Associate Professor
Elizabeth Curran
Honorary Associate Professor
SFHEA; BA/LLB (Monash); Masters in Law (Melbourne); Grad Dip.Education (ACU) Doctorate in Juridical Science (La Trobe), RSA Cert.(Oxford) Member, Australasian Society of Evaluators, Member, Australian Restorative Justice Assoc.

Melbourne based, Liz’s research focuses on access to justice; effective legal practice; domestic human rights of people in disadvantage; building legal and advocacy capacity of community; impact and effectiveness of service delivery. She has published research reports (2007, 2011-2019) on outcomes, quality and effectiveness and on a ‘Strategic Approaches to Problem Solving’ (March 2013). She was 'expert research adviser' on the Law Council's Justice Project from 2018-2019.Liz is routinely commissioned to conduct research evaluations of multi-disciplinary practice including Health Justice Partnerships (HJP) & Integrated Justice Practice. She evaluated a family violence prevention program in May 2015 which informed the Royal Commission into Family Violence. Liz is a regular media commentator, has participated in government and statutory advisory bodies.Liz is cited in the Productivity Commission Inquiry into Access to Justice, Review of the Vic Human Rights Charter and the Allen Review of legal services. Routledge UK has commissioned her to author a book on 'New Approaches to Law and Legal Education to Better Respond to Community in October 2019 due on 30 June 2020.

Her recent research aims to better reach clients in most need of legal help, who currently have no access, through multi-disciplinary practice. Liz’s research on effective legal and community service practice, impact and positive client outcomes examining what improves the social determinants of health has led to considerable interest domestically and overseas. Liz is advising the Legal Services Board Victoria (LSB) on evaluation to support and guide eight LSB funded services. Her research uses empirical study to find what works and why and gives a voice to people who are often invisible.

Significant research publications

Books & Chapters

  • Chapter - ‘Enabling Marginalised Voices to Be Heard: The Challenge to Law Reform Bodies’, New Directions for Law in Australia:Essays in Contemporary Law Reform, edited by Ron Levy, Molly O’Brien,Simon Rice, Pauline Ridge and Margaret Thornton, published 2017 by ANU Press, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, Chapter 48, 517 -  527. dx.doi.org/10.22459/NDLA.09.2017.4
  • Global Perspectives on Human Rights: Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog (2nd Edition) edited by Laura Hilly and Richard Martin (2014-2015), Oxford University Press, 2016.  Chapter One: Access to Justice ‘Valuing the Work of Community Lawyers to Resolve Systemic Problems, 21-22 and Chapter Seven: Expression Association and Assembly ‘Racial Discrimination Act and Free Speech – Carte Blanche or Fair and Reasonable – What are Human Rights in all this?,  141-142. http://ohrh.law.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/9811-OxHRH-E-Book-2015-digital-single.pdf
  • Book Commissioned Routledge UK under contract October 2018- 30 June 2020, ‘New Approaches to Law and Legal Education: Shaping Innovative Future Practitioners to Meet Community Need’

Refereed Articles

See also:

  • ‘Delivery of Advice to Vulnerable and Marginalised Groups: The Need for Innovative Approaches’ (with Alexy Buck, Legal Services Research Centre, London), Public Space, The Journal of Law and Social Justice, 2009, Vol 3 (0n-line Journal http://epress.lib.uts.edu.au/journals/index.php(publicspace/article/view/1232/1239.
  • ‘Access to Justice: A new approach using human rights standards’ (with M Noone) International Journal of the Legal Profession, 2008, Vol 15 (3) pp 195-229.
  • ‘Human Rights: making them relevant to the vulnerable and marginalised in Australia,’ June 2008, Vol 33 (2), Alternative Law Journal, pp 70 -75.
  • ‘Relieving Some of the Legal Burdens on Clients: legal Aid services working alongside Psychologists and other health and social service professionals’, Australian Community Psychologist, August 2008, Vol 20 (1), pp 47-56.
  • ‘The Challenge of Defining Legal Need’, Journal of Law and Social Policy, 2007, Vol 21 Spring, Ontario Canada, pp63 -89.
  • ‘Pushing the boundaries or preserving the status quo? Designing Clinical Programs to Teach Law Students a Deep Understanding of Ethical Practice’, (with J Dickson & M Noone) International Journal of Clinical Legal Education, UK, December 2005, pp 104-122.

Reports

Liz Curran

Research themes

Human Rights Law and Policy
Indigenous Peoples and the Law
Law and Social Justice
Legal Education
Migration and Movement of Peoples

Contacts

U5084532@anu.edu.au
Off campus