October 22, 2020

Ms Chris Ronalds delivers 2020 Goldring Lecture

Law student Grace Welsby receives prestigious 2021 Jack Goldring Memorial Scholarship

Ms Chris Ronalds AO SC delivered the 10^th annual Goldring Lecture last night (Wednesday 21 October) in an event hosted by the University of Wollongong.

Ms Ronalds specialises in discrimination law, employment law and administrative law and delivered the lecture on ‘Discrimination law - over 40 years of development and where next?’

The annual lecture to honour UOW’s Foundation Dean of Law, Professor Jack Goldring (1943-2009), for his passion for facilitating wide access to legal education and the central role he played in establishing a student-centred School of Law, was attended by distinguished guests and experts from the across law and business fraternity. It was a small event that adhered to COVID-safe guidelines.

Ms Ronalds thanked UOW for the opportunity to deliver the lecture and congratulated the University for continuing the legacy of Jack Goldring and supporting academic excellence of students through scholarships.

“I thank UOW for supporting students in their academic journey and helping them realise their dreams of becoming leaders in the legal profession,” Ms Ronalds said.

“It’s an honour to deliver the Goldring Lecture and taking the legacy of a distinguished law reformer and a highly regarded judge ahead.”

Professor Trish Mundy, Dean of the School of Law, said Ms Ronalds played an influential role during her undergraduate law days shaping her own thinking about social justice and the potential of anti-discrimination law to bring about change.

“Chris has been a source of inspiration ever since I ventured into the legal world, and it’s our honour to have her deliver the Goldring Lecture which will inspire and support the students pursuing a career in the field of law and take the Goldring legacy even further,” Professor Mundy said.

“Jack’s commitment to social justice and access to legal education is reflected in the expansion of our law degree into the Liverpool campus, extending our law program to wonderfully rich and diverse student cohorts from South Western Sydney.”

As part of the annual Goldring Lecture, UOW’s School of Law also awards the Jack Goldring Memorial Scholarship to a current law student who has demonstrated outstanding academic achievement and a strong commitment to social justice.

This year, The School of Law awarded the $10,000 Goldring Scholarship to Grace Welsby, who is in her penultimate year of a Bachelor of Laws – Bachelor of Commerce.

L-R: Professor Trish Mundy, Grace Welsby and Chris Ronalds

Grace is passionate about social justice and is committed to working towards the betterment of society.

She was the first in the family to attend university, and was unanimously selected as the 2020 scholarship recipient for her passion and commitment to social justice and her good academic record.

“I thank UOW for supporting students through scholarships which help them achieve their career goals,” Grace said.

Grace teamed up with the Woolyungah Indigenous Centre to support the law first-year mentoring program and the mentoring initiative for aboriginal law students.

“Everyone in the society deserves equal economic, political and social opportunities, and I am dedicated to working towards a society where every individual life matters,” Grace said.

 Professor Mundy congratulated Grace for her excellent academic achievements and her commitment to social justice.

“We are proud of Grace for securing this scholarship. The Jack Goldring Memorial Scholarship will enable Grace to continue supporting social justice programs, and we look forward to seeing more students benefitting from this scholarship.” Professor Mundy said.

“I am grateful for the wonderful support shown this evening for the Goldring Lecture, and we will continue seeking more funds for the Scholarship to be endowed so it can be carried on forever.”

Further information about the Goldring Scholarship can be found on UOW’s webpage: https://scholarships.uow.edu.au/scholarships/search?scholarship=561

 

Full lecture video: