This elective commenced from semester one this year and is being delivered by QUT professor of law Amanda Kennedy and members from the Lander & Rogers Brisbane workplace relations and safety team, who were hands-on in designing this new subject.

The national law firm stated that “the elective introduces students to the core principles of Australia’s industrial relations, workplace relations, discrimination and safety laws, and how they apply in a business setting”.

Over 300 QUT students have enrolled in the elective to learn more about Australia's ever-changing employment landscape.

Vince Rogers, Lander & Rogers workplace relations and safety partner, outlined that this subject is “designed to give students a modern, practical and strategic overview of the legal and regulatory issues concerning Australian workplaces today”.

Fellow Lander & Rogers partner Shannon Chapman also commented: “It’s an incredibly interesting time for students to be introduced to key concepts in workplace law.”

She underscored the establishment of this subject reflects the new obligations Australian employers have to abide by.

“In the last few years, Australia has implemented some of the most significant changes to its industrial relations laws in recent history. We’ve also seen massive shifts in how we address harassment and discrimination, including the introduction of a positive duty under the Sex Discrimination Act and a comprehensive review of anti-discrimination legislation in Queensland,” Chapman stated.

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“Employers are also adjusting to new obligations in relation to modern slavery, whistleblowing, gender equality reporting and migration. These changes touch on many aspects of our daily lives, which make them a fascinating area of study.”

Kennedy emphasised that this collaboration with Lander & Rogers would provide their students with practical skills that align with their courses.

“Understanding the laws that govern workplaces is beneficial for students wanting to go into private practice, or take on in-house legal roles.

“We’re delighted to be collaborating with Lander & Rogers to share these timely insights with the next generation of lawyers,” Kennedy commented.

QUT has also partnered with the firm to offer legal innovation clinics to their law students.

The Law Tech Clinic is a 12-week program that allows law students of QUT “to gain hands-on experience with legal technology” from Lander & Rogers lawyers and tech experts.

Lander & Rogers stated that “students take part in workshops, gain insights from industry-leading speakers, and develop reporting, client-ready apps and chatbots in response to real-world legal issues”.

The national law firm’s initiative has been successful with the University of Technology in Sydney and Monash University in Victoria.