Dr Angela Melville

Angela's research focuses on the sociology of the legal profession. Her current research projects include:

• Investigation of biographies of law teachers (with Dr Amy Barrow, Macquarie), including law teachers as global academics, inbreeding, early career academics, and gender discrimination.

• Developing positive retirement strategies for aging lawyers (with Dr Valerie Caines, Flinders).

Her previous work includes:

• A study of McKenzie Friends associated with Fathers Rights Groups in England and Wales (https://academic.oup.com/lawfam/article-abstract/31/2/147/3845120). This work has received considerable attention, eg featuring in the Ministry of Justice's Family Justice Research Bulletin (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/family-justice-research-bulletin-7); Legal Futures (https://www.legalfutures.co.uk/latest-news/paid-mckenzie-friends-play-on-uncertainty-and-victimhood-of-separating-fathers); and legal blogs (https://legalresearch.blogs.bris.ac.uk/2017/08/cowboys-of-the-wild-west-some-context-on-the-influence-of-fee-charging-mckenzie-friends-in-family-law/).
• Angela's work on McKenzie Friend stemmed from a long-term interest in family law, and her other work has been cited in the Australian Domestic and Family Violence Clearinghouse, the Senate Legal and Constitutional Committee's Inquiry into the provisions of the Family Law Amendment (Shared Parental Responsibility) Bill 2005; the National Domestic and Family Violence Bench Book; the Victorian Law Reform Commission's Review of Family Violence Laws.
• An empirical examination of whether Australian law schools produce too many law graduates. This study was featured in the Lawyer Bulletin (https://www.lawyersweekly.com.au/news/18713-innovation-the-answer-to-grim-graduate-prospects).

Angela has had funded projects with: Scottish Executive (no-fault clinical negligence), Nuffield Foundation (process of resolving clinical neligence claims); Scottish Legal Complaints Commission (solicitor professional negligence and compensation funds); Scottish Faculty of Advocates (economic structure of the Faculty); Legal Aid Commission of England and Wales (legal services to legally aided family law clients in England and Wales); Motor Accidents Authority of NSW (impact of reform of 3rd party compulsory insurance regulations); Commonwealth of Australia's Attorney General (ADR in family law; legal services to legally aided family law clients in Australia).

Angela holds academic adjunct status with the  College of Business, Government and Law. She has held positions at  Flinders University; the International Institute for Sociology of Law; the School of Law, University of Manchester; Newcastle Centre for Family Studies, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK; Justice Policy Research Centre, University of Newcastle, Australia; Justice Research Centre, Sydney.

Her primary research interests focus on the sociology of the legal profession, including risk management within law firms, lawyer-client interaction, professional regulation, and stratification within the profession.