Biography

Appointed after an international search, Leon Trakman became Dean of the Faculty of Law in 2002.   He recently completed his 5 year term.   View his faculty web page on the University of New South Wales website here.

I.          The University of New South Wales

The U.S. News and World Ranking rates the University of New South Wales as 45th among the 400 best colleges globally (June 2009) and as the 28th best social science university in the world (November 2008).   Described by Australia’s leading business magazine, BRW, as Australia’s most admired university, it is a full service university with eight outstanding faculties and 40,000 students.  With 10,000 international students, it has the largest international enrolment of any major international university anywhere. 

II.        The Faculty of Law at the University of New South Wales

A jewel in the University’s crown, the Faculty of Law is ranked by Asiaweek as one of the most outstanding law faculties in Asia.  The Faculty of Law offers 27 joint degree programs along with undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate education in multiple disciplines.  In addition to its internal partnerships, the Faculty of Law also enjoys substantial partnership with other leading global universities.

III.            Administrative Responsibilities

 Dean Trakman reorganized the faculty into two schools and restructured its sixteen independent research and social justice centres.

 As the administrator of a largely independent college within a decentralized university, Dean Trakman administered a multimillion dollar budget.  The Faculty has its own independent admissions, student affairs, marketing, development, alumni and fund-raising departments, among others, with almost 200 members of staff. 

 IV.            College Governance

 Dean Trakman has consulted widely with governments and universities on educational reform.  Currently on assignment for the University of New South Wales, he is charged to investigate college and university governance across the common law world.

V.            Scholarship and Teaching

  Dean Trakman has held prestigious national chairs and fellowships, including the Killam Chair and Fellowship (1987), and a Bora Laskin National Fellowship and Professorship (1997), among others.  He is author of five books on law, philosophy, constitutional rights and education, and has published over 100 articles in learned journals across the English speaking world.

  His teaching appointments include visiting and distinguished visiting professorships at Tulane University (1982), McGill University (1983), the University of Wisconsin- Madison (1992/93), the University of Cape Town (1990) and the University of California, Davis (1999).

  VI.            Dispute Resolution

  An international adjudicator, Dean Trakman was appointed by the United States, Canada, Mexico, and other governments, to resolve controversial inter-governmental disputes.  A widely appointed adjudicator under the US-Canada Free Trade Agreement and the NAFTA, he recently served on a panel appointed to resolve the controversial Softwood Lumber dispute.  A trained mediator and arbitrator, he has also resolved more than sixty multimillion dollar commercial disputes.

  VII.            Constitutional law and social justice

  In 1990, Dean Trakman was appointed by the African National Congress and the Law Commission of South Africa, and in collaboration with the Government of Canada, to consult on the draft Bill of Rights for South Africa and the proposed Constitutional Court.  The South African constitution is modelled on the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms in respect of which Dean Trakman is an expert consultant.

  VIII.            Education

  Dean Trakman has Masters (1973) and Doctorate (1979) degrees both earned at Harvard University, and a Bachelor of Commerce and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Cape Town.

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