Sydney Law School is delighted to welcome nine new academic staff whose expertise, energy and diverse perspectives will enrich our community and strengthen our world-class teaching and research.
Joining us in 2025 are Mr Ravi Prakash Vyas, Dr Karina Murray, Mr Sarouche Razi, Dr April Klineberg, Dr Lukas Opacic, Mr Stuart Lowe, Dr Sandy Noakes, Mr Ross Hodgson and Ms Alexandra Sinclair — accomplished scholars and educators whose work spans a broad range of legal disciplines, from criminal and constitutional law to legal theory, human rights, and professional practice.
Mr Ravi Prakash Vyas
Ravi Prakash Vyas joins the Law School as a former student and will teach public international law and foundations of law.
Ravi’s current research focuses on China and India’s approach to international peace & security, United Nations, and use of technology (artificial intelligence) in human rights education. Ravi is an elected governing council member at the Global Campus of Human Rights.
Dr Karina Murray
Dr Karina Murray is an Associate Professor in the Law School and a University of Sydney Horizon Fellow.
She publishes and teaches in legal ethics and is a co-author of Lawyers in Australia (Federation Press, 5th ed, 2025 – pending). Her other research areas include legal education and the legal profession, having completed her PhD on the ethical professional identity of directors of incorporated legal practices.
Mr Sarouche Razi
Sarouche Razi is a researcher and lawyer and lectures in critical legal theory at Sydney Law School.
He has practised in community legal and Aboriginal legal organisations, and has been involved in significant court representation relating to historical injustices, and deaths in custody for First Nations Australians. Sarouche works with the NSW Legal Assistance Forum, and Tangata Restorative Justice, an Oceanic led approach to restorative justice in Melbourne. Sarouche’s first graphic novel, co-written with Dr Anne MacDuff and Kirsten Hoffman, Once upon a time in Australia: conversations about how our MeToo movement exposed the troubles of truth in law is published with Counterpress (2024).
This incoming cohort of educators and researchers will help ensure that Sydney Law School goes from strength to strength. The range of their expertise manifests our commitment to maintaining teaching and research capacity in areas where we have long excelled and extending it in areas of growing student interest.
Professor Fleur Johns, Dean and Head of School
Dr April Klineberg
Dr April Klineberg joins University of Sydney Law School as a lecturer in 2025.
Her research focuses on legal education, finance and human rights. She also has experience working as a lawyer both domestically and in the UK, where she predominately practiced in the areas of commercial property and finance.
Dr Lukas Opacic
Dr Lukas Opacic joins the Sydney Law School to teach Federal Constitutional Law and Public Law.
His research concerns the relationship between public law, political realism, and religion. His work challenges the view, common in academic thought, that ideal legal and political principles can be constructed outside of real-world political conditions. He also applies this theoretical framework to doctrinal questions in constitutional law as well as contemporary debates about religious liberty. His research also explores the way in which these questions are informed by theological concepts and history.
Mr Stuart Lowe
Mr Stuart Lowe joins the Sydney Law School as an experienced Educator and Legal Practitioner who brings a wealth of practical experience to his teaching and research.
Prior to becoming an Academic, Stuart served as a Commissioned Officer in the Royal Australian Navy in a number of roles, including as a Legal Officer. After leaving the Navy, Stuart was called to the NSW Bar, practising in both the Civil and Criminal jurisdictions.
Dr Sandra Noakes
Dr Sandy Noakes joins the Sydney Law School as an Associate Professor and a University of Sydney Horizon Fellow.
Her research explores systems of governance in employment and education that shape and sometimes limit people’s opportunities and choices, with a focus on how these systems can be reformed to create more equitable outcomes. In her teaching and leadership roles, Sandy draws on her research to enhance the engagement and success of students who have not traditionally had access to legal education, helping them reach their full potential.
Mr Ross Hodgson
Ross Hodgson joins the Sydney Law School as a Lecturer in Corporate and Commercial Law. Ross brings more than eighteen years of teaching experience at the University of Sydney, along with a strong background in legal practice.
A practising solicitor and solicitor-director of Hodgson & Lee Solicitors, Ross specialises in corporate governance, takeovers, and commercial law. He has appeared in the Federal Court as well as the Supreme and Local Courts of NSW and is committed to bridging academic knowledge with practical legal expertise in the classroom.
Ms Alexandra Sinclair
Alexandra Sinclair joins the Sydney Law School as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. She has recently submitted her doctoral thesis at the London School of Economics and Political Science on the application of English judicial review doctrines to automated decision-making by the British state.
Alexandra has an LLB (hons)/BA from Victoria University of Wellington and an LLM with honours from Columbia Law School where she studied as a New Zealand Fulbright Scholar.
Professor Fleur Johns, Dean and Head of School, was delighted to welcome the new staff to the school.
“This incoming cohort of educators and researchers will help ensure that Sydney Law School goes from strength to strength. The range of their expertise manifests our commitment to maintaining teaching and research capacity in areas where we have long excelled and extending it in areas of growing student interest.
"It’s been great to welcome them into our scholarly community.”