Staff Profiles

Professor Lee Godden

Professor Godden researches and teaches within the Melbourne Law School. She is the Director of the Centre for Resources, Energy and Environmental Law within the Law School. Prior to that Professor Godden held a joint appointment as Director of the Office for Environmental Programs for 18 month up until mid-2008.

Professor Godden’s research interests include environmental law, natural resources management, property law and indigenous peoples’ land rights. The impact of her work extends beyond Australia with comparative research on environmental law and sustainability, property law and resource trading regimes, water law resources and Indigenous land rights issues, in countries as diverse as Canada, New Zealand, UK, South Africa, and the Pacific.

Engagement with the theoretical and the grounded aspects of law is a hallmark of her scholarship distinguished by an interdisciplinary approach. She maintains a focus on legal theory, drawing on her background in law and geography. Her work has appeared in leading International journals such as Journal of Environmental Law, as well as leading Australian law journals; University of New South Wales Law Journal, Melbourne University Law Review, and the Criminal Law Journal. Professor Godden has been awarded ARC Discovery Project and Linkage Project funding, as well as grants from bodies, such as the AIATSIS.

Professor Godden teaches environmental law, water law and climate law (Melbourne Law Masters program). Previously, she has taught property law, legal theory, and Master of Environment subjects. She regularly supervises research higher degree students.

She has a longstanding record in community knowledge transfer; a recipient with other project team members of a 2007 Vice Chancellor’s knowledge transfer award. Her contribution to environmental conservation and social justice has been recognised by invited membership of leading international and national environmental, and natural resource organisations. Her work continues with engagement in public interest issues such as the impact of climate change on environmental law and water law and economic development for indigenous communities.