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Liz Curran

Dr Liz Curran

Associate Professor

Nottingham Law School

Staff Group(s)
Nottingham Law School staff

Role

Liz's research, evaluation, practice, and academic work leads to policy change, funding for community agencies & developments in good practice. Her work fosters organisational, collective, and individual reflective practice. Using evidence-based research she changes practice and policy to produce positive outcomes in service delivery and to address inequality. She teaches practical legal skills to prepare students for the realities and challenges ahead.

She is supporting the capability of NLS in impactful research that makes a difference in the world aligned to the NTU strategic direction. She has had the following current or recent research contracts after successful funding bids:

  • ‘Unmet Legal Need – Barriers and creative solutions to access to justice’ commissioned by the Consumer Panel of the Legal Services Board England and Wales. (January 2024- March 2024)
  • NLS Legal (UK) (September 2022- July 2024)
  • Bagaraybang bagaraybang mayinygalang (BBM): Empowering & Alleviating: A Health Justice Partnership on social, health & emotional well-being (Australia). (December 2022 – July 2025)
  • NTU AHRC Scoping Social Justice Priorities in the UK – ‘Voices from the Frontline’ (2023)
  • Upper Murray Family Care (2015-2022),

NTU Evaluation Consultancies

Australian Disability Law Centre

Law for Life UK

Her book 'Better Law for a Better World' (Routledge UK) examines evidence -based innovations & practical ways to improve justice, Liz has world expertise in multi-disciplinary practice and legal empowerment. She works alongside charities forging respectful & participatory collaborations and partnerships to support charities and different professions address inequality caused by barriers in access to justice and innovative models. She uses evidence-based participatory action research, practice, and reflection to ensure responsiveness and necessary changes in practice. She uses her expertise to enable improved service reach, creativity, innovation, and much needed funding to improve access to justice in a number of jurisdictions alongside policy reforms and legal empowerment strategies.

Expertise: access to justice, impact evaluation and measurement, strategic planning and governance advice, effective practice advice, professional development, research capability, clinical legal education & ethics & community development, evaluation, civil legal aid. Her research themes are health & wellbeing, exclusion, marginalisation, inequality and human rights and safety and security of citizens.
Dr Curran's Background IP is copyright & use requires a limited license agreement a is used by charities.

NTU Roles: Research Impact Lead; Human Ethics Committee Business, Law & Social Sciences; Research Impact Strategic Oversight Workstream; Legal Impact Lead and Champions Network, Clinical Legal Education Organisation UK (Policy Network); Member, Centre for Legal Education & Centre for Justice, and Human Rights.

Career overview

International researcher with publications in international peer reviewed articles, a book; ran a human rights NGO; team leader, humanitarian agency in advocacy branch, and worked in policy as well as legal practice, education, health & research.

Pioneering Work on Health Justice Partnerships

Pioneering work building an evidence base and best practice on Health Justice Partnerships (HJPs), legal secondary consultations with ‘trusted intermediaries’, public interest and ‘change lawyering’ since 2001. She worked as a community lawyer/director/ clinical supervisor in a HJP for 10 years. In Australia in 2001 there was 1 HJP when she started her work, this has grown to 104 in July 2023. She worked with the Victorian Legal Services Board to support new HJPs through training and workshops for over four years. She is involved in HJP start-ups in the UK, Australia, Ontario, Canada, and Denmark. Dr Curran’s runs training workshops on the evidence base and ‘how to’ ‘start-up’ HJP, evaluations and best practice.

Work prior to NTU

Principal, Curran Consulting: Enhancing Justice & Human Rights (July 2011-6 June 2022).

