ANU Law School


The ANU Law School at the Australian National University is the National Law School within the ANU College of Law, Governance & Policy, one of the six academic Colleges of the ANU. It is located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. This provides the School with opportunities to connect with the work of the Parliament of Australia, the High Court of Australia, the departments and agencies of the Federal Government, as well as the local ACT law-making institutions – the Legislative Assembly and the ACT courts.
The ANU Law School is a premier law school in Australia. It is ranked 2nd nationally and equal 21st in the world according to the 2024 THE World University Rankings by Subject.
The current Head of School is Ryan Goss.

History

The School was established in 1960 as the Faculty of Law.

Students

The Australian National University Law Students' Society was established in 1963, which is one of the largest and most active societies at the university. The ANU LSS provide a wide range of social, educational and careers-oriented programs and events for students studying at the ANU Law School.
In 1972, Australian National University law students founded the ANU Law Revue. The ANU Law Revue is the longest running student revue at the Australian National University, featuring annual productions of original sketch comedy and parody songs.

Student traditions

The ANU Law School Library features a bronze bust of Sir Robert Garran, who was incidentally its first honorary doctorate. The bust was gifted to the Australian National University in 1952. There is a tradition amongst ANU law students that rubbing the nose of Sir Robert Garran's bust will bring them good luck, something also noted in a Geoffrey Sawer Lecture on Sir Robert Garran's life by now High Court of Australia Chief Justice Stephen Gageler.
The ANU LSS has a magazine called Peppercorn Magazine, which was founded in the 1969. In August 2023, the ANU LSS launched the 'Peppercorn Pedestal', featuring a dried black peppercorn on a small velvet pillow in celebration of the various student traditions involving a Peppercorn (law) at the ANU Law School.
The ANU Law School Library houses historical desks that are adorned in decades-old graffiti from ANU law students, featuring political statements, cartoons, poetry and many other artistic forms.

Faculty and services

The ANU Law School is home to numerous internationally-regarded researchers and practitioners, and offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate law programs.
The Law School publishes the Federal Law Review and Australian Year Book of International Law.
In addition to its academic programme, the law school promotes a range of co-curricular activities including mooting, negotiation and client interview competitions, membership of the Federal Law Review student editor board, and The ANU Law Revue.
The College has been the world champion team in the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition two times, in 1981 and 2010, and runner up once, in 1998.

Notable alumni

Judges

Legal practitioners

Law professors

Politics and government

Other