Built to be different from the ground up
Griffith Law School pioneered teaching law with a social context and offering legal clinics that gave students the opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a structured environment, working with real clients and cases. From the beginning, we have been committed to social justice and believe in law as a powerful instrument of change.
Our innovative approaches to teaching have earned our staff national awards for excellence. We're also a community of scholars with an international reputation for unique multidisciplinary research that tackles the unique challenges of our modern, high-tech, globalised society.
When you study law at Griffith, you're studying among the world's best. Griffith is the highest ranked Queensland university for law in the 2017 Academic Rankings of World Universities.
We challenge
the rules
Abiding by laws, regulations and rules is central to a lawyer's way of thinking. But Griffith thinks differently.
It could be our age: as a young law school, we break with tradition. Or it could be our unique commitment to social justice and global change.
Either way, at Griffith, we understand the power of law and know that sometimes you need to challenge the rules, to break them apart and put them back together.
WE PRACTICE WHAT WE TEACH
Associate Professor Susan Harris Rimmer has progressed gender equality through her work with the G20 and as one of Australia's representatives for the W20.
She's been shortlisted for the Australian Financial Review's 100 Women of Influence, Women's Agenda Leadership Award and the Global Thinkers Forum Award for Excellence in Women's Empowerment.
WE ACHIEVE REMARKABLE THINGS
Lecturer Kate van Doore has changed the lives of vulnerable children globally through advocating for the legal recognition of orphanage trafficking as a form of modern day slavery.
In 2017, her incredible work was celebrated with the prestigious Freedom Award from Anti-Slavery Australia.
WE LEAD BY EXAMPLE
Griffith Law School has retained its progressive approach while accumulating international expertise
Celebrating 25 years of Griffith Law School
The Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC (pictured with Dean and Head of School Prof Pene Mathew) charts our history of teaching and research excellence and its impact on legal education in Australia. Address delivered at the 2017 Griffith Law School Gala.
Law Futures Centre
The Law Futures Centre connects an extensive array of multidisciplinary international scholars and policy makers to solve problems and reimagine the way we way think about law in the 21st Century.
Explore
Griffith Legal Clinics
Experience law beyond the classroom
Griffith helped pioneer clinical legal education in Queensland, paving the way for practical learning experiences to be embedded into law degrees. We've maintained our diverse clincal options through successful partnerships and collaborations with dozens of external organisations, ranging from the top end of town to community legal centres that rely on volunteers.
Opportunities
Remarkable learning opportunities
Griffith maintains strong links with industry to ensure we develop and deliver relevant courses based on the latest trends and employer demand. We offer a range of amazing learning opportunities for students including international mooting experiences, global exchanges, Meet the Profession networking events, Judge in Residence and much more.
Research journals
Fearless interdisciplinary research
We maintain two distinctive and highly regarded research journals in conjunction with Taylor and Francis: Griffith Law Review and Australian Feminist Law Journal. We also publish the student run, Griffith Journal of Law and Human Dignity.
Featured alumni
Chris Flynn
"Griffith Law School allows you to embrace the law as a means of improving society and making a contribution towards achieving better outcomes for everybody"
Chris is a partner at top tier law firm Gilbert + Tobin, an independent commercial law firm renowned for their pioneering pro bono work. Chris has played a lead role in some of Australia's recent most high-profile cases, including heading the legal team response for the sucessful release of journalist Peter Greste, who was detained in Egypt for 400 days and supporting the council assisting in the Chan and Sukumaran capital punishment cases.
Kara Cook
Griffith has such a strong emphasis on social justice, something that's critically important to me and practical learning through legal clinics
Kara is director and principal solicitor of COOKLEGAL, the first private expert Domestic Violence law firm in Australia. Her firm is committed to giving back to the community and in particular to services that assist women and children who have been subjected to domestic violence. Kara’s legal work and community service has been recognised by the Lawyers Weekly Top 30 under 30 list and by the Law Council of Australia who named her Australian Young Lawyer of the Year.
News and insights
Book launch – Silenced Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence
Read Book launch – Silenced Victims of Wartime Sexual Violence now
AEL research shines in Three Minute Thesis Heats
Awards showcase outstanding Arts, Education and Law alumni
Read Awards showcase outstanding Arts, Education and Law alumni now