Top Law Students Celebrated at 2024 Undergraduate Prize Ceremony
The Faculty of Law at Monash University honoured its top-performing undergraduate students at the 2024 Undergraduate Prize Ceremony, held on Wednesday 14 May 2025. The event, hosted at the Monash Law Chambers, brought together students, faculty, family, alumni, and members of the legal profession to celebrate academic excellence and the future of the legal profession.
The evening featured the presentation of over 50 prizes supported by the legal community, industry partners, and the Faculty of Law. The highlight of the night was the awarding of the Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student to Maya Ranganathan.
Maya’s acceptance speech offered a powerful reflection on the promise and responsibility of legal education.
As master of ceremonies, Professor Chris Marsden welcomed students, families, and friends before inviting each of the prize winners to the stage.
“I hope that tonight's ceremony provides an opportunity to showcase some of our finest talent - I know that it does - and also to inspire all of our students to pursue academic goals with dedication and passion,” said Professor Marsden.
Dean acknowledges families of our top students
Professor Steven Vaughan, Dean of the Faculty of Law, delivered a heartfelt and humorous address, reflecting on his first months at Monash and the importance of community in academic success.
“Your success is not a singular thing. It is won and earned through support and love of family and friends. It is won and earned through the support and challenge by colleagues in the Faculty. It is very much a collective effort.”
Professor Vaughan encouraged students to build on this support and to remain inquisitive and socially conscious as they move into their careers.
“We hope through our education and our associated experiences, that we mould you into people who are more inquisitive, more reflective, more thoughtful about society and law, and the place of law and lawyers in society.”
Justice Jane Dixon’s Keynote: “Find Something You Love — or Let It Find You”
The occasional address was delivered by the Honourable Justice Jane Dixon, Principal Judge of the Criminal Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria and a Monash Law alumna. Justice Dixon offered a stirring reflection on her own journey through the legal profession and the evolving role of law in society.
“Success after Monash Law can mean so many different things for different people… That is the beauty and wonder of a law degree. It can open so many different doors to so many different rooms.”
She urged students to remain open to unexpected paths and to use their legal training to make a meaningful impact:
“Find something you love, or let something you love find you. It doesn’t have to be the best paid or the most prestigious role to be worthwhile and to bring enormous value to the lives of others and to the wider world.”
Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student awarded to Maya Ranganathan
The final award of the evening — Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student — was presented to Maya Ranganathan, who captivated the audience with a deeply personal acceptance speech.
“To study law is to learn an esoteric, exciting new language… to grapple with and to learn how to shape and analyse such highfalutin concepts as justice, reasonableness, morality, truthfulness, and integrity. At Monash, I was taught to be open-minded and forensic in my thinking to be creative and not mechanical.”
Maya reflected on the contradictions within the legal system and the profession’s ongoing struggle with equity and accessibility.
“The noble aspirations of the law might not seem very convincing to a First Nations person. As much as I have loved learning and applying Latin phrases and equitable maxims, I also understand that these kinds of legalisms make the law utterly inaccessible to the people it professes to protect.”
She concluded with a call for a more inclusive and self-aware legal profession.
“I hope that over the course of my career I can contribute to a profession that is increasingly egalitarian and progressive, that is humble enough to recognize its own defects and commit to addressing them, and which doesn’t lose sight of the humanitarian instincts at the heart of its doctrines.”
Watch Maya Ranganathan’s acceptance speech for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student.
2024 Undergraduate Prize Recipients
The following prizes are proudly supported by the legal community and industry:
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Corporations Law
- Anna Walsh
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Property A
- Liza Kelly
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Taxation Law
- Daniella Cosentino
Daniella Cosentino accepts her prize from Bridgid Cowling of Arnold Bloch Leibler.
Baker McKenzie Prize for Contract B
- Declan Sullivan
Declan Sullivan accepts his prize from Peter Lucarelli of Baker McKenzie.
Barbayannis Lawyers Prize for Introduction to Family Law
- Rikhil Bharadwaj
Rikhil Bharadwaj accepts his prize from Melissa Pandeli of Barbayannis Lawyers.
Clayton Utz Prize for Law of Employment
- Indy Nay
Indy Nay accepts his prize from Alison Close of Clayton Utz.
College of Law Prize for Clinical Placement
- Tess Nossal
College of Law Prize for In-House Clinical Placement: Law Reform and Systemic Change
- Belinda Dennis
Davies Collison Cave Prize for Patents and Trade Marks
- Giselle McLeod
DLA Piper Prize for Introduction to Intellectual Property
- Tara Burley
Essendon Fields Prize for Property B
- Tobias Culican
Forte Family Lawyers Prize for Professional Practice
- Isabelle Macklan
King & Wood Mallesons Prize for Contract A
- Kristin Davis
Kristin Davis accepts her prize from Amelia Preuss of King & Wood Mallesons.
King & Wood Mallesons Prize for Evidence
- Sandon Hayes
- Amy Liberman
Law Institute of Victoria Prize for AI, Technology and the Law
- Natasha Holman
Natasha Holman accepts her prize from Alyss Sigamoney of Law Institute of Victoria.
Leo Cussen Centre for Law Prize for Lawyers Ethics in Practice
- Andrea Drakulic
- Udom Trinca
Maddocks Prize for Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
- Joseph Martin
Joseph Martin accepts his prize from Mark Hayes of Maddocks.
Moray & Agnew Prize for Foundations of Law
- Kelly Lee
- Ethan McNenney
Kelly Lee accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Ethan McNenney accepts his prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Moray & Agnew Prize for Litigation and Dispute Resolution
- Justin Fei
Slater & Gordon Prize for Legal Issues in Medicine
- Madeleine Coles-Fitzpatrick
- Evelyn Nguyen
Madeleine Coles-Fitzpatrick accepts her prize from Lee Kimonidis of Slater & Gordon.
Society of Construction Law Australia Prize for Construction Law (Dispute Resolution)
- Victoria Sdralis
- Xiaohan Wu
Victoria Sdralis accepts her prize from Jonathan McTigue of the Society of Construction Law Australia.
Thomson Reuters Prize for Constitutional Law
- Ariel Epstein
Ariel Epstein accepts his prize from Julie Petinella of Thomson Reuters.
UniSuper Prize for Administrative Law
- Emilia del Brocco
- Grace Ficinus
- Chloe Tang
Chloe Tang accepts her prize from Simone Dudij of UniSuper.
Victoria Legal Aid Family Dispute Resolution Service Prize for Non-Adversarial Justice
- Alexandra Richards
The following prizes are proudly supported by the Faculty of Law at Monash University:
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Junior Advocate
- Teagan Diep
- Emily Soo
- Emily Wu
Teagan Diep accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Emily Soo accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Discrimination Law
- Brandon Pergolini
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for International Investment Law
- Demitrios Kaminis
- Ellie Ritter
Demitrios Kaminis accepts his prize from Sally Andersen, Experiential Education Lecturer.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Remedies
- Olivia Johnson
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Succession Law
- Rebecca Lee
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for The Media and The State
- Daniel Beh
- Elli Murphy
Elli Murphy accepts her prize from Sally Andersen, Experiential Education Lecturer.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Torts
- Ching Wong
Ching Wong accepts her prize from Sally Andersen, Experiential Education Lecturer.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Trusts
- Jessica Bennetts
- Demitrios Kaminis
The following prizes are named in honour of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Faculty of Law and supporting organisations:
Ashwick Prize for Advanced Taxation Law
Supported by a prominent group of tax law alumni
- Oliver Papillo
Oliver Papillo accepts his prize from Reynah Tang AM of the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal.
Carol Keating Prize for Criminal Law and Procedure 2
Supported by the Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria
- Cherry Mitry
Cherry Mitry accepts her prize from Paul Fowler of the Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria.
David Flavell Prize for Competition and Consumer Law
- Chelsea Rossignolo
David Flavell Prize for Equity
- Alia van der Straaten
Alia van der Straaten accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Julian Burnside Prize for International Human Rights
- Julia Fullard
- Cindy Ly
Julia Fullard accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Kumar Amarasekara Prize for Criminal Law 1
Supported by the Kumar Amarasekara Bequest Fund
- Zoe Balasopoulos
- Vanessa Marcon
Vanessa Marcon accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Louise Crockett Memorial Prize for Family Law Assistance Program: Professional Practice
Supported by the Family of Louise Crockett
- Georgia Godfrey
Prize for Sport and Law
Supported by Tim North
- Patrick Richards
Patrick Richards accepts his prize from Sally Andersen, Experiential Education Lecturer.
Sir Charles Lowe Moot Prize for Best Senior Advocate
Supported by the Sir Charles Lowe Trust
- Kathryn Cawley
- Thomas McIntosh
Kathryn Cawley accepts her prize from Associate Professor Becky Batagol.
Thomas McIntosh accepts his prize from Sally Andersen, Experiential Education Lecturer.
The Honourable Chief Justice William Alstergren AO KC Prize for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
- Virginia Duker
BEST HONOURS THESIS
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Excellence in the Honours Thesis
- Alexander Wolnizer
RUNNER-UP BEST BACHELOR OF LAWS (LLB) HONOURS STUDENT
Monash Law Alumni Excellence Prize for Runner-Up Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student
Supported by Robyn Campbell, Phoebe Dunn, Robyn Griffin, James Hawkins, Andrew Kroger, Tony Pane and John Steven
- Amelia Morris
Amelia Morris accepts her prize from Professor Marilyn Pittard.
BEST BACHELOR OF LAWS (LLB) HONOURS STUDENT
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student
- Maya Ranganathan