Available projects in a sub-area
Warren Centre for Civil Justice
| AI Is Changing the Landscape in Legal Education and Practice: What does this mean for Law Schools? | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3868 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Dr Jacqueline Weinberg Email: jacqueline.weinberg@monash.edu Research profile: Dr Jacqueline Weinberg |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details The convergence of legal tech innovation and legal education presents a unique opportunity to prepare future lawyers for the rapidly evolving demands of legal practice in 2030. I am seeking a research assistant to assist with projects examining the impact of artificial intelligence on legal practice and legal education, with a focus on students’ skill development as current law students and skill preparation for their future practice in rapidly changing environments. This project will explore the real-world skills that future lawyers will need and ways to prepare them for AI and tech literacy. Students will do deep research and provide a report on future skill requirements and how to develop an interactive platform that can be used to train lawyers of the future. I am currently working on two projects. One is exploring how AI-enabled legal tools are changing the way lawyers produce, review and refine complex legal documents, and what this means for lawyer workflows, supervision, professional responsibility, client service and legal education. Another is focused on AI Usage in Clinics, gathering data from clinic students on their use of AI in the clinics and in other units. Both these projects focus on how law schools can prepare students for a profession in which legal drafting and other forms of legal work are increasingly supported by AI. The scholarship student will assist with preparing a literature review on the impact of AI in legal practice and legal education. This may include reviewing academic scholarship, professional reports, policy documents and material on current and emerging AI platforms and legal technology tools. The role may also involve helping to identify key themes, including efficiency, quality, risk, accountability, ethics, supervision, graduate capabilities and future skills for legal practice. The work done during this time will contribute to further empirical or scoping research, including mapping current AI tools used in legal practice, examining legal tech start-ups in this space, and supporting the design of interviews or focus groups with legal practitioners, in-house counsel and legal educators. This project would suit a student with interest in building their research and writing skills, an interest in legal technology, AI, legal education and the future of the legal profession, and the ability to work independently and thoughtfully with emerging scholarship and practice-based materials. Please do not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Remedying climate injustice in ACT public housing | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3869 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
A/Prof Cristy Clark Email: cristy.clark@monash.edu Research profile: A/Prof Cristy Clark |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details In August 2024, the ACT became the first jurisdiction in Australia to recognise the right to a healthy environment, with the right taking effect on 17 March 2025. In September 2025, the ACT also recognised the right to housing. Despite these progressive developments, Canberra Community Law has observed a growing ‘repairs crisis’ in ACT public housing, with tenants waiting for up to 12 months for urgent repairs. During a recent heat wave, this meant many households were living in housing that could not be kept at healthy temperatures – raising the question of whether the ACT government is complying with its human rights obligations, and how well equipped it is to ensure climate equality for public housing tenants as extreme weather events become more frequent and intense. Working in collaboration with Canberra Community Law (online), this project will complete stage one of a report into gaps in the realisation of the right to a healthy environment and the right to adequate housing for residents of ACT public housing. The report will set out the human rights obligations of the ACT government, contextualised against international standards (including those recognised in the recent ICJ Climate AO) and relevant comparative jurisprudence. It will then document statistics from Canberra Community Law’s advice line, and de-identified aggregated case studies to highlight potential structural issues with the ACT government’s human rights compliance. Finally, it will provide recommendations for policy reform. The final report will be launched in January 2027 to coincide with the coming into effect of the right to housing under the Human Rights ACT 2004 (ACT). This role will require strong legal research and writing skills. Familiarity with human rights law would also be an advantage but is not essential as close supervision will be provided. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Productive Friction: From Legal Education to Civil Justice | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3870 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Dr Paul Burgess Email: paul.burgess@monash.edu Research profile: Dr Paul Burgess |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details The project considers whether Friction -- an AI-supported assessment platform developed by the TAILER Lab (Technology and AI in Legal Education Research Lab) at Monash Law – can be used to enhance access to justice. Friction’s founding premise is that AI use — by students, legal practitioners, or anyone navigating a complex process or system — will occur regardless of institutional rules, assessment policies, or other preventive mechanisms. The relevant question is not whether people will use AI; they will. The question is whether they will engage with it critically or passively. Friction was designed on the basis that the right response to AI use is not to limit or prevent it, but to ensure that the higher-order cognitive work — verification, critical reasoning, and genuine intellectual engagement with AI outputs — is preserved. In a legal education context, that means creating an environment in which AI functions as a scaffold for thinking rather than a substitute for it, and in which the quality of a student’s engagement with AI becomes meaningful evidence of genuine learning. The project considers whether Friction’s design principles extend beyond legal education — specifically, whether similar approaches could improve how AI tools are used in civil justice self-help contexts, where passive reliance can cause direct legal harm to people navigating disputes without legal assistance. The output is a research article on productive friction as a design principle in legal contexts, with a substantive section assessing its civil justice applicability. The scholarship student’s work will directly inform that article. Tasks for the scholarship student The student will work directly with the Friction project team on a structured programme of research: 1. Literature review: Structured literature review of productive friction, active engagement, and human–AI interaction in legal education and professional formation and AI use in civil justice self-help contexts. 2. Comparative analysis and design audit: Comparative analysis mapping the shared passive-reliance problem across legal education and civil justice settings, and assessing selected civil justice AI tools against Friction’s design framework. 3. Research article support: Drafting support for the civil justice section of the research article being prepared on the Friction project. Desired background and skills Completion of Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Administrative Law, or Legal Technology units advantageous; Demonstrated coding or software development experience (formal study, personal projects, or prior work); Demonstrated interest in innovation or entrepreneurship (hackathon participation, startup incubators, or equivalent valued); Strong research and analytical writing skills. Prior involvement in legal technology, access to justice work, or law reform is highly regarded. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| AI-Assisted Supervision Support for Students in Community Legal Practice | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3872 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Emily Singh Email: emily.singh@monash.edu Research profile: Emily Singh |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details The TAILER Lab at Monash Law is developing a secure AI assistant for law clinic students, accessible when supervisors are temporarily unavailable. The tool provides structured procedural guidance — helping students identify next steps in client matters and clarify process questions — as a ‘human-in-the-loop’ supplement to supervisor judgment. All outputs remain subject to supervisor sign-off. The project has direct access to justice significance. Monash Law Clinics assists around 1,600 individuals per year. A validated AI supervision support tool has the potential to extend the reach of supervised legal services nationally, contributing to addressing significant unmet legal need in the community legal centre sector. Tasks for the scholarship student 1. Data identification and anonymisation: Identification of data relevant to training the AI assistant through the Monash Law Clinics database, including review of anonymisation requirements for suitability in a training function. 2. Regulatory framework review: Structured review of regulatory, ethical, and professional responsibility frameworks governing AI use in supervised legal practice, including Law Council of Australia guidance, Victorian Legal Services Board publications, and relevant international sources. Desired background: 3. Strong legal research skills; familiarity with legal databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis); 4. Interest in clinical legal education, legal technology, or access to justice; 5. At least two years of law study recommended; 6. Background in computer science and/or experience in clinical legal programs advantageous. The project team is multidisciplinary, spanning Law, Business & Economics (SoDa Laboratories), Education, and Information Technology. The scholarship student will work primarily with Emily Singh (Lecturer (Practice) and Principal Lawyer, Monash Law Clinics), who brings direct clinical supervisory experience to the project. No prior experience with AI systems is required; curiosity and strong research skills are more important. Students with an interest in community legal work, clinical programs, or legal technology would find this role particularly rewarding. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Analysis of literature on risk assessment/screening tools in family dispute resolution/mediation | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3874 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Jennifer Lindstrom and A/Prof Becky Batagol Email: jennifer.lindstrom@monash.edu Research profile: Jennifer Lindstrom and A/Prof Becky Batagol |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details This project will involve a targeted literature review of family violence risk assessment tools, with a focus on best practice principles, efficacy, and critical evaluations of existing frameworks. Particular attention will be given to tools such as MARAM and Family DOORS, alongside other relevant instruments. The project will also analyse literature addressing risk assessment and screening practices within family mediation contexts, with an emphasis on Australian scholarship published between 2016 and 2026. The research will be synthesised into a critical literature review organised around key themes and emerging issues in the field. Please do not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| The New Delegation Problem for Courts and Civil Justice Institutions | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3875 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Sally Anderson Email: sally.anderson@monash.edu |
| Prerequisites Desired background: Strong legal research skills; familiarity with legal databases (Westlaw, LexisNexis); Interest in courts and civil justice, administrative law, evidence, or legal technology; At least two years of law study recommended; Litigation and Dispute Resolution, Evidence, Administrative Law, or Public Law units advantageous; Experience relating to AI use in courts or civil justice institutions highly desirable. No prior technical experience required. |
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| Additional details Courts and civil justice institutions are rapidly adopting AI tools for functions previously performed by humans — case triage, document classification, and decision support. Fundamental governance questions remain unresolved: which judicial and quasi-judicial functions can appropriately be delegated to AI, and which cannot? What accountability and procedural constraints should apply? This project develops a conceptual framework for understanding and governing AI delegation in courts and civil justice institutions, applying the TAILER Lab’s ‘new delegation problem’ to civil justice institutional settings. The project will produce a peer-reviewed scoping article and a practical framework for judicial practice and civil justice reform. Tasks for the scholarship student 1. Database searches: Structured database searches across Westlaw, LexisNexis, Scopus, and Google Scholar to identify studies relating to the function of delegation within courts and civil justice institutions. 2. Review of AI delegation in courts: Survey of the ways in which AI delegation is currently applied in courts and civil justice institutions across Australia, the UK, EU, and US, with analysis of the delegation function in each case. 3. Annotated literature review and case studies: Preparation of a structured annotated literature review document and identification of key case studies of AI deployment in courts suitable for inclusion in the scoping article. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Sex Work Decriminalisation and Access to Justice in Victoria | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3876 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
A/Prof Samantha Currie Email: Samantha.Currie@monash.edu Research profile: A/Prof Samantha Currie |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). Desirable skills: Strong legal research and writing skills Interest in labour law, human rights, or law reform Some familiarity with socio-legal research (not essential) Preferred subjects: Employment/Labour Law Administrative Law Human Rights, Migration, or Refugee Law |
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| Additional details Following the introduction of the Sex Work Decriminalisation Act 2022 (Vic), sex workers in Victoria can now access legal protections through mainstream civil justice systems. These include protections against discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and exploitation. This project examines how these legal protections operate in practice. It will explore the pathways available to sex workers to enforce their rights, such as making discrimination complaints to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, reporting safety issues to WorkSafe Victoria, and accessing legal support through services like Southside Justice. The project will critically assess whether these mechanisms are accessible and effective in practice, and identify barriers that may persist despite legal reform. It will contribute to a broader research program on regulation, labour, and vulnerability. The research is designed to inform ongoing evaluation and anticipated policy review of the decriminalisation framework in late 2026. Tasks may include: Mapping legal protections and enforcement pathways (e.g. discrimination, workplace safety, privacy) Analysing the role of key institutions (e.g. WorkSafe Victoria, Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission) Conducting a targeted literature and policy review Reviewing reports from advocacy organisations such as Vixen Collective Production of a short research briefing paper |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Unrecognised Loss: How Grief Shapes the Experiences of Family Violence Clients in Legal Settings | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3877 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
A/Prof Cate Banks Email: cate.banks@monash.edu Research profile: A/Prof Cate Banks |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details This project asks students to examine how grief, as a psychological and social experience, intersects with family violence law and what obligations or opportunities this creates for legal practitioners. This research project explores how grief shapes the experiences of family violence clients in legal settings, and what this means for lawyers. You will conduct a structured literature review spanning law, psychology, and social work; analyse Australian legal frameworks including family violence legislation and therapeutic jurisprudence; and reflect on the ethical role of lawyers working with vulnerable clients. Tasks include:
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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| Designing a Courtroom Observation Framework for Procedural Justice in Family Court Hearings | |||
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| Code | Start date | Value | Contact |
| 3878 | 29 June 2026 | $2000 ($500 x 4 weeks) |
Dr Jess Mant Email: jess.mant@monash.edu Research profile: Dr Jess Mant |
| Prerequisites To apply, you must: (a) be a current undergraduate or postgraduate law student and not in your final semester of your degree; (b) have completed at least one year of law studies by the end of Sem 1 2026 (ie first years are not eligible); (c) have a strong record of academic achievement; and (d) be available to work approximately 25 hours per week for 4 weeks (please note - you should not apply if you will be overseas or interstate for the duration of the scholarship, nor if you will be substantially unavailable because of other commitments). |
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| Additional details In this project, the student will develop a structured observation framework to support an empirical study of procedural justice in family court hearings involving self-represented litigants (SRLs), particularly “uneven” hearings where one party is represented and the other is not. The aim is to identify what features of court hearings should be observed, how this data should be recorded, and how existing methodological approaches can be adapted to this context. The scholarship student will conduct a targeted review of socio-legal and qualitative methodological literature on courtroom observation, including studies of judicial behaviour, procedural justice, and hearings involving SRLs (in family law and other jurisdictions where relevant). The project will also draw on adjacent fields such as ethnography of legal settings and access to justice research. Based on this review, the student will produce a draft observation protocol that identifies key variables and categories to capture during hearings. These may include judicial interventions, procedural adjustments, litigant participation, lawyer conduct, use of adjournments, and spatial/physical courtroom dynamics. At the end, the student will produce two outputs: (1) a structured observation template, and (2) a brief rationale explaining design choices. |
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| Applications Applications closed on Friday, 15 May 2026. |
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