Dr Matilda Gillis

Matilda Gillis is a College Assistant Professor in Law at St John's College, and an Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty. Matilda is a Director of Studies for Part 1B. She was a Faculty Access Officer from 2023-2025.

Matilda holds a BA/LLB (Hons) from the Australian National University and an LLM (International Law) from Cambridge, which was fully funded by Trinity College through the Henry Arthur Hollond Studentship and an honorary Lionel Murphy Endowment Postgraduate Scholarship. She won various prizes in the LLM, including the Clive Parry Prize for International Law (for the highest ranked student in the LLM (international law)). Matilda also holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, which was fully funded by a Peterhouse Graduate Research Studentship.

She has previously held academic positions at Corpus Christi College, LSE, UCL and ANU, and worked as a solicitor for the Australian Government Solicitor, primarily in the area of constitutional law. Matilda also works as an ad hoc consultant for several international organisations and non-governmental organisations.

Education

• PhD in Law Candidate, Peterhouse, University of Cambridge (2019-)
  • Visits (as part of the Programme in European Private Law) to: University of Münster, University of Silesia (Katowice), University of Valencia
• Master of Law (International Law) (First Class), Trinity College, University of Cambridge (2018-2019)
• Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Australian National University (2017)
• Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours), Australian National University (2011-2016)
• Bachelor of Arts (major in Political Science), Australian National University (2011-2016)
  • Exchanges/research visits to: Sciences Po Paris, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana, Yale (IARU/Banco Santander Scholar)

Professional qualifications

• Admitted to the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory (August 2017)
• Admitted to the High Court of Australia (September 2017)

Scholarships

• Peterhouse Graduate Research Studentship, Peterhouse (2019-2022)
• Henry Arthur Hollond Studentship, Trinity College Cambridge (2018-2019)
• Lionel Murphy Endowment Postgraduate Scholarship (Honorary), Lionel Murphy Foundation (2018-2019)
• Honours Scholarship, ANU (2016)
• International Alliance of Research Universities (IARU) Research Scholarship for Yale, ANU (2014)
• Banco Santander Scholarship (awarded by both ANU and Yale), Banco Santander (2014)
• Encounter Europe Scholarship, DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) (with additional scholarship awarded by the ANU Centre for European Studies) (2013)
• ANU Learning Community Coordinator Scholarship (full residential scholarship to live at Bruce Hall), ANU (2013)

Prizes

• Clive Parry Prize for International Law, University of Cambridge Faculty of Law (2019)
• Lizette Bentwich Prize for Law, Trinity College Cambridge (2019)
• Examination Prize, Trinity College Cambridge (2019)
• Senior Scholarship/Research Scholarship, Trinity College Cambridge (2019)
• Dean’s Certificate for Jessup Moot (shared), ANU (2016)
  • Winning team of the Australian national championships of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2016)
  • Prize for best oralist (shared) in Australian Grand Final of the Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition (2016)
• Overall Winner for Law, International Undergraduate Awards (2015)
• Australian Taxation Office Prize for Income Tax Law, ANU (2014)
• Ashurst Australia Prize for Corporations Law, ANU (2013)
• Phillipa Weeks Prize for Labour Law (Sponsored by Holding Redlich), ANU (2013)
• ACT Director of Public Prosecutions Prize for Criminal Law and Procedure, ANU (2012)
• Bruce Hall, Burgmann College prizes for outstanding academic achievement, ANU (2012, 2015)

Teaching experience

• Guest Teacher, Introduction to Legal Systems, LSE (2021-2022)
• Supervisor, International Law, University of Cambridge (2021-2022)
• Supervisor, Corpus Christi College Bridging Course, University of Cambridge (2021)
• Supervisor, Human Rights Law, University of Cambridge (2020-2022)
• Supervisor, Company Law, University of Cambridge (2020-2021)
• Graduate Teaching Assistant, The Law of the World Trade Organization (LLM), University of Cambridge (2020)
• Coach, Philip C. Jessup International Law Moot Court Competition, University of Cambridge (2020)
• Sessional Academic, Corporations Law (LLB and JD), ANU College of Law (2018)

Other academic contribution

• External Examiner (Commercial and Company Law), University of Edinburgh (2021)
• External Examiner (International Human Rights Law), ANU (2021)
• Reviewer, Metaphor & Symbol (2021)
• Co-convenor, PhD Public International Law Discussion Group, University of Cambridge (2020-2021)
• Admissions Interviewer for Law, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge (2020-2021)
• General Editor, Cambridge International Law Journal (2019-2020)
• Research Assistant to: (i) Michelle Butler, Matrix Chambers (2021); (ii) Dr Stephanie Palmer (2021) (iii) Professor Régis Bismuth (2020-2021); (iv) Professor Jean D'Aspremont (2020); (v) Professor Eyal Benvenisti (2019-2020); (vi) the ANU Centre for Commercial Law (2016-2017); (vii) the ANU Centre for International and Public Law (2016); (viii) Dr Kate Ogg and Dr Susan Rimmer (International Law) (2015-2017); (ix) Dr Bryan Keon Cohen AM KC (Mabo No 2 archival research) (2014-2015); (x) Mr Cameron Roles (Employment Law) (2013); (xi) Dr Kath Hall (Corporations Law) (2013)

Professional experience

• Consultant, Climate Litigation Network/Urgenda (2020)
• Solicitor/Counsel, Office of General Counsel, Australian Government Solicitor (2017-2019)
• Legal Intern, Trial Chamber I, International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (2016-2017)
• Legal Administration Officer (Information and Evidence Gathering, Private Groups and High Wealth Individuals), Australian Taxation Office (2015-2016)
• Volunteering: (i) volunteer, CCHP Cambridge night shelter (2018-2020); (ii) volunteer coordinator and volunteer solicitor, Consumer Law Centre (2017-2018); (iii) volunteer researcher, Femili PNG & Friends of Femili PNG (2017-2018); (iv) volunteer paralegal, Women's Legal Centre ACT & Region (2015-2016)