- Inducted:
- 2010
- Category:
- Change Agent
For more than 10 years Mary Anne Noone has contributed significantly to improving both Victoria's legal aid services and people's access to justice, as a director of Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) during a period of modernisation and expansion of the system Mary Anne is also internationally regarded as a preeminent legal writer and researcher on these subjects.
Her passion for education and justice has seen her produce two books, publish research and contribute numerous chapters, conference papers and articles. A successful educator, Mary Anne is currently an Associate Professor at La Trobe University Law School. She has also played a central role in developing and implementing two unique legal education programs. The La Trobe Clinical Legal Education Program provides undergraduates the opportunity to work (under supervision) at West Heidelberg Community Legal Service, Victoria Legal Aid and a range of other not-for-profit and government organisations.
The Public Interest Law Postgraduate Program allows practitioners, policy makers and other graduates to study the intersection between the law and public interest. Mary Anne's professional activities include membership of the Evaluation of Neighbourhood Justice Centre steering committee; Department of Justice's Debt Research Project Advisory Group; International Legal Aid Group; Editorial Board of the International Journal of Clinical Legal Education and International Journal of the Legal Profession and the Lawyers Practice Manual, Victoria. Mary Anne is a member of the management committee of the West Heidelberg Community Legal Service and a member of the Carers Victoria Board.
As Mary Anne says, "my research, teaching, professional and community service activities are driven by a passion to improve access to social justice for the disadvantaged, marginalised and poor. I have been fortunate to work with a range of inspiring people, clients, community legal centre workers, academic colleagues who have shared this passion, commitment and determination to improve social justice."
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