Celebrating high achieving students at 2025 Academic Year Prize Ceremony
Monash Law brought together its highest achieving students, their families, alumni, and members of the legal profession on Tuesday 5 May 2026 for the 2025 Academic Year Student Prize Ceremony, held at the Alexander Theatre in Melbourne.
For the first time, the Faculty combined its undergraduate and postgraduate prize presentations into a single event and the scale of the evening matched the moment. A full theatre, a long list of awards, and a shared sense of excitement set the tone for a spectacular evening.
The ceremony recognised students whose work stood out across the Faculty. It also made space to acknowledge the people who helped them get there, the families, partners, teachers, and mentors who carried the load alongside them.
Professor Steven Vaughan with the Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC KC Prize for Best Juris Doctor Student, Elizabeth Pearce and Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student, Grace Ficinus.
A night shaped by community, purpose, and recognition
Opening the evening, Dean of the Faculty of Law Professor Steven Vaughan wasted no time and no words in celebrating our high achievers.
“We are here tonight to celebrate you, our prize winners, your work, your commitment, your dedication, your success.”
He also took the opportunity to honour and acknowledge the people who have stood beside our students - their families and friends, partners, teachers, mentors and supervisors.
“If you are one of our prize winners here this evening, you did not end up here alone.”
That idea, that achievement is something shared, was a theme that ran through the evening. It echoed the message printed in the ceremony program, which framed each award not just as a result, but as evidence of care, persistence, and curiosity shaped over time.
Professor Vaughan also used the moment to challenge students to think about what comes next.
“What is your purpose as some of our very best and very brightest?”
”Whatever you do and wherever you go, I ask one thing of you. Please think about your choices.”
“Almost all of my own research into lawyers' ethics comes down to one central idea: that lawyers have agency. Agency in how they speak, in what they choose to do, and how they choose to do it. Agency to lead with integrity, to ask better questions, to challenge what needs challenging.
Agency to choose kindness in a profession that does not always reward kindness, and agency to remember that law is a deeply human puzzle,” Professor Vaughan said.
This was an opportunity to recognise our students for what they had done, but also for what they might choose to do with their success.
Helen Sawczak reflects on careers that don’t follow a straight line
The prize giving address was delivered by Monash Law alumna Helen Sawczak, an executive leader whose career has crossed law, business, government, and international trade.
She grounded the room in gratitude by reiterating the sentiments of the Dean.
“As you celebrate your achievement, remember with humility to be grateful to those people who have collectively brought you here tonight.”
Helen Sawczak presenting the prize giving address.
Sawczak used her own story to give weight to this advice. After starting as a corporate lawyer at MinterEllison, Sawczak moved through roles in London, Moscow and Kazakhstan, before returning to Australia and building a career across Telstra, Australia Post, ANZ, and the NSW Government in Shanghai.
But she did not present that journey as a plan that unfolded neatly.
“I’m not really sure why I’m here tonight. I have a very average law degree.”
Instead she emphasised that what mattered more to her was how decisions were made along the way.
“ I really craved more international experience, so I wrote letters to a couple of New York and London firms. No jobs were actually advertised. I just wrote to them cold - snail mail, old form letters.”
“I remember hearing that a large proportion of jobs are not in fact advertised, so you have to create your own opportunities in life and take the initiative. “
Watch Helen Sawczak’s full prize giving address on YouTube.
Sawczak also spoke about stepping away from law and rethinking what she wanted from her work.
“ The career timeout is highly recommended if you have the luxury to do so. Don't just snowball into your career. Stop and reassess along the way.”
“In yoga, we call it treasure mapping. You work out your treasure and you map your way there.”
It was a heartfelt address that easily connected with everyone in the room - whether they were prize winning students, alumni, sponsors, family, friends or faculty. Then she drew a sharper line around what success should look like.
“ You're not defined by your work, your career highlights, or how much you earn. You are defined by your integrity and your humanity.”
“And be authentic. Our profession is heavily influenced by stereotypical ideas of success and power. You don't have to be off the set of Suits, LA Law, or How to Get Away with Murder.”
“Be you. Everyone else is already taken.”
Sawczak threw open the doors of possibility and urged graduates to stay open to paths beyond traditional legal roles.
“There are strong preconceptions and expectations of what a legal career looks like, but they’re only a fraction of the possibilities.”
“ I wish you all the best of luck as you embark on your career, and I hope you're not burdened by the weight of expectation of others, nor limited by any caps on your possibilities.”
