INTRODUCTION

It is important that each Fellow considers from time to time other persons of exceptional distinction in the discipline of law who are committed to the objects of the Australian Academy of Law and suitable for nomination as a Fellow.  Fellows are invited from the practising profession (including corporate lawyers, corporate counsel, and government lawyers), from legal academia, and from the judiciary, to facilitate collaboration and constructive debate amongst all the branches of the legal community.  

Each Fellow is encouraged to look broadly and to consider nominating persons from diverse backgrounds. Without limiting the content of diversity, the AAL is seeking to be gender diverse, ethnically diverse and to include lawyers from different backgrounds. 

The nomination process is confidential in the sense that the nominee should not be involved, so as to avoid any disappointment or embarrassment if a nomination is unsuccessful.

BASIS OF QUALIFICATION TO BE ELECTED A FELLOW

Please attach a separate CV or document summarising the nominee’s biographical details that show the nominee’s qualifications for election. 

The CV or summary is to be attached to the Nomination Form.  

In addition, the short entries below are designed to show why the nominee is eminent as a legal practitioner, an academic, or a judicial officer (or former legal practitioner, academic, or judicial officer) together with the ways in which the nominee has demonstrated that they are committed to the objects of the AAL.  Although the fields below are not mutually exclusive it is useful to use each field to highlight a different aspect of the nominee’s profile. 

All nominations should have a seconder who should provide a substantive endorsement rather than a one line ‘’I agree’’.

Clause 6 of the AAL’s Constitution states that the eligibility criteria are that the person is “of exceptional distinction in the discipline of law” and is “demonstrably committed to the objects of the Academy”. 

The relevant objects of the AAL are to:

• Advance the discipline of law;
• Promote excellence in legal scholarship, research, education, and the administration of justice;
• Promote law reform;
• Promote ethical conduct and professional responsibility;
• Enhance the understanding and observance of the rule of law. 
• Provide a forum for collaboration and constructive debate amongst all branches of the legal community.

Consistently with the AAL’s objective of providing a “bridge” between the branches of the legal profession, these criteria may be met in different ways, depending on whether the nominee’s distinction stems from their core work as a legal practitioner, an academic, or as a judicial officer. 

It is expected that a distinguished lawyer, drawn from any part of the profession, would show a contribution beyond the work involved in their official capacity. 

For example, for practising lawyers, including corporate lawyers, corporate counsel, and government lawyers, contribution to the activities of a professional or regulatory body would be given weight, as also would presentations and instruction, whether to members of the profession, students, or members of the public, and mentoring, participation on committees, workshops, leadership groups, or publications in legal or other journals.

Academic nominees would be expected to have an extensive list of publications or to have made a significant contribution to legal research.  They would also be expected to have gone beyond their formal responsibilities, for example by way of impact or engagement outside pure academia. 

For judicial officers, it would be expected that a judge would have contributed beyond their official duties, for example, by the presentation of conference papers or the delivery of speeches, participation in professional discussions, advocacy workshops, support of professional associations, law reform, or mentorship.  It would not be expected that a judge would necessarily have a list of publications or research. 

Where relevant, a list of presentations, papers or speeches delivered by a nominee is to be attached to the Nomination Form.

A nominee’s career position / office / title is relevant but not decisive for meeting the relevant criteria. For example, merely because a person is a judge or a KC/SC or a Professor is relevant but not determinative; likewise, those who do not carry such titles might be otherwise eminently qualified to be Fellow because they have demonstrated through their professional conduct that they are committed to the objects of the AAL.

PLEASE COMPLETE THE SECTIONS BELOW IN SUPPORT OF THE NOMINATION: