The Susan Campbell Oration
Championing Justice. Inspiring Leadership. Advancing Clinical Legal Education.
Monash Law's Clinical Legal Education Program reflects a proud history of pioneering initiatives that bridge academic theory with transformative social action.
The Susan Campbell Oration was established to honour the enduring legacy of the late Professor Susan Campbell AM - the first Professorial Fellow in legal practice at Monash University and a visionary leader who dedicated 24 years to shaping our clinical curriculum.
This annual address invites international leaders of legal scholarship to reflect on Clinical Legal Education in a range of different contexts.
By fostering a deep network of connection across continents, the Oration serves as both a celebration of Clinical Legal Education and a forward-looking incubator for the next generation of advocate-scholars.
A Legacy of Firsts: The Story of a Pioneer
Long before clinical legal education became a benchmark of elite legal training, Professor Susan Campbell AM was busy overturning centuries of rigid legal tradition. As a woman of extraordinary intellect, deep compassion, and unwavering conviction, "Sue" recognised that exposing students to the realities of ethical practice at an early stage would transform them from passive observers into active instruments of justice.
Her tenacity resulted in historic achievements. In 1993, under Sue's careful mentorship, Monash Law student Susan Paprica made history by becoming the first law student permitted to appear and represent a client in the Family Court of Australia. This novel legal moment was the direct result of Sue’s deliberate, sophisticated negotiations with Family Court judges, the Chief Magistrate, and leading statutory bodies.
Sue’s influence reverberated far beyond the classroom. From co-editing the definitive Lawyers Practice Manual (Victoria) to authoring the landmark Campbell Report for the Victorian Attorney-General - which fundamentally reformed the state's legal training systems - she consistently looked ahead to carve out new pathways for the profession. In recognition of her unparalleled services to community legal aid, she was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2007. Today, we carry that pioneer spirit forward, encouraging Monash Law students to stand firmly for the vulnerable.
The Susan Campbell Oration & Fellowship Archive
A Living History of Excellence in Clinical Scholarship
The Susan Campbell Oration provides an intellectual platform for distinguished practitioners and scholars to address the reach, impact, and experiential potential of clinical legal programs worldwide. Below is the record of our annual Orations and the eminent Visiting Fellows whose insights continue to shape the Monash Law's Clinical Legal Education program.
2026 Oration
The 2026 Susan Campbell Oration will be delivered at Monash University Law Chambers auditorium on Tuesday 27 October at 6pm. Click here for more information and registration details.
2025 Oration
Development of Policy Clinics in Europe: Effective Practices for an Emerging Model
Maxim Tomoszek, Vice-Dean for Education, Palacký University, Olomouc
In an address highlighting the rapid expansion of clinical legal education across Europe over the past fifteen years, Vice-Dean Tomoszek explored the unique architecture of European policy clinics. Shifting away from traditional live-client interactions toward empirical and desk-based research, this emerging methodology allows law schools to focus on underserved communities while creating a safe, rigorous space for students to develop critical analytical skills and engage directly with law reform on a global scale.
Maxim Tomoszek served as the Director of the Center for Clinical Legal Education at Palacký University from 2008 to 2016. A former President of the European Network for Clinical Legal Education (2013–2019), he coordinates the implementation of complex competence frameworks within the European University Alliance “Aurora” and supervises dynamic clinics in human rights, professional ethics, and patient advocacy.
2024 Oration
The Role of the Complex Identities of Our Clients: How to Teach Legal Theory and ‘Intersectionality’ Through Our Clinical Teaching in Order to Make Our Legal System More Inclusive
Dr. Anna Cody, Sex Discrimination Commissioner, Australian Human Rights Commission
Commissioner Cody delivered a sophisticated analysis of how compound identities, including gender, race, class, disability, and age, impact an individual's access to institutional privilege. She demonstrated how clinical programs have the unique capacity to dissolve the artificial separation between legal theory and practice, teaching students to visually map and challenge the dominant systems of power that reinforce systemic exclusion.
Appointed as Australia’s Sex Discrimination Commissioner in September 2023, Dr. Cody previously served as the Dean of the School of Law at Western Sydney University and spent over twenty years as the Director of the Kingsford Legal Centre at UNSW. Holding a PhD from UNSW and a Master of Laws from Harvard University, her distinguished career includes extensive advocacy before various United Nations human rights committees.
2021 Oration
Street Law: Legal Literacy from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe
Professor David McQuoid-Mason (University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa)
Initially scheduled as our fourth Visiting Fellow but delivered virtually due to international travel restrictions, Professor McQuoid-Mason drew upon his unrivalled fieldwork to illustrate how grassroots legal literacy programs empower ordinary citizens to navigate judicial structures. The address highlighted how Street Law simultaneously enriches the student learning experience while expanding the horizons of systemic justice.
Regarded by peers as one of the most pivotal figures in the globalisation of clinical legal education, Professor McQuoid-Mason has traveled to over sixty countries to draft legal aid legislation, establish community clinics, and conduct pioneering training workshops for legal educators.
Historical Fellows Index
Our program is continuously enriched by its deep structural connections with international titans of clinical education, whose collective insights have helped more than triple the size of our original footprint:
- 2018 Visiting Fellow — Professor Leah Wortham: Professor Emerita of The Catholic University of America, Washington, D.C., and recipient of the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit by the Republic of Poland. During her tenure at Monash, she collaborated extensively on the integration of artificial intelligence within legal practice and helped refine the Monash Law Clinical Guarantee.
- 2016 Visiting Fellow — Professor Peter Joy: Former Vice-Dean of Washington University Law School in St. Louis and a globally recognised author on clinical consultancy. It was Professor Joy who originally proposed the visionary concept of the Monash Clinical Guarantee during his fellowship.
- 2014 Inaugural Visiting Fellow — Professor Frank Bloch: Renowned expert in public benefit programs and the editor of the first comprehensive global account of clinical legal education, Professor Bloch established the high standard of our fellowship through a series of master classes, clinical observations, and research workshops.
Empowering the Future: The Susan Campbell Memorial Fund
To sustain Sue’s profound commitment to equity and social justice, the Monash Law Faculty established the Susan Campbell Memorial Fund. Administered carefully by the University Treasury alongside a dedicated faculty advisory board, the fund actively breaks down systemic barriers, advances empirical research, and brings international legal pioneers directly to our shores.
Having raised over $100,000 through the inspiring generosity of our alumni network, the fund drives three critical pillars:
- The Clinical Legal Education Visiting Fellowship: Bringing the world's most distinguished practitioners to Monash to mentor students and review clinical programming.
- The Future Fund: Promoting, developing, and expanding our clinical operations into innovative, cutting-edge legal areas outside traditional funding structures.
- The Susan Campbell Equity Scholarship: Providing immediate financial relief and academic freedom to brilliant students from disadvantaged backgrounds who would otherwise face immense barriers to entering the legal profession.
We invite you to engage with this vibrant legacy of legal excellence. Whether you choose to explore the deep academic insights of our past scholars or invest directly in the future of an aspiring advocate, your participation strengthens the collective fabric of our community.
Contribute to the Memorial Fund: Help us expand access and equity for the next generation. All gifts over $2 are fully tax-deductible for Australian taxpayers and go directly toward expanding our scholarships and global fellowships.