Commissioned Work: Research Evaluation of the ‘Women’s Crisis Navigator Project’ for the Hammersmith- Fulham Law Centre, (December 2020 – September 2021); Evaluation Advisor, Law for Life UK, Grants Assessor Legal Services Board and Commissioner Victoria; Research Evaluator ‘Invisible Hurdles Project’ for the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service Stage 3 (September 2021- September 2022);

July 2011 – 28 February 2020 Associate Professor, ANU School of Legal Practice, Australian National University (now Honorary until 2026) (27 in QS Global World Rankings 2022 ranked number 1 in Australia) Research

Routinely conducts professional development for legal practitioners including Law for Life (UK) Nottingham Law Centre, the Legal Services Board and Commissioner of Victoria, law firms (including junior, middle level, senior practitioners & Director/Partnership level).

Past University Research Positions (non-exhaustive)

Associate Director of the Centre for the Profession Education and Regulation in Law; ANU Law & Social Justice Advisory Committee; Editorial Board of the Legal Practice Manual (January 2015 – December 2017)

Community Service Appointments

‘Expert Adviser’ Law Council of Australia, ‘Access to Justice’ Project (2017 – August 2018) through the Dean, ANU College of Law.

Seconded on behalf of ANU to the Consumer Action Law Centre (to which my practising certificate attaches) ‘In-house adviser’ since May 2018.

Grant assessor for the Victorian Legal Service Board and Commissioners (LSB) (since 2011).

Mentor - Adaptive Leadership Training for lawyers of the Federation of Community Legal Centres; Past co-convener and member of the Human Rights Working Group.

Past Co-chair Justice for Asylum Seekers

Other University appointments

  1. Visiting Scholar at University of London (City, Law School) and Nottingham Law School, Nottingham Trent University in 2016 as part of the ANU Overseas Study Program.
  2. Advisor for the Portsmouth University, Law, and Nursing Schools’ Evaluation into their pilot Inter-Disciplinary Clinic.
  3. ‘Expert Advisor’ for the University of South Australia, Inter-disciplinary Student Health Justice Clinic (April 2017 – 2020).
  4. Member Law Clinical Groups (Australia through UNSW platform)

Supervision and Examiner Masters &PhDs

Peer Reviewer (not exhaustive)

UNSW Law Journal; International Journal of Clinical Legal Education, Australian Journal of Clinical    Education; Health Education Journal; Commonwealth Legal Education Journal

Research areas

Access to justice, civil legal aid, ethics, legal capability, clinical and legal education; research impact evaluation; legal empowerment; multi-disciplinary practice (including Health Justice Partnerships as a pioneering practitioner & researcher in the area).

External activity

Board Member Nottingham Law Centre; Senior Fellow, Higher Education Academy; Legal Admissions Board Victoria (Committee member Practical legal training); Evaluation Adviser Law for Life UK; Editorial Board of the Evaluation Journal of Australasia; Solicitor Practising Certificate in the Supreme Court of Victoria; Hon. Associate Professor, Australian National University (2020-2023); (since 2011); Australian Clinical Legal Education Group; Global Alliance of Justice Educators; Australian Society of Evaluators (since 2012); Justice and Innovation Group UK and Network for Justice UK; Standing Council on Advice Research and Evaluation (UK).

Grant assessor, Nuffield Foundation UK 2021 and Reviewer Ministry of Justice, Reviewer Book Proposals for Routledge UK Palgrave MacMillan since 2018.

‘Expert adviser’ on the Law Council of Australia’s ‘Justice Project’. Senior Solicitor (pro bono) Consumer Action Law Centre June 2012 - 2017 and from 2017-2020, in-house adviser.

Recent Awards

  • 2021 Nominated for the Evaluation Journal of Australasia Publication Award, a category in the 2021 Australian Evaluation Society Awards for Excellence in Evaluation.

Sponsors and collaborators

  • Legal Services Board England and Wales
  • Ministry of Justice, Reviewer
  • CLEO Policy Clinic Network UK
  • Law for Life UK
  • Law Centres Network UK
  • Legal Action Group
  • Advice Services Alliance UK
  • Hammersmith Fulham Law centre
  • Ealing Law Centre
  • Hume Riverina Community Legal Service
  • Upper Murray Family Care
  • Department of Justice Victoria
  • Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service
  • Flexible Learning Centre (Wodonga)
  • Northeast Support and Action for Youth
  • Consumer Action Law Centre
  • Legal Services Board and Commissioners Victoria
  • NSW Government (through the National Partnership Agreement of Legal Assistance Services)
  • National Legal Aid Australia
  • International Legal Aid Group
  • Social Security Rights Victoria
  • National Association of Community Legal Centres
  • Federation of Community Legal Centre Victoria
  • Victoria Legal Aid

Publications

  • NTU Chapters

Chapter 12, 'Delayed Justice' with Sharon Lacy (Victorian Bar) in edited collection Controversies, Challenges and Change in Australian Courts, eds. Dr Alistair Harkness (University of New England) Marg Camilleri and Dr Rachel Hale (Federation University) Palgrave Macmillan Publisher.

  • Recent Publications 2013-2024

Zhao J Curran L & Doak J et al.(2023) ‘Scoping the future law and social justice-listening & hearing from the frontline’

Curran L and Alici N (2023) ‘Addressing the torment of powerlessness: 2023 first research and impact evaluation report of the health justice partnership on mental health and wellbeing (BBM) on Bagaraybang bagaraybang mayinygalang (BBM): Empowering & Alleviating: A Health ‎Justice Partnership (HJP) of the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service (HRCLS) & Albury ‎Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service (AWAHS) offering legal support for social & emotional ‎well-being with Aboriginal Peoples in Northeast NSW and Victoria’. Nottingham: Nottingham Law School.

Book

Better Law for a Better World: New approaches to practice and education, (Routledge UK/Taylor & Francis Ltd)

Chapters

(2023) Delaying Justice. In: Camilleri, M., Harkness, A. (eds) Australian Courts. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham; (2022) ‘Law centres: the comparative way ahead’, 6 December the Solicitors Journal

‘Wellness and going bush’ Chapter in Wellness for Law: Making Wellness Core Business (ed. Judith Mary Church & Adiva Sifris) with Pamela Taylor-Barnett, Reed International Books Australia Pty Ltd (trading as “LexisNexis”) (28 November 2019).

‘Enabling Marginalised Voices to Be Heard: The Challenge to Law Reform Bodies’, New Directions for Law in Australia: Essays in Contemporary Law Reform, edited by Ron Levy, Molly O’Brien, Simon Rice, Pauline Ridge and Margaret Thornton, published 2017 by ANU Press, The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, Chapter 48, 517 - 527.

Global Perspectives on Human Rights: Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog (2nd Edition) edited by Laura Hilly and Richard Martin (2014-2015), Oxford University Press, 2016.  Chapter One: Access to Justice ‘Valuing the Work of Community Lawyers to Resolve Systemic Problems, 21-22 and Chapter Seven: Expression Association and Assembly ‘Racial Discrimination Act and Free Speech – Carte Blanche or Fair and Reasonable – What are Human Rights in all this?  141-142.

Peer Reviewed/Refereed journals (top 10 only).

