Doctor Susan Armstrong

Senior Lecturer, School of Law

PhD Syd, LLB UNSW, BA Macq Contact detailssusanarmstrong

Career Profile

Susan is a nationally recognised legal educator, whose teaching excellence and accomplisments have been acknowledged by the 2012 LexisNexis-Australasian Law Teachers’ Association Award for Excellence and Innovation in the Teaching of Law; a 2008 national Carrick Citation for teaching excellence; and university teaching awards in 2012, 2010, 2009 and 2004. She has initiated programs to support the diverse cohort of UWS students transition to Law School, and contributed to the development of policy and resources to support the shift at UWS to standards based assessment. She chairs the School of Law’s Learning and Teaching Committee.

Susan was the chief researcher in a three year project with two Family Relationship Centres in south-western Sydney to investigate culturally responsive family dispute resolution. In 2011, the Commonwealth Attorney General launched the first report from this research. The reputation she developed as a result of this research has led to invitations to present at conferences, including as keynote, and to advise government agencies and inquiries on culturally responsive legal service delivery

Susan was a foundational appointment to the new the University of Western Sydney School of Law in 1996 and, before that, held research and policy positions in the Family Court of Australia and the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal. She is a member of the Management Committee of the South West Sydney Legal Centre and a member of the Greater Sydney Family Law Pathways Network Committee. Susan was elected a School of Law representative on UWS Academic Senate in 2012.

Awards

Susan Armstrong, (2012) Excellence and Innovation in the Teaching of Law, LexisNexis & Australasian Law Teachers Association

Simon Kozlina, Jane Lindsay, Michelle Sanson, & Susan Armstrong, (2012) Highly Commended for Excellence in Teaching, Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Awards,University of Western Sydney

Michelle Sanson & Susan Armstrong, Programs that enhance the quality of the first-year student experience: For aligned, holistic and multidimensional strategies that encourage engagement and enhance the transition of first-year law students, grounded on ‘best practices’ in transition pedagogy (2010) College of Business Excellence Awards, University of Western Sydney

Susan Armstrong, Highly Commended for Excellence in Teaching (2009) Vice Chancellor’s Excellence Awards, University of Western Sydney

Susan Armstrong, Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning Award: For sustained educational leadership in building capacity and enhancing the university experience of law students from diverse backgrounds (2008) Carrick Institute for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education (now Office of Learning and Teaching) Commonwealth of Australia

Susan Armstrong, Individual Excellence in Teaching Award (2004)College of Business, University of Western Sydney

Thesis

Susan Armstrong (2006) Women’s Legal Services and Family Law Reform, PhD, Faculty of Law, University of Sydney

Reports

Susan Armstrong (2010) Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution in Family Relationship Centres: Access and Practice (Anglicare and CatholicCare, Sydney) (ISBN 978-0-9808270-0-2)

Susan Armstrong (2012) Encouraging Conversations about Culture: Supporting Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution (Anglicare and CatholicCare, Sydney)

Grants

Susan Armstrong and First Year Teachers (2013) Inverting learning in law – Converting early year law units to blended learning modes, UWS Blended Learning Funds ($70,000)

South West Sydney Legal Service & UWS (2010) Student Connect – Enhancing Law Students’ understanding of domestic violence NSW Office for Women's Policy - Violence Prevention Unit Grants Program ($100,000)

Susan Armstrong (2010) Enhancing access to family dispute resolution for clients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, Australian Family Relationship Clearinghouse Briefing 18, Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse ($10,000)

Susan Armstrong & Natalie Bolzan (2008) Culturally responsive family dispute resolution, Commonwealth Attorney Generals Department, Social Justice Social Change Research Centre Research and School of Law, Partners in Consortium with CatholicCare, Anglicare and Interrelate to establish Family Relationship Centres at Parramatta and Bankstown 2008-2011 ($120,000)

Michael Brogan, Susan Armstrong & Marnie Campbell  (2007) First Year Advisors in the First Year Law Program, UWS Learning and Teaching Action Plan ($20,000)

Susan Armstrong, Mac Collