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Meet our new Dean!...Professor Bryan HorriganBA, LLB (Qld) DPhil (Oxon)Dean, Monash Faculty of LawWhy did you choose your career path?The trick is ultimately to pursue your passionand to find your vocation, which is notnecessarily the same as your job. I started Artsand Law at university because I was good atdebating and awful at Science and Mathematics– and legal studies was not even offered when Iwas at school! What I thought my career wouldlook like even after undertaking a scholarship to do a PhD at Oxford, isvery different from where I am now. It does not matter so much which ofthe various stepping stones you take throughout your career, so long asthere is method in the madness!What are some of your career highlights?While many people think that the high point of my Oxford experience wasreceiving a DPhil – what Oxford calls a PhD – one of the greatest academicexperiences of my life was to have the privilege of being supervised by oneof the greatest jurisprudential scholars of the last century, Professor JohnFinnis, the author of Natural Law and Natural Rights, amongst other majorworks. As a keen tennis player, it was also pretty hard to beat being thescoreboard operator for Centre Court at Wimbledon for the fortnight ofthe whole championship at my final year at Oxford, and officiating at boththe men’s and women’s finals. In more than 20 years of service with amajor international law firm, I developed with the firm’s support a uniqueconsultancy role across multiple areas of practice, research, and training.More recently, my service on a three-member expert panel appointed bythe Australian Government has resulted in the Government’s acceptanceof our recommendations and their progressive enshrinement in three majorpieces of law and regulation affecting the national economy – namely theCompetition and Consumer Act, Australian Securities and InvestmentsCommission Act, and the Franchising Code of Conduct.What advice would you give to anyone considering embarking on aMonash law degree?Law matters in a civil society governed by the rule of law. Law is both adiscipline and a profession. Law is now globalised. Law shapes and isshaped by other societal conditions. Above all, law is about justice. Youhave many opportunities here to pay more than lip service to these ideals.The greatest opportunity available to every Monash law student is to takeadvantage of the multiple educational, personal, practical experiencesand support networks that are available to you through the University, theFaculty, and the LSS. As you move towards the end of your degree andpossible career opportunities, you might be surprised at how much theeducational and non-educational opportunities available to you allow youto develop skills and experiences that potential employers of all kinds findvaluable. This is an aspect of strategic career planning that is worthy ofreflection and planning from your first year in law onwards....and staffProfessor Sarah JosephProfessor, Director of the Castan Centre forHuman Rights LawList some of your career highlights:What do you enjoy most about your role inthe Faculty?I work with a great team of people. Humanrights is a very energising area: it has beengreat to work with committed students in thearea, many of whom have gone on to dynamichuman rights careers.• Appointment as Director of the Castan Centre in 2005• Co-authorship and publication of International Covenant on Civil andPolitical Rights which has become recognised as the leading casesand materials book on one of the world’s most important human rightstreaties.• Having over 4,000 followers on twitter (follow me at profsarahj)How do you try to have a positive impact on undergraduate students?The Castan Centre operates many programs for UG students such as theGlobal Internship Program, the moot on the Victorian Charter of HumanRights and Responsibilities, and its inhouse internship opportunities. I alsotry to give engaging lectures – it is much better to have an interacativeclass than for them to just listen to me drone on.Do you have any advice for students considering a law degree atMonash?Don’t panic if it all seems a bit bewildering at first. But don’t expect it tobe easy either. Scratch the surface and all law is interesting, and if you areinterested, you will achieve better results!List some of your career highlights?Jamie WalvischLLB, Assistant Lecturer (Criminal Law andProcedure, and Lawyers’ Ethics)Why did you choose your current careerpath?I enjoy teaching, learning about new andinteresting matters in my field, and engagingwith others who have similar passions. A life inacademia allows me the flexibility to pursue allof these interests, as well as to work within thevibrant University culture.Working at the Victorian Law Reform Commission on their Defences toHomicide project (which led to the abolition of provocation as a defence,and significant reforms to the law of self-defence).Working at the Judicial College of Victoria, developing the VictorianCriminal Charge Book (which is the leading guide used by judges wheninstructing juries in criminal trials)How do you try to have a positive impact on Undergraduate Students?I try to instil a passion for the subjects I am teaching, as well as to ensurethat my door is always open for students who require any additionalassistance.What advice would you give to someone considering embarking on adegree with Monash Law School?Although you may need to work hard at times, make sure you take time toenjoy yourself and fully appreciate everything the University has to offer.30