Wayne Goss appointed as law school adjunct professor

Former Queensland Premier Wayne Goss has been appointed an adjunct professor with the University of Queensland's T.C. Beirne School of Law.

He is one of 19 adjunct professors recently appointed to the School by its new head Dr Tony Tarr.

Mr Goss, former MLA for Logan (1982-1996) and Queensland Premier (1989-1996), holds an LLB (1975) and a Master of Business Administration (1997) from the University of Queensland.

Currently a consultant with Corrs Chambers Westgarth, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and Macquarie Bank, Mr Goss is also an adjunct professor with the University's Department of Management.

He said his career as a lawyer, a politician and consultant in the private sector provided him with an interesting blend of experience he would bring to the role of adjunct professor.

"I can talk to students about how lawyers can contribute in a much broader way than traditional careers in private practice. I think law degrees are going to become generalist degrees leading to jobs in government and the commercial world," Mr Goss said.

Mr Goss said while he still followed politics closely, he did not miss being a politician and had been happy to move on to other projects including chairing the Goodwill Games and membership of the Noosa Film Festival Board and QPIX Board (helping young film-makers).

Dr Tarr said the new adjunct professors had been drawn from the most distinguished ranks of major law firms, the commercial community and the public sector. Six of the adjunct professors had served as presidents of the Queensland Law Society and two as presidents of the Law Council of Australia, he said.

They represented another way the School was forging close and co-operative relationships with the legal profession, the judiciary and the wider community, he said.

"The involvement of the judiciary in conjunction with adjunct professorial staff will enhance the School's teaching programs, cement good relationships between ?town and gown' and afford excellent research guidance to younger staff members," he said.

University Vice-Chancellor Professor John Hay said adjunct professors enabled an active interchange of ideas and increased co-operation between the University and the professions, industry and the wider community.

Adjunct professors were people recognised by their peers in the professional world, business community or public sector as persons of distinction and high achievement, he said.

"These community decision-makers and opinion-leaders are encouraged to work closely with the University for mutual benefit - not simply to lecture or teach, but to help shape new directions in research, consultancy and syllabus development," Professor Hay said.

Other adjunct professors recently appointed to the T.C. Beirne School of Law include the following:

o Dr Elizabeth Nosworthy director, Telstra Corporation Ltd, David Jones Ltd, Australian National Industries Ltd; chair, Port of Brisbane Corporation; deputy chair, Queensland Treasury Corporation; Queensland Law Society Inc president (1988-1989)
o Julie-Anne Schafer partner, Thynne and Macartney Brisbane and Queensland Law Society Inc president (1995-96)
o Ronald Ashton partner, Minter Ellison Lawyers
o Peter Byrnes executive director of Policy and Legal Division in the Department of Justice
o John Cooper partner, Allen Allen and Hemsley
o Christopher Coyne partner, Clayton Utz Brisbane
o Richard Friend managing partner, Charge Tax Division, Arthur Andersen Brisbane
o Rita Gentle senior tax counsel, Australian Tax Office
o Andrew Greenwood partner, Minter Ellison Brisbane
o Alan Millhouse partner, Allen Allen and Hemsley
o Dr Jeff Mann partner, Mallesons Stephen Jaques, Queensland Law Society Inc president (1996-1997)
o Gerald Murphy AM partner, Murphy Schmidt Brisbane, Queensland Law Society Inc president (1980-82) and Law Council of Australia president (1983-84)
o William Peck partner, Phillips Fox Sydney
o Michael Pryles partner, Minter Ellison Lawyers Melbourne
o Peter Short partner, Allen Allen and Hemsley, Queensland Law Society president (1990-91) and Law Council of Australia president (1996-97)
o John Story chair of partners, Corrs Chambers Wesgarth Brisbane
o Greg Vickery partner, Deacon Graham and James, Queensland Law Society president (1989-90)
o Dr Michael White QC earlier career in the Royal Australian Navy to the rank of Lieutenant Commander; appointed a Queen's Counsel in 1988; sometime Queensland president of the Maritime Law Association of Australia and New Zealand and a sometime committee member of the Queensland Bar Association

For more information, contact Dr Tarr (telephone 07 3365 1021) or Mr Goss (telephone 07 3308 7210).