Our history
The Faculty of Law at the University of Wollongong was established in 1990. The late Professor Jack Goldring, then a member of the Australian Law Reform Commission and formerly Professor and Head of the School of Law at Macquarie University, was appointed as Foundation Dean. He was succeeded as Dean by Professor Helen Gamble in 1995 and Associate Professor Robin Handley in October 1999. Professor Stuart Kaye was appointed in 2002, followed by Professor Luke McNamara in 2007, Professor Warwick Gullett in 2012, Professor Colin B. Picker in 2017 and Professor Trish Mundy in 2020.
With Professor Mundy moving to a new position within the University, the School saw the appointment of Dr Dilan Thampapillai as the new Dean and Head of School, commencing in September 2023. Dr Thampapillai brings extensive global expertise and dedication to legal education to a key role in the University.
UOW Law has attracted highly qualified staff from Universities in Australia and overseas and from legal practice. We have a reputation for innovative research and have established, as our research concentrations, the Legal Intersections Research Centre - researches at the intersections between law and other academic disciplines and the Transnational Law and Policy Centre - boldly tackles the challenges presented through the UN SDGs to embrace and drive change.
