Kim Santow Chair in Law and Social Justice

• Full time continuing opportunity

• Shape national and global thought leadership in a prestigious Chair dedicated to law, justice, and society

• Offering a competitive remuneration package at Professor level including 17% superannuation

About the opportunity

The University of Sydney invites applications and nominations for the prestigious Kim Santow Chair in Law and Social Justice, a distinguished named chair within Sydney Law School.

Established in 2009, the Chair honours the legacy of the late The Hon Kim Santow AO, former Chancellor of the University of Sydney and a distinguished Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales Court of Appeal, whose contributions to the law, public service and higher education were widely recognised.

Situated within a law school with an enduring tradition of leadership and impact, the Chair reflects the University’s deep commitment to advancing rigorous, field‑shaping scholarship and the pursuit of justice in both national and global contexts.

The Santow Chair will play a central role in strengthening the Law School’s leadership in law and social justice, including oversight and advancement of its established programs in social justice research, education and engagement. This includes leadership of existing and new initiatives surrounding social justice clinics, experiential learning programs, and activities that connect legal scholarship with external audiences and impacts.

The Kim Santow Chair in Law and Social Justice represents a unique opportunity for an outstanding academic leader to shape intellectual discourse, influence policy and practice, and contribute to a vibrant, globally connected research and teaching community dedicated to addressing some of the most pressing legal and societal challenges of our time.

Your key responsibilities will be to:

• conduct and publish original, innovative highly significant research that advances understanding in the field of law and social justice, broadly understood

•  initiate and encourage research collaborations across and beyond the University, including competitive, research grant applications, with significant outcomes

• supervise research students and provide mentorship to early career and mid-career researchers working in the field of law and social justice, broadly understood

• lead and foster external engagement with a range of people and organisations to connect the University with society, and contribute meaningfully to society, including engagement with current and prospective social justice practitioners-in-residence within the School

• provide stewardship of initiatives linked to the Santow Chair such as prizes, scholarships and management of project funding

• provide leadership in curriculum development and program design for social justice, including collaborating on the planned creation of a multidisciplinary law and social services clinic on the University of Sydney campus

• contribute to enhancing the School’s national and global reputation for law and social justice research and teaching

• chair the School’s Social Justice Committee and otherwise contribute to governance of the School and University

• contribute to a collegial culture and environment within the School and University.

About you (skills, capabilities and experience)

• PhD in law or cognate fields with demonstrable orientation towards questions of law and social justice, broadly understood

• established international research profile and reputation for work on law and social justice, broadly understood

• a record of effective research supervision and mentorship of early career researchers

• demonstrated capability to build and lead highly significant collaborations, nationally and/or internationally, including through externally funded programs of research

• recognition for sustained teaching excellence and leadership

• commitment to engaged scholarship and public impact

• known for collegiality, taking care of colleagues, and contributing to collective success.

Sponsorship / work rights for Australia

Please note, visa sponsorship and relocation assistance will be available for this opportunity.

Pre-employment checks and declarations 

  Your employment is conditional upon the successful completion of all pre-employment or background checks required for the role in terms satisfactory to the University.  Also, to meet the University’s obligations under the National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Eliminate Gender-Based Violence you will be asked to declare if you have been investigated for, or found to engaged in, sexual harm or gender-based violence in the course of previous employment or in a legal process. Similarly, your ongoing employment is conditional upon the satisfactory maintenance of all relevant clearances and background check requirements. If you do not meet these conditions, the University may take any necessary step, including the termination of your employment.

EEO statement 

At the University of Sydney, our shared values are trust, accountability and excellence and we strive to be a place where everyone can thrive. We are committed to creating a University community that thrives through diversity and reflects the wider community that we serve. We deliver on this through our commitment to diversity and inclusion, evidenced by our people and culture programs, as well as key strategies to increase participation and support the careers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People, women, people living with a disability, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and those who identify as LGBTQIA+. We welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds. 

We are proud to be recognised as an Australian Workplace Equality Index (AWEI) Platinum Employer. Find out more about our work on diversity and inclusion. 

How to apply

Applications (including a CV and cover letter outlining how your skills, capabilities and experience meet the requirements for the role) can be submitted via the Apply button at the top of the page. Please refer to the position description for further details.

Click to view the Position Description for this role.

For employees of the University or contingent workers, please login into your Workday account and navigate to the Career icon on your Dashboard.  Click on USYD Find Jobs and apply.

For a confidential discussion about the role, or if you require reasonable adjustment or any documents in alternate formats, please contact Sajad Bahram, Recruitment Operations by email to [email protected]

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