Monash Clinical Legal Education in Shaping Australia Awards
Late last year, Monash Law Clinics was shortlisted as one of 18 finalists out of 112 submissions in Universities Australia’s Shaping Australia Awards. Winners were announced at the end of February 2023.
The Monash Clinical Legal Education Program gives Monash Law students the opportunity to work with real clients, on real issues, under supervision from legal professionals. It gives vulnerable people access to justice that is free and confidential.
It’s a program that changes lives - for students and the community.
The Shaping Australia Awards recognise university initiatives that are judged to be the most valuable for the nation, with a $2500 prize for the winner of each category. Additionally there is a People’s Choice vote, giving the Australian community the opportunity to vote for their favourite entry.
Monash Law Clinics was shortlisted in the Community Champion Award which recognises life-changing community service. The finalists in this category were:
- Monash University: A voice for the voiceless – 50 Years of meeting diverse community legal needs;
- Southern Cross University: A safe haven and partner – Northern Rivers floods;
- CQUniversity: U-BEACH, a beach for everyone;
- The University of Western Australia: Leading the charge on Indigenous suicide prevention;
- The University of South Australia: ifarmwell – ending the suicide epidemic devastating rural communities, and;
- Curtin University: The tax clinic initiative – free tax services for vulnerable communities.
The Clinical Legal Education submission was prepared by Professor Jeff Giddings, President of the Monash Law Clinics Management Committee. Building on the almost 50 year history of the Monash Clinical Legal Education Program, Prof Giddings highlighted the public benefit of the Monash Law Clinics - something that reaches far beyond students’ educational benefits.
Read Monash Clinical Legal Education Program's submission to Shaping Australia Awards 2023
In Monash Law Clinics practitioner scholars like Dr Jacqueline Weinberg closely supervise the work of students such as Shehara and Kanimozhi.
It’s how our students develop as skilled, ethical professionals, while meeting the immediate legal needs of local community members.
The Monash Street Law Program was developed in partnership with the Monash Law Students Society back in 2019.
In 2023, this volunteer program harnessed the energy of more than 50 students to deliver interactive community presentations on important human rights and legal issues.
The Afghanistan Support Clinic started in direct response to the Taliban’s violent return to power in August 2021. The clinic supports the ‘Ham Diley Campaign’ (ham diley means solidarity or empathy in Farsi) which initially provided emergency response through direct and indirect support of 86 evacuations.
The persistent efforts of students in the Afghanistan Support Clinic played an important role in helping Hadi and Maryam escape persecution in Afghanistan. Hadi and Maryam arrived safely in Melbourne in March 2023 where they met Monash Law students and Afghanistan Support Clinic Supervisor Azadah Raz Mohammad.
The Social Security Rights Clinic helps vulnerable clients with tax and social security issues. Monash Law Clinics partner with Social Security Rights Victoria to ensure that our work is effectively targeted.
Students like Maxwell and Lucy have worked with real clients, on real issues, under the supervision of the Director of Monash Law Clinics, Joel Townsend.
Universities Australia conducted the formal judging process for the Shaping Australia Awards at the end of January 2024
The winners were announced on Tuesday 27 February at University Australia’s annual gala dinner at Parliament House Canberra.
Unfortunately, the Monash Clinical Legal Education Program did not win, however, participating in the awards raised awareness of the program through a strategic communications campaign on social media across summer.
When the results were announced, the Monash Clinical Legal Education Program was honoured to be included in The Australian alongside other finalists.
Read Monash Clinical Legal Education Program's profile in The Australian
The winner of the Community Champions Award, in which Monash Legal Education Program was a finalist, was CQUniversity: U-BEACH, a beach for everyone.
Monash Law congratulates CQUniversity, other winners and all finalists in the Universities Australia Shaping Australia Awards 2023.