The 2019 Macquarie Law School Prize Night was held on 23 April, on the eve of the April graduation ceremony.
Each year, Macquarie Law School holds a Prize Night to recognise the outstanding achievements of its students across their studies in the Bachelor of Laws and Juris Doctor Program.
The event enables members of the Macquarie Law School community, including students, staff, alumni, friends of the Law School, to come together to mark the success of our students. We celebrate not only academic achievements but also recognise the tremendous contributions students have made to the School community in a variety of ways. The annual event is a high point in our calendar and evinces the great spirit of the Macquarie Law School community.
This year, our distinguished keynote speaker was S Stuart Clark AM FAAL FAICD. Stuart was the first member of the first class to graduate from Macquarie Law School in 1980. He is a lawyer with particular interest in the defense of complex, multi-jurisdiction litigation and class actions.
Stuart has recently retired from leading Australian law firm Clayton Utz where he led the firms Class Actions and Product Liability practice. He was a member of the firm's Senior Leadership Team serving in several roles including Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner, International.
In 2019, Stuart established SSC Advisory, assisting clients in managing risk and administrative law issues.
Stuart is a former President of the Law Council of Australia, the peak representative body of the legal profession in Australia, and a former Director of the NSW Legal Aid Commission.
He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia for significant service to the legal profession, strategic reform and the NSW Rural Fire Service in 2015.
Stuart is an Adjunct Professor in the Macquarie Law School and was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws (Honoris Causa) by Macquarie University in 2017.
Macquarie Law School wish to thank the following sponsors for their continued support
David Opus Memorial Fund Committee - The Hon Eric Baker
Family of John Peden
Family of Ramy Razavian
Former Students of Macquarie Law School
Jennifer Barton Memorial Scholarship - Mr and Mrs Paul Taylor, Mr Paul Barton, Minter Ellison
Law Society of New South Wales
New South Wales Bar Association
Professor Colin Phegan and Ruth Phegan