to the community.

Our purpose is to ensure integrity, safety and fairness for all Victorians. We do this through rigorous compliance, enforcement and education. We are not afraid to hold the gambling industry to account and are prepared to act when gambling providers engage in wrongdoing.

We are committed to driving our values – ‘act with courage', ‘make it happen', ‘work together', ‘respect others', and ‘act with integrity' as these guide our behaviour and influence the standards, we hold ourselves accountable to.

We are an inclusive organisation and foster a culture of belonging where diverse perspectives are valued and respected. We are also proud to be recognised as an employer of choice for women by WORK 180.

We are able to offer meaningful work across the legal policy, legal services (advice and tribunal) and the disciplinary action and prosecution teams which supports the Legal, Policy and Compliance (LPC) Division to:

• Provide legal support and advice to Commissioners.
• Provide advice to the Minister for Casino, Gaming and Liquor Regulation on the operation of Victoria’s gambling regulation framework.

Students will be provided with support to work on a diverse range of tasks during their placement, which include:

• Conducting research on gambling regulation.
• Undertaking legislative interpretation tasks.
• Providing advice on ministerial directions, legislation and regulations related to Victoria’s gambling regulation framework.
• Drafting legal documents and correspondence.
• Supporting the preparation of materials and documents for counsel appearing at VCAT or the magistrate’s court.
• Assisting the LPC Division on strategic projects.
• Knowledge management tasks.

Join us and be part of a purpose driven organisation committed to making a positive difference for all Victorians.

The VSBC is an independent Victorian Government agency of 20 staff working in a supportive team environment to help Victorian small businesses through advocacy and by offering low-cost dispute resolution services, including mediation so that they can resolve disputes quickly, enabling them to focus on running and building their businesses.  Students will work one day per week or in blocks as part of one of the VSBC teams.  In the Dispute Resolution Services team students may assist small businesses with the activities listed below by shadowing or assisting a dispute resolution officer, obtaining information from businesses in a dispute, writing file notes, helping to arrange or observing mediations, and researching topics associated with the legislation administered by the VSBC.  Students may also work in the VSBC’s Advocacy & Engagement and Corporate services & Business Improvement teams on communications and corporate/reporting and finance related functions.

The VSBC can help with:

• Business-to-business disputes;
• Business-to-government disputes;
• Retail leasing disputes;
• Disputes between owner drivers/forestry contractors and their hirers;
• Farm debt mediation;
• Disputes between taxis, hire cars and rideshare drivers and operators;
• Franchising disputes.

The VSBC helps small businesses through providing:

• Preliminary assistance: VSBC staff provide information to small businesses on their rights and obligations to prevent or help resolve issues. This is done by email, over the phone, on the website or our brochures and fact sheets.
• Pre-mediation assistance: VSBC staff contact both parties, by phone, or email to help resolve the dispute.
• Low-cost mediation: Experienced, independent mediators provide the opportunity for parties to meet to confidentially discuss issues and try to reach an agreement.
• Information and resources: The VSBC provides a helpline, information materials, news and events via its website to help businesses build knowledge.
• Knowledge building: The VSBC educates small business on business practice and behaviours that promote better decision making through events and initiatives.

The Ombudsman provides a free, independent, accessible and impartial service to Victorians. Her role is to ensure that state and local government services are delivered in a fair and reasonable manner that is compatible with the rights protected by the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006. The Ombudsman also investigates allegations of improper conduct referred by the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).

The Ombudsman also promotes excellence in public administration in Victoria through systemic investigations, publication of authoritative reports and engagement within both the government sector and the broader community.

Victorian Ombudsman is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing an inclusive, accessible and safe work environment.

Students will be working on a discrete project, usually in pairs. Each project will require students to conduct legislative and regulatory analysis, examine and be involved in the engagement with stakeholder group, critically assess relevant legal and legislative landscape, prepare briefing and contribute to the development of policies.

Past projects have included:

• The Victorian Ombudsman’s jurisdiction in relation to disability, including the transition to NDIS;
• Australian Parliamentary and industry Ombudsmen approaches to conducting internal reviews of their decisions against their Legislative framework. A comparison and analysis with the Victorian Ombudsman complaints about the outcomes of a case decision was made;
• “Authority to act” approaches byvarious organisations, including scoping of legislative requirements, examining best practice elsewhere and culminated in drafting a template authority to act for the Victorian Ombudsman;
• Victorian Integrity system legislative changes preparation and implementation and the relationship with the oversight bodies;
• Victorian waste management and recycling legislation, services and policy application. Students examined mechanisms to manage waste and recycling concerns across local government areas and developed recommendation around opportunities to improve practice;
• Assessment of risks, opportunities and implications across legal, public and non-Government sectors through the lens of the Victorian Ombudsman Act.