New PhD Scholarship Opportunity

The Legal needs, access to justice and intersecting inequalities PhD scholarship is part of the ARC DECRA Project Advancing access to justice: identifying the causes of legal problems with Dr Catherine Hastings at Western Sydney University. It is offered in partnership with the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, an independent statutory body whose multidisciplinary team undertakes mixed-methods research on inequalities in access to justice, the provision of legal assistance services, and evidence-based justice system reform.

The PhD aims to contribute theoretical and applied knowledge to better understand inequalities in people’s experiences of legal problems and the opportunities for meaningful reforms that address intersectional disadvantages.

There is some flexibility as to the precise focus of the PhD thesis. The proposed project should align with the aims of these two partners, but can concentrate on a particular impacted population, type of legal issue, experience of legal need, specific context, aspect of the legal assistance sector's work, or another relevant topic.

The candidate will be based at the Institute for Culture & Society (ICS), located at Western Sydney University's Parramatta South campus. ICS offers a strong collaborative academic and social environment for doctoral students, access to research training, interdisciplinary supervision and professional development opportunities.

The PhD candidate will also contribute to the work of the Law and Justice Foundation of NSW, whose research contributes to the development of a fair and equitable justice

system that addresses the legal needs of the community.

Applications close 31 July 2026. The PhD project will commence on 14 September 2026.

DOWNLOAD the Position Description and How to Apply