  1. ‘Sharing elements of effective practice to address earlier, signs of family violence’, 44 (3) Alternative Law Journal, 17 April 2019,
  2. ‘Evaluating projects in multifaceted and marginalised communities: the need for mixed approaches’ (with Pamela Taylor- Barnett) Evaluation Journal of Australasia, March 2019
  3. ‘Social Justice – Making It Come Alive and A Reality for Students, And Enabling Them to Become Engaged Future Ethical Practitioners’, Nottingham Law Journal, Fall (2) 2018, 33-47.
  4. ‘Educating future practitioners through an Interdisciplinary Student Clinic’ (2018)25 (1) International Journal of Clinical Legal Education. (on-line) with Isobel Ryder, Caroline Strevens.
  5. ‘Multi-disciplinary Practice Health Justice Partnerships–Working ethically to ensure reach to the most in need’, 26 Nottingham Law Journal (2017) 11 -36,
  6. ‘Lawyer Secondary Consultations: improving access to justice and human rights: reaching clients otherwise excluded through professional support in a multi-disciplinary practice’ 8(1) Journal of Social Inclusion (2017)
  7. ‘Reflecting on community development practice: Working with communities for effective change by enabling access to justice’ with P Taylor Barnett and A Vernon, 19 (1) Flinders Law Journal, (July 2017).
  8. ‘Measuring the impact, quality and effectiveness of legal assistance services in a climate of reduced funding and increased government expectations: The Australian experience’ (with Andrew Crockett), 22 (3), (2016), European Journal of Current Legal Issues (p. 27)
  9. ‘Integrating Two Measures of Quality Practice into Clinical and Practical Legal Education Assessment: Good client interviewing and effective community legal education’, International Journal of Clinical Legal Education, 21(1), 2014 with Tony Foley, pp. 69–92.
  10. ’Measuring Legal Services: A Practical methodology for measuring quality and outcomes of legal assistance services,’ University of Tasmania Law Review, 32(1), 2013, pp 70-95.

Book Reviews

Evaluation In Practice, Evaluation Journal of Australia, December 2023

‘Lawyers in Australia‘, 3rd Edition , Book Review , Law Institute Journal, 89 (11), 2015, Nov, p. 64 (1).

Published Articles (un-refereed top 10)

  1. ‘Measuring and Evaluating Systemic Advocacy/ Law Reform Work’ Evaluation Community of Practice, Legal Assistance Sector Presentation Slides (May 5, 2021). Available at SSRN
  2. ‘Lessons for the Future: The Australian royal Commission into institutional childhood abuse.’ Oxford Human Rights Hub 22 October 2018
  3. Lessons for the Future: the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Childhood Abuse, 2018, (Oxford Law Faculty, OHRH) (reproduced in the Law Institute Journal, December 2018, 19-20).
  4. 'The Australian Legal Assistance Sector and the Critical Importance of Justice to Human Lives' May 2018, Oxford University, Faculty of Law, Oxford Human Rights Hub
  5. ‘The Partnership between Health and Law to Ensure Human Rights’ (Oxford Human Rights Hub Blog, (OxHRH) 28 November 2016)
  6. 'Measuring Impact and Evaluation: How and Why? And Some Tips': Workshop 10 – 11 November 2016 for Law Centres Network UK National Conference (Presentation Slides) (November 11, 2016). Available at SSRN.
  7. ‘Health Justice Partnership - Multi-Disciplinary Practices: Research Evidencing Working Ethically to Ensure Reach to Those in Most Need & Improve Outcomes (Presentation Slides) (July 14, 2016). Paper to the International Legal Ethics Conference, Fordham University, Stein Center, New York City, 2016, Available at SSRN.
  8. ‘International Lessons on Health Justice Partnerships: Their Applicability for Pro Bono Partners and Managers’ (Presentation Slides) (September 14, 2016). Panel for Ukademy (for Law Firm Pro Bono Programmes). Wednesday 14, September, at Shearman and Sterling, 9 Appold Street, London Ec2a 2ap., Available at SSRN.
  9. 'A Literature Review: Examining the Literature on How to Measure the 'Successful Outcomes': Quality, Effectiveness and Efficiency of Legal Assistance Services' (February 2012), Australian Attorney General’s Department. Available at SSRN.

Commissioned Reports for Industry (prior to NTU)

  1. With Pamela Taylor-Barnett (June 2021) Pathways to empowerment and justice: The Invisible Hurdles Stage II Research and Evaluation Final Report Produced for the Hume Riverina Community Legal Service; Albury Wodonga Aboriginal Health Service; NorthEast Support & Action for Youth & Wodonga Flexible Learning Centre, ANU.
  2. 'From Fragmented to Holistic: Starting the evidence base the client centred practice through a navigator.' A report on the research evaluation of the Hammersmith Fulham Law Centre’s, ‘Women’s Crisis Navigator Service Project Pilot’ (Curran Consulting: Enhancing Justice & Human Rights) Pilot (dated April 2021 publication 5 August 2021).
  3. 'Getting out of Debt: The Road to Recovery for Victim Survivors of Family Violence' ANU for Consumer Action Law Centre (January 2020). Available at SSRN.
  4. 'Overcoming the Invisible Hurdles to Justice for Young People: A Final Research and Evaluation Report of the Invisible Hurdles Project (Health Justice Partnership) with Pamela Taylor Barnett, November 2018.
  5. First Research and Evaluation Report Phase One Consumer Action Law Centre Project - ‘Responding Effectively to Family Violence Dimensions of Debt and Credit through Secondary Consultations & Training with Community Professionals, commissioned by the Consumer Action Law Centre, 30 November 2017, Victorian State Government, Justice and Regulation.
  6. A Research and Evaluation Report for the Bendigo Health–Justice Partnership: A Partnership between Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Centre and Bendigo Community Health Services (October 31, 2016 published 22 November 2017 by ARC Justice Bendigo Ltd. Available at SSRN.
  7. Katia Sanderson, Lachlan Edwards, Jillian Williams of Consumer Action Law Centre and Dr Liz Curran, Australian National University, School of Legal Practice, ‘Second Evaluation Report of Consumer Action Law Centre’s Worker Advice Service -A Legal Secondary Consultation Service to Community sector professionals: One year on’ 18 October 2017.
  8. Health-Justice Partnerships Development Report 2016 report compiled by Susan Ball and Cindy Wong, Victorian Legal Services BoardandDr Liz Curran, Adviser and Facilitator for HJP Quarterly Focus Groups, Australian National University, July 28, 2016.
  9. Willcox, Tom and Williams, Jillian and Curran, Liz, ‘Evaluating Consumer Action’s Worker Advice Service’, June 2016 (June 30, 2016). (23 pages). Available at SSRN.
  10. Final Evaluation Report on the “Why Didn’t You Ask?” – Project of the Family Violence Project of Loddon Campaspe Community Legal Community Legal Centre’, ANU, May 2015 (77 pages).

Citations in the following Parliamentary Reports as demonstration of policy impact (snap-shot only)

  1. Cited in the Review of Continuing Professional Development to the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioners, page 63 and used as basis for its recommendations, November 2020.
  2. Cited in the Review of the National Partnership Agreement by Urbis for the Australian Government, December 2018, Pages 97 &123.
  3. Cited in the Volume 1 (pp. 70, 155, 165 and 180) and Volume 2 (p. 374 x 3 and p. 424) of the Department of Justice and Regulation, ‘Access to Justice Review’, August 2016. (See submission 10).
  4. ‘From Commitment to Culture: The 2015 Review of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities Act 2006’ by Michael Brett Young. See link and follow to full report. Cited in the Full Report 17 times of the following:
  5. The Productivity Commission Full Final Report (Vol 1 and 2) on Access to Justice Arrangements (September 2014 at least 30 times).
  6. The Allen Consulting Review for the Commonwealth Attorney General’s Department (July 2014 at least seven times in each of the draft, interim and final reports).
  7. Mention of work and cited before the Royal Commission into Family Violence, para. 40, p. 8 and annexure of Curran’s report as ‘CC1’. See
  8. Mention of work and cited in a submission by ARC Justice Ltd to the Review of the National Disability Scheme (p. 10), 20 June 2016.

See all of Liz Curran's publications...

Press expertise

Access to Justice, Clinical Legal Education, Multidisciplinary Practice (including Health Justice Partnerships); Legal Aid (especially civil), Effective Legal Practice, Social Justice, Accountability to Excluded Community; Legal Professional Ethics (including applied ethics).