Professor Gerry Nagtzaam was the MC for the first half of the 2025 Academic Year Student Prize Ceremony and announced the postgraduate prizes.
Elizabeth Pearce named Best Juris Doctor Student
The Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC KC Prize for Best Juris Doctor Student, was awarded to Elizabeth Pearce.
Pearce’s pathway into law was slightly different to the traditional route. Before beginning her JD, she worked as a writer and research curator at the Museum of Old and New Art in Tasmania.
Accepting the prize, she reflected on the decision to start again.
“ I could talk about my decision to leave a cushy arts job at age 39 and start again in a totally different profession,” Pearce said.
The Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC KC Prize for Best Juris Doctor Student winner, Elizabeth Pearce.
“I could try to offer you an explanation as to why I decided to make this change. It would be sort of pointless though, because the truth is I still don't really know why I did it, apart from the feeling that I just wasn't done yet.”
“Almost immediately, from my first law class of January 2023, I knew it was the right decision.”
Pearce spoke openly about the challenges of returning to study later in life.
“ I could also go on and on about the challenges of starting again in your 40s. One of the consolations of getting older is you have some runs on the board. Someone asks you a question, and you actually know the answer.”
“I found it humbling, to put it mildly, to be sitting in a classroom alongside people almost 20 years younger than me, completely clueless.”
Elizabeth Pearce presents her thank you speech after being awarded the Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC KC Prize for Best Juris Doctor Student.
Despite the challenges, Pearce was never alone. She also described the moments that made the JD experience meaningful, including a simple act of kindness from a classmate who helped her when she felt out of place.
“ I had a bit of a moment in one of my first classes where we were learning about using one of the legal databases. I looked around me, and everybody, including the people my age, seemed to know what to do.”
“I thought, ‘I don't know if I can do this. The whole degree thing, it's just too many new things layered on top of each other.’ One of my younger classmates noticed I was struggling and came over and helped me. It was a kindness that I've always remembered.”
Professor Steven Vaughan and Elizabeth Pearce.
She closed by turning to the people who made her achievement possible.
“ My son Jack, who is now 12, started a new school at the same time I started my law degree. The change was really hard for him, and his bravery helped me to be brave, too.”
“Jack is, along with his dad, my greatest supporter. He has celebrated my achievements, but more importantly, he reminds me that none of it really matters as much as it feels like in the moment, and I should sit down, stop tidying up, stop overthinking things, and just relax.”
“He's smarter than me like that, and I still have a lot to learn from him.”
Professor Marilyn Pittard was the MC for the second half of the 2025 Academic Year Student Prize Ceremony and announced the undergraduate prizes.
Grace Ficinus awarded Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student
The final award of the evening, Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student, went to Grace Ficinus.
“ When I started studying law five years ago, I never thought I would be here giving this speech. I studied hard because I take pride in my work and want to do my best, not to be top student.”
The Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student winner, Grace Ficinus.
“I could not have done this alone. I thank my parents, brother, extended family, friends, and my lecturers and tutors for their support in helping me get here,” Ficinus said.
She is the first in her family to study law, but not the first in her family to go to Monash University.
“ My parents were the first in their families to go to university, and yes, they did meet at Monash.”
Grace Ficinus presents her thank you speech after being awarded the Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student.
Like many Monash Law students, Ficinus completed a double degree, combining law with global studies, a pairing that shaped her interest in law reform.
“ In my international studies specialisation, we examined globalisation on a societal level. In my second year, I studied one unit, Post Conflict, that, unknowingly at the time, lay the foundations for my love of law reform. My favorite area of the law.”
“In Post Conflict, we examined how societies heal after conflict. Law reform examines law at the societal level, exploring how the law interacts with society and how it can be improved. It also looks at societal problems and asks if the law can be used to tackle them, and sometimes the answer is no. The law isn't perfect, but it is the law, at least for now.”
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student, Grace Ficinus with Professor Steven Vaughan.
Ficinus completed her clinical placement in the Monash Law Reform Clinic with the Australia Institute, a nonpartisan think tank. She was very thankful to her Clinics supervisor, Sally Anderson, whose mentorship she said, was invaluable.
“ It was a really transformative experience to actually know that the legal research I was doing could be used to be built off for policy submissions by the Australia Institute. I believe that thoroughly researched law reform is crucial for society.”
“I think that the law reform commissions should be better funded so they can do more than one really well done report a year.”
In 2025 Ficinus also contributed to the 50th anniversary of Clinical Legal Education at Monash University by writing a profile on alum Louise Goh, General Counsel for The Lost Dogs’ Home.
She also worked with Professor Steven Vaughan on a research project about law firms and ESG reporting, which the Dean acknowledged when he announced her award.
“ It was really lovely to work with you Grace,” Professor Vaughan said.
Recognising achievement across the Faculty
Across the evening, dozens of prizes were awarded to undergraduate and postgraduate students, supported by law firms, alumni, and the Faculty itself.
Recipients were recognised across core subjects, specialist areas, and clinical programs.
Best Research Publication 2024
Emeritus Professor HP Lee Student's Publication Prize
Supported by Robyn Campbell, Mark Hayes, Jane Hodder and Kathie Sampson
Prize winner: M. Pizuar Hossain
Runner-up: Tien Dat Hoang
Best Research Publication 2025
Emeritus Professor HP Lee Student's Publication Prize
Supported by Robyn Campbell, Mark Hayes, Jane Hodder and Kathie Sampson
Prize Winner: Anna Moskal
Runner-up: M. Pizuar Hossain
Emeritus Professor HP Lee and Anna Moskal.
2024 Postgraduate Prize Recipients
The following prizes are proudly supported by the legal community and industry:
Ashurst Prize for Negotiation: Essential Skills for Dispute Resolution
Olivia Renee Di Sisto
Australian Italian Lawyers Association Prize for Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
James David McCathie
Beichu Wang
Professor Paula Gerber and James David McCathie.
Professor Paula Gerber and Beichu Wang.
Clayton Utz Prize for Contemporary Perspectives on Construction Law
Gabrielle Crafti
Clayton Utz Prize for Principles of Contract Law B
Kevin Dorr
Alexandra Tighe from Clayton Utz and Kevin Dorr.
Davies Collison Cave Prize for Intellectual Property
William Michael Annett
Aaron Yates from Davies Collison Cave and William Michael Annett.
Forte Family Lawyers Prize for Mediation A: Foundations of Mediation
Jessica Low
Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer Prize for Law of Employee Relations
Simon Judd-Mole
Nicholas Ogilvie from Herbert Smith Freehills Kramer and Simon Judd-Mole.
iappANZ Prize for Privacy and Surveillance: Law, Policy and Governance
Ashvina Suielang Sinnetamby
Professor Paula Gerber and Ashvina Suielang Sinnetamby.
Maddocks (Real Estate) Prize for Advanced Property Law
Brendan Litan
Maddocks Prize for Principles of Administrative Law
Brendan Litan
Mahlab Recruitment Prize for Ethics in Legal Practice
Ana Sofia Nilufar Viana
Mallesons Prize for Principles of Contract Law A
William Michael Jackson-Martin
MST Lawyers Prize for Negotiation and Influence: Strategy and Skills
Tina Aalaei
Taussig Cherrie Fildes Prize for Principles of trusts
Hamish Connor
Professor Paula Gerber and Hamish Connor.
Thomson Reuters Prize for Principles of Constitutional Law
Nicholas Walter Webb Smith
Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner Prize for Regulating Artificial Intelligence, Technology, and Cyberspace
Joshua Michael Bruni
Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner Prize for Regulation and Regulators
Zachary Morrison Avery-Mitchell
Iris Mary Lynn Shuttleworth
Matt Anstee from Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner and Zachary Morrison Avery-Mitchell.
Matt Anstee from Victorian Legal Services Board & Commissioner and Iris Mary Lynn Shuttleworth.
The following prizes are proudly supported by the Faculty of Law at Monash University:
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Advocacy
Jessica Low
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Arbitration of International Commercial Disputes
Modi Deng
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Australian Legal Process and Research
Muryam Rehman Syed
Senior Lecturer Alicia Wright and Muryam Rehman Syed.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Australian Legal Reasoning and Methods
Jules Marlow Boas
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Competition Law
Laura Mar Furze
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Copyright
Jessica Low
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Corporate and White Collar Crime
Tanvi Seth
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Cybercrime
Imogen Margaret Claire Nelson
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Defamation Law
Elizabeth Pearce
Professor Paula Gerber and Elizabeth Pearce.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Discrimination Law and Human Rights at Work
Shuo Lin
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for International Entertainment Law
Tianchi Liu
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for International Environmental Law
Lulu Zhang
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Company Law
Rosemary Bozana Bagaric
Professor Paula Gerber and Rosemary Bozana Bagaric.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Criminal Law and Procedure
Victoria Kundayi Kambungara
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Equity
Olivia Patricia Moroney
Lecturer Dora Vanda and Olivia Patricia Moroney.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Evidence
Noah Hammersley
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Adhithi Krishnakumar
Lecturer Dora Vanda and Adhithi Krishnakumar.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Taxation
Elizabeth Pearce
Lecturer Dora Vanda and Elizabeth Pearce.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Principles of Torts
Michaela Eleni Tsirmiris
Lecturer Dora Vanda and Michaela Eleni Tsirmiris.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Professional Project
Joshua Michael Bruni
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Public International Law
Jack Raymond Dowsett
Lecturer Dora Vanda and Jack Raymond Dowsett.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Trade Marks and Commercial Designations
Samantha Grace Willie
The following prizes are named in honour of individuals who have made a significant contribution to the Faculty of Law and supporting organisations:
Annie Moylan JD Professional Practice Prize
Supported by marshalls+dent+wilmoth lawyers
Remeny Elsa Twigden
Lachlan Brown Memorial Prize for Principles of Property Law
Supported by the Brown Family
Jonathan Christopher Stathy
Emeritus Professor HP Lee and Jonathan Christopher Stathy.
The Honourable Chief Justice William Alstergren AO KC Prize for Principles of Family Law
Simon Judd-Mole
Emeritus Professor HP Lee and Simon Judd-Mole.
The Honourable Pamela Tate AM KC Prize for Principles of Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
Anna Terzaghi
The Honourable Pamela Tate AM KC and Anna Terzaghi.
RUNNER-UP BEST JURIS DOCTOR STUDENT
Monash Law Alumni Excellence Prize for Runner Up Best Juris Doctor Student
Supported by Robyn Campbell, Phoebe Dunn, Robyn Griffin, James Hawkins, Andrew Kroger, Tony Pane and John Steven
Simon Judd-Mole
Tony Pane and Simon Judd-Mole.
BEST JURIS DOCTOR STUDENT
Chief Justice Marilyn Warren AC KC Prize for Best Juris Doctor Student
Elizabeth Pearce
Professor Steven Vaughan and Elizabeth Pearce.
Best Honours Thesis
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Excellence in the Honours Thesis
Alexander Sachs
Tara Josephine Schwarz
2025 Undergraduate Prize Recipients
The following prizes are proudly supported by the legal community and industry:
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Corporations Law
Rachel Elizabeth Cox
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Property A
Mila Goren-Chirico
Arnold Bloch Leibler Prize for Taxation Law
Sara Agnes Williams
Baker McKenzie Prize for Contract B
Samuel Joseph Pang
Barbayannis Lawyers Prize for Introduction to Family Law
Yiying Lu
Melissa Pandeli from Barbayannis Lawyers and Yiying Lu.
College of Law Prize for Clinical Placement
Vaishnavi Kiritharan
Sophie Williams from College of Law and Vaishnavi Kiritharan.
College of Law Prize for In-house Clinical Placement: Law Reform and Systemic Change
Daniel Caine
Cornwalls Prize for Mooting and Advocacy Competition
Declan Mark Sullivan
Richard Hutchings from Cornwalls and Declan Mark Sullivan.
Davies Collison Cave Prize for Patents and Trade Marks
Joel Sharen Colin
Aaron Yates from Davies Collison Cave and Joel Sharen Colin.
DLA Piper Prize for Introduction to Intellectual Property
Alexander Charles Wolnizer
Robynne Sanders from DLA Piper and Alexander Charles Wolnizer.
Essendon Fields Prize for Property B
Mridul Garg
Forte Family Lawyers Prize for Professional Practice
Erin Louisa Atalla
Holding Redlich Prize for Law of Employment
Elly Sophia Miechel
Ben Marshall from Holding Redlich and Elly Sophia Miechel.
Law Institute of Victoria Prize for AI, Technology and the Law
Jade Tia Swiatlo
Amanda Guruge from Law Institute of Victoria and Jade Tia Swiatlo.
Leo Cussen Centre for Law Prize for Lawyers' Ethics in Practice
Carly Olivia Glasser
Fonda Gazis from Leo Cussen Centre for Law and Carly Olivia Glasser.
Maddocks (Banking & Finance) Prize for Australian Banking Law
Nicholas Shaun Brown
Ilan Kraus from Maddocks and Nicholas Shaun Brown.
Maddocks Prize for Public Law and Statutory Interpretation
Natasha Mina Freiberg
Mallesons Prize for Torts
Karina Ava Dastur
Emily Heffernan from Mallesons and Karina Ava Dastur.
Moray & Agnew Prize for Foundations of Law
Harman Tutt
Moray & Agnew Prize for Litigation and Dispute Resolution
Andrew Francis Mathieson
PCL Lawyers Prize for Commercial Transactions
Hudson Harry Levine
Senior Lecturer Lisa Di Marco and Hudson Harry Levine.
Slater & Gordon Prize for Legal Issues in Medicine
Georgina Milly Le Maistre
Society of Construction Law Australia Prize for Construction Law: Principles and Practice
Thomas Harry Buchanan
Jennifer Irwin from the Society of Construction Law Australia and Thomas Harry Buchanan.
Thomson Reuters Prize for Constitutional Law
Kamya Malhotra
Senior Lecturer Lisa Di Marco and Kamya Malhotra.
UniSuper Prize for Administrative Law
Erin Rae Schubert
Victoria Legal Aid Family Dispute Resolution Service Prize for Non-Adversarial Justice
Vaishnavi Kiritharan
Sam Lawry from Victoria Legal Aid Family Dispute Resolution Service and Vaishnavi Kiritharan.
The following prizes are proudly supported by the Faculty of Law at Monash University:
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Animal Law
Luke Michael Shannan
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Junior Advocate
Lan-Tian Yen-West
Alexander Xing
Haneen Ashmeel
Thomas Hall from Monash Law Students’ Society and Haneen Ashmeel.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Challenging Government Law Reform And Public Advocacy
Miranda Yvette Bourke
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Contract A
Elizabeth Rose MacKinnon
Andie Jayne Rawlings
Senior Lecturer Lisa Di Marco and Andie Jayne Rawlings.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Copyright And Designs
Bianca Jasmine Terlato
Senior Lecturer Lisa Di Marco and Bianca Jasmine Terlato.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Discrimination Law
Julia Rose Fullard
Associate Professor Becky Batagol and Julia Rose Fullard.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Evidence
Madeleine Simone Coles-Fitzpatrick
Associate Professor Becky Batagol and Madeleine Simone Coles-Fitzpatrick.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Gender and the Law
Nethmi Nawarathna
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for International Investment Law
Olivia Grace Johnson
Associate Professor Becky Batagol and Olivia Grace Johnson.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Private Investment Law
Lavanya Maureende Mel
Associate Professor Becky Batagol and Lavanya Maureende Mel.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Succession Law
Gisele Jennifer Srour
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Succession Law
Tahlia May Lawes
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for The Law Of Financial Transactions
Lavanya Maureen de Mel
Lecturer Sally Andersen and Lavanya Maureen de Mel.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for the Media, Defamation and Privacy
Harry William Robert Gell
Lecturer Sally Andersen and Harry William Robert Gell.
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Trusts
Maanya Kapoor
Lecturer Sally Andersen and Maanya Kapoor.
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 group of tax law alumni
Natalie Vujmilovic
Stewart Grieve from Johnson Winter Slattery and Natalie Vujmilovic.
Carol Keating Prize for Criminal Law and Procedure 2
Supported by the Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria
Nina Kostovski
Dmitry Rozkin from the Office of Public Prosecutions Victoria and Nina Kostovski.
David Flavell Prize for Competition and Consumer Law
Tobias James Culican
Lecturer Sally Andersen and Tobias James Culican.
David Flavell Prize for Equity
Georgina Rose Davis
Zoe Rivers
Lecturer Sally Andersen and Zoe Rivers.
Julian Burnside Prize for International Human Rights
Piper Jane Davis
Kumar Amarasekara Prize for Criminal Law 1
Supported by the Kumar Amarasekara Bequest Fund
Emily Walsh
Louise Crockett Memorial Prize for Family Law Assistance Program: Professional Practice
Supported by the Family of Louise Crockett
Emma Grace Wheelahan Mills
Sir Charles Lowe Moot Prize for Best Senior Advocate
Supported by the Sir Charles Lowe Trust
Joshua Hu
Chao Cheng
Demitri Kaminis
Thomas Hall from Monash Law Students’ Society and Joshua Hu.
Thomas Hall from Monash Law Students’ Society and Chao Cheng.
The Honourable Chief Justice William Alstergren AO KC Prize for Negotiation and Conflict Resolution
Rachel Marie Malley
Associate Professor Marc Trabsky and Rachel Marie Malley.
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
Alexandra Richards
Tony Pane and Alexandra Richards.
BEST BACHELOR OF LAWS (LLB) HONOURS STUDENT
Monash Faculty of Law Prize for Best Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Student
Grace Ficinus
Grace Ficinus and Professor Steven Vaughan.