About the Institute of Legal Studies
The Institute of Legal Studies (ILS) was established in 2005 as a national initiative of Australian Catholic University (ACU National) and Professor Frank Brennan sj AO was appointed foundation Professor of Law. The Institute was founded to foster professional education, to promote, in the Australian context, interdisciplinary studies in law with ethics, philosophy and theology, to develop partnerships with the Catholic and wider community, and to serve the needs of local, national and international communities.
The founding principles for the development of the ILS were:
- To provide education and professional services in legal studies, which are grounded in the Catholic tradition and the University’s Mission.
- To develop postgraduate programs in legal studies for the University.
- To provide continuing professional development in legal studies to meet the needs of legal practitioners and other leaders in industry and the community.
- To develop a research and research training profile.
- To prepare students to become accomplished servant leaders in areas relating to law, the judiciary, in public and community service, in business and in education.
- To commit to excellence in high quality ethical practice, inter-professional engagement, teaching and learning and research.
- To encourage strategic partnerships, locally, nationally and internationally.
- To provide students with an interdisciplinary perspective on legal issues and, in particular, to encourage liaison with established disciplines within the University; disciplines such as philosophy and theology seem of particular relevance.
- To undertake activities which would generate income to support the goals of the Institute.
- To provide services founded on the principles of social justice to disadvantaged people, in particular Australian Indigenous people.
The ILS mission is reflected in our corporate logo, which was designed to incorporate both our relationship with the law and our Catholic identity.
Although staff and associates of the Institute may be located at any of the University’s six campuses, the Institute’s head office is based at the Australian Catholic University’s Melbourne campus.
Patrons of the Institute
The Honourable Sir William Deane AC and the Honourable Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE are the distinguished Patrons of the Institute.
Innovative courses
Our programs of study are inspired by jurisprudence and Catholic social teaching and focus on issues of justice and truth within the Anglo-Australian legal tradition. Postgraduate courses are offered in areas of relevance to the professions, such as education law and human rights law.
Continuing legal education (CLE)
Continuing legal education (CLE) programs are designed to meet the professional needs of legal practitioners. The CLE program will combine the expertise of academic staff and guest lecturers with the facilities and online resources of the Australian Catholic University.
Excellence in teaching
ACU National has a record of demonstrated excellence in learning and teaching as evidenced most recently by awards and grants from the Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education and the Government’s Learning and Teaching Performance Fund.
Our teachers consist of outstanding academics, our own expert staff, private practitioners, and professional specialists and consultants. Further staff details, including a list of Adjunct Professors, are available.
Postgraduate courses and CLE programs may be delivered in face-to-face mode or online in variety of flexible formats to provide engaging, relevant, current and interactive learning experiences. Online teaching through ACUonline uses a WebCT platform and is specifically designed to meet the needs of busy professionals seeking to develop their professional knowledge and skills to support their career and personal development. The flexibility of online learning assists students to manage study requirements with work commitments and family life. Students are able to access their online course materials at any time, from any location via the Internet.
Contact us
Our contact details, including how to find us and our postal address, are available.
