Our research community

The Graduate Researcher Skills seminar series assists research students at Macquarie Law School to develop the high-level analytical and practical skills needed to complete an outstanding thesis and be(come) a well-rounded member of the academic community.

Aim of the series

Comprised of a set of quarterly seminars, the series is designed to encourage graduate researchers to think in an analytical and creative way about their research, collaboration, and their ongoing career.

Each seminar is delivered by an expert in a particular academic skill such as:

• conference and seminar presentations
• socio-legal and other ethics-based research
• engagement with media and other stakeholders
• teaching and other academic roles.

The series provides a supportive and welcoming environment for graduate researchers to develop skills, enhance knowledge, and ask questions freely.  In order to maximise participation, discussion, and engagement, the seminars are conducted in person, with online access for offsite and/or part time students.

HDR researchers are warmly encouraged to attend as many skills seminars as possible. We also recommend attendance at Macquarie Law School's research seminars, which showcase cutting-edge and impactful research across a range of disciplines.

As the Law School's Graduate Research Skills Coordinator, Dr Esther Erlings coordinates the skills seminars. Please contact her with any questions, concerns, or requests for seminar topics. Esther is also available for general skills questions, including in relation to ethics applications.

The MLS HDR community meetings aim to informally discuss and share the experiences of HDR candidates during their candidatures. HDR researchers can present about a recent published, an internship, the PGRF trip, or the field study conducted as some potential topics.

We believe that the varied experiences of HDR candidates would enrich the community as a whole in exploring the scope and extent of the HDR experience at Macquarie Law School.

The Chair of the MLS HDR Community Meetings is Dr Madeline Taylor. Please direct any enquires to madeline.taylor@mq.edu.au.

Law HDR Students Graduate Representative

Our Graduate Representative is Joanna Mitchell.

Joanna has a long association with MLS, having earned both her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees here, as well as teaching within the Law School. She is now a student again undertaking a PhD. As the Law HDR Representative, Joanna advocates for the best interests of Law HDR students, engages with various University departments, and shares relevant information with the student body. As a peer representative, Joanna welcomes feedback and contributions from Law HDR students and is available to discuss all things MLS, including confidential matters. Joanna is excited about fostering collaboration within the MLS HDR community to enhance the University experience.

Joanna can be contacted at joanna.mitchell@hdr.mq.edu.au.

Law HDR communications

Our Law Graduate Researcher Communications, Events, and Social Media Officer is Amrith Sreedevi Babu.

Amrith supports our dedicated law graduate researcher Yammer page, and all the communication needs of our law graduate researcher community, including social and informal events. Amrith can be contacted at amrithnath.sreedevibabu@students.mq.edu.au.

Clubs and societies

Created and run by students, clubs and societies are a great way to connect with and participate with diverse networks to enhance your research experience with others who share your passions, interests or unique hobbies.

Macquarie is home to over 90 student and sports groups. Graduate researchers are encouraged to join Macquarie student clubs and societies.

Academic support and training

The Graduate Research Development team provides support and training with essential research skills and provides access to a range of face-to-face courses and online training resources covering areas such as:

• preparing a thesis
• writing for publication
• presenting at conferences
• using software to handle qualitative or quantitative data
• managing a research project.

Learn more about the full range of training to advance your writing and research skills with the Graduate Research Academy.

The law graduate researcher annual conference provides a valuable opportunity for graduate researchers to present their work to an audience of faculty members and fellow students.

The conference comprises two different kinds of presentations:

1. Work in progress presentations

   All PhD and MRes candidates are invited to make a 20-minute work-in-progress presentation with 10 minutes for questions afterwards. Students often harness this opportunity to obtain feedback on a thesis chapter or to practice for a conference presentation.

2. PhD and MRes completion presentations

   PhD and MRes candidates can present an overview of their thesis 3-6 months before submitting or up to six months after submission to disseminate their research. The presentation should include the ‘objectives, methods, findings and significance’ of the research for 20 minutes followed by 10 minutes of questions.

3. MLS HDR Annual Conference

The 2024 Law Graduate Researcher Annual Conference will be held on Friday 6 September 2024 from 9am – 5pm. The theme of the 2024 Conference is 'Making Tomorrow Better' in line with Macquarie Law School's five key research clusters. The Conference will provide MRes and PhD candidates with a valuable opportunity to network, disseminate their critical research, and further develop presentation skills.

• Read our MLS HDR 2023 Annual Conference Report.
• Read our MLS HDR 2024 Annual Conference Report.

Law Graduate Research Career Pathways event

The Macquarie Law School HDR community hosted the Law Graduate Research Career Pathways event on 22 May 2024 from 6pm – 7.30 pm, in room 330 in the Michael Kirby Building. HDR leaders Amrith and Tatiana conceptualised and led the event and extended an invitation to law HDR alumni from a variety of sectors to participate in a panel discussion as part of the event. It also represented the first MLS HDR alumni event.

Panelists discussed a variety of aspects of HDR life, as well as the distinctive experiences and opportunities they were afforded at Macquarie Law School. The Graduate Research Academy team and the University's Alumni Relations team also participated in the event.

The opportunity to interact with the alumni, discussing how they overcame setbacks and other aspects of HDR life, greatly enriched the current Law HDR candidates. In general, the event was a resounding success and served as the inaugural event in a series of events in which Law HDR alumni will be involved. In addition, the GRA was impressed by the Law HDR community's initiatives, which they intend to emulate in their own unique manner.

The Law HDR alumni panellists included:

• Dr Jenny Li – Partner, Longton Legal
• Dr Danielle Moon – Lecturer, Macquarie Law School
• Dr Vannessa Ho – Legal Officer, Australian Law Reform Commission
• Dr Sebghatullah Qazi Zada – Lawyer of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Dr Vannessa Ho – Joint winner of the 2024 Holt Prize

The Holt Prize is a biennial competition that is open to first-time authors. The winners are awarded with a cash prize and publishing contract with Federation Press. This year's judging panel comprised the Hon James Allsop AC, Professor Barbara McDonald, and Elizabeth Collins SC. Vannessa is a joint winner of this year's Holt Prize for her PhD thesis: Facilitating Appropriate Forum Choices in Transnational Intellectual Property Litigation. Vannessa shares the prize with Dr Julian Murphy of the Victorian Bar, for his thesis Constitutionally Protective Statutory Interpretation.

Vannessa's thesis considers how the increasing use of emerging technologies and international transactions leads to a tantamount increase in intellectual property proceedings around the world. This raises questions about which forum is an efficient and fair place to litigate transnational disputes. She proposes that harmonisation of private international law rules relating to jurisdiction is the most suitable way to identify appropriate forum choices for litigants.

Vannessa was conferred with her PhD from Macquarie University in 2023. Her principal supervisor was Professor Niloufer Selvadurai and associate supervisor Dr Daniela Simone. She currently works at the Australian Law Reform Commission as a Legal Officer.

Thomas Gibbons – Publication of Subdivisions Law and Practice

Subdivisions Law & Practice (LexisNexis, 2024) is the first book of its kind in New Zealand. It starts with asking 'what is a subdivision?', a question that is curiously difficult to answer, before considering the contexts of subdivision in the fields of resource management and property law. It includes practical advice for lawyers and other professionals on how subdivisions are implemented, including fee simple, cross-lease, and unit title subdivisions. It also canvasses issues with development contributions, off-the-plans sales, and options for reform. It has been authored by Charlotte Muggeridge and Thomas Gibbons. Thomas is a PhD student at Macquarie University, with his research on private communities and hybrid property forms being supervised by Cathy Sherry and Madeline Taylor.