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• Biography/ Background

  After studying law and completing articles in Adelaide, I worked at the Attorney General’s Department in Canberra for several years, on various policy projects. I came back to Adelaide, to work in litigation at the Australian Government Solicitors Office, to build some practical experience into my predominantly policy based repertoire. I found that I loved litigation, and stayed.

  In 1996 I was becoming a bit disillusioned with legal practice, but increasingly interested in training clients to manage their own disputes, and in using mediation as a primary dispute resolution tool. In a giant leap of faith I resigned from my job with the AGS and took a part time contract position at Adelaide Law School, developing the first Clinical Legal Education program (CLE) to be offered in South Australia.  It was a good move. I’ve been at the Law School ever since, managing the CLE program including the four legal advice clinics, teaching Evidence and Alternative Disute Resolution (ADR), and other subjects from time to time. I am still passionate about teaching, and finding innovative approaches to enhancing student experience in an increasingly challenging environment. I’m equally passionate about justice access – my role as the Director of Clinical Legal Education enables me to contribute to law reform initiatives in the community, often in collaboration with the courts, other organisations, but always with primary input from students on the CLE program.

  My research interests have always been somewhat broader than my actual capacity! They include education, procedural law reform, applied legal ethics, alternative dispute resolution, student wellbeing, and innovative solutions for justice access.  I’m also fascinated by perceptoins of law and humanity in future society.

   

  Four years ago I started a Bachelor of Science degree in Wildlife Conseration Biology at Adelaide University. I am shifting my engagement to the intersection of law and science, advocating for policy and regulatory change to develop  resilience and informed conservation decision making as the impacts of climate change become ever more threateneing.

   

   

• Qualifications

  LLB (Hons) Adelaide (1983)

  Grad Dip Int Law (ANU) (1992)

  Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of SA and the High Court of Australia (1984)

  Accredited Mediator (NMAS) 2017

• Teaching Interests

  Clinical Legal Education

  Civil Procedure and Evidence

  Alternative Dispute Resolution

  Legal Ethics

  Law Practice

   

  I love being a legal practitioner, and I love teaching.

  Final year subjects like Civil Procedure, ADR, and CLE enable me to introduce students to the diverse ways they can contribute to the community, and develop their own sense of professional identity.  There is so much to be done to keep our legal system relevant, accessible, and fair. Today’s students will be working on those challenges. Working as I do in the 'bridge' between law school and professional life is a fantastic opportunity to support students to realise their potential, and to develop positive views of their future. 

  The CLE program makes a significant contribution to justice access in SA, and provides a unique and rewarding learning experience for students in their final year of study. Teaching CLE and supervising students on clinic placement also provides a diverse basis for pedagogical initiatives that can enrich classroom teaching. As the co-coordinator of the final year capstone subject Dispute Resolution and Ethics I am able to integrate clinical method to develop an authentic and student focussed learning environment for our final year students. 

  I am also deeply committed to enhancing law student wellbeing, and helping to develop resourceful and resilient professionals, by the deliberate inclusion of these concepts into all teaching engagements. 

  Integrating a multicisplinary perspective into Law teaching is my present passion, bringing experts from diverse fields - Aboriginal perspectives, science, environment, and dispute management, into the classroom so that students can prepare for a futrue in which much of their work will require multidisiplinary awareness.

• Publications

  2008	McEvoy, Kathleen Patricia; Castles, Margaret Amelia
  2009	Castles, Margaret Amelia; Goldfinch, Maureen Nina; Hewitt, Anne
  2002	Stubbs, Matthew T.

• Professional Associations

  Law Society of SA

  Member Justice Access Committee

  Member Civil Litigation Committee

  Member ADR Committee

   

  Other

   

  Member Resolution Institution 

• Community Engagement

  Member of Law Society Justice Access, ADR,  and Civil Litigation Committees

   

  DIrector of the Adelaide Law Clinics Program: 

  Adelaide Legal Outreach Service 

  Equal Opportunity Legal Advice Service

  Magistrates Court Legal Advice Service 

  Research and development supporting justice access in the Courts in SA, in the broader community, and in the legal community. 

  Through the Clinical Legal Education Program, I am privileged to be able to engage with students in a range of research and development initiatives that make a significant contribution into the legal services community. Along with clinic supervisors Jemma Holt, Skye Schunke, Ross Savvas, and Patrick Wille, we guide students in providing hands on assistance to people who cannot otherwise afford legal advice. We also publish online and in print a range of self help guides to support people in understanding and pursuing their legal rights. Our work extends into services such as the Mediation Information Service that operates in the Magistrates Court two days a week.  We are actively engaged in evaluating and proposing reform in the justice system. 

Entry last updated: Wednesday, 2 Nov 2022

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