PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Written by Bruce Dyer, President, Monash Law Clinics Incorporated (MLC) Management Committee.
I am very pleased to provide this report on behalf of the MLC Management Committee. Monash staff, students, and MLC continue to make an outstanding contribution with help from partner organisations.
I was surprised and delighted to be invited by Professor Jeff Giddings last year to take on his role as President of MLC To be clear, this role is less than a toenail of Jeff’s large footprint in Monash’s clinical program (leaving aside his huge global contribution to clinical legal education). MLC has a significant role in facilitating Monash Law’s clinical guarantee. But this is still a great honour – especially in this 50th anniversary year.
The theme of my report is borrowed from the inaugural lecture of Monash Law’s new Dean: ‘What’s the point of lawyers?’. Most will agree that the answer includes maintaining at least a basic rule of law and that, in turn, requires access to justice. Most will also agree that in Australia, community legal centres play a critical role in that. MLC contributes to that as a community legal centre, but also exposes law students to its value and importance. In these uncertain times, that is more than ‘priceless’, as I am sure MLC alums – regardless of political persuasion – will realise.
Clinical legal education is expensive, and Monash Law Clinical Program’s survival over 50 years of funding and policy changes for universities is a remarkable achievement by those who have worked so hard to defend MLC and build the clinical guarantee around it. We are fortunate that Monash has a highly supportive Vice Chancellor and Dean of Law to carry that forward.
Thanks to Monash
The sustained commitment of Monash Law Faculty and Monash University over five decades has created a clinical program that delivers great benefits for all concerned – students, clients, our partner organisations, the Law Faculty and the University. MLC brings together support from government, philanthropists, the legal profession and the University to serve the twin objectives of community service and student learning.
This year, MLC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Monash Law Faculty setting out arrangements in relation to the governance, management and operations of the legal services provided by MLC. I wish to thank the Dean of Law Professor Steven Vaughan, Professor Jeff Giddings, Associate Professor Joel Townsend and Monash’s Office of the General Counsel and Rachel Spencer for their work on the MOU, which helpfully confirms and clarifies understandings Monash and MLC have acted on for many years.
Across the 2024-2025 financial year, we welcomed 729 Monash Law students to learn and work with us at MLC. Together, we provided a range of comprehensive legal services to our clients.
MLC works closely with a range of community legal centres, the broader legal profession, the judiciary, a wide range of community organisations and government departments. The activities outlined in this Annual Report show its impact through the active engagement of our students, staff, partner organisations and supporters.
A Distinctive Community Legal Centre
MLC is a distinctive community legal centre by reason of the strength of its commitment to law student learning. Our work is informed by clinical legal education pedagogy that highlights the value of experiential education in developing ethical, reflective professionals. The Clinic provides students with unparalleled opportunities for ‘learning by doing and reflecting’ in the service of members of local, regional and international communities. MLC is now the lynchpin for legal and policy work across a broadening range of legal areas.
MLC also provides the platform for students to volunteer in several programs. MLC operates a volunteer service that enables more than 30 current students to contribute to legal advice sessions. We are grateful for the volunteer supervision provided by Michelle Cohen, Charlotte Connolly, Stephanie Koumbarakos, Georgia Miller, Alexa Segerius and Jackie Weinberg. MLC also hosts the Monash Street Law Program in partnership with the Monash Law Students’ Society.
The diversity of our work
The depth and breadth of our work is showcased throughout this annual report. With our Professional Practice units as our foundation, MLC offers a suite of In-House Clinical Placements.
MLC offers special thanks to each of our partner organisations and the many people who make these collaborations so successful. The expertise and enthusiasm that our staff and partners share with our students are what enable us to assist the many beneficiaries of our work.
I close with some well-deserved thanks and congratulations. I congratulate Associate Professor Joel Townsend on his appointment as Associate Dean (Clinics) and thank him for his ongoing excellent leadership and support to MLC as Director of Monash Law Clinics. I thank all MLC staff for their hard work and dedication throughout the year. I wish to thank fellow members of MLC’s Management Committee and note in particular the valuable contributions of Jennifer Lindstrom (Vice President), Nate Cheng (Secretary) and Natalie Shanahan (Treasurer).
The Monash Law Faculty makes the greatest financial contribution to the operation of MLC, employing most of the staff who work in our clinics. The MLC staff employed by the Faculty include the MLC Leadership Team, Associate Professor Joel Townsend (MLC Director), Melissa Fletcher (Senior Manager Partnerships and Clinics), Fay Gertner (MLC Clayton Practice Manager), Jennifer Lindstrom and Emily Singh (MLC Melbourne Practice Managers). The Management Committee thanks each of them for their work across the year.
I would also like to thank the Vice Chancellor, the Dean of Law, Professor Steven Vaughan and the former Dean, Professor Bryan Horrigan, for their vision and strong support for MLC and Monash Law’s broader clinical program.
This has been a special year with Monash Law recognising 50 years since the establishment of its pioneering clinical legal education program in 1975 at the Springvale Legal Service. MLC (previously known as Monash Legal Service then Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service) has been pivotal to this program since it opened in 1978. We look forward to reconnecting with former staff and alumni to build on this foundation to extend and strengthen this valuable program.
MLC has much to look forward to in the coming year as Monash Law recognises 50 years since the establishment of its pioneering clinical legal education program in 1975 at the Springvale Legal Service. MLC (previously known as Monash Legal Service then Monash-Oakleigh Legal Service) has been pivotal to this program since it opened in 1978.
Bruce Dyer
President, Monash Law Clinics Incorporated Management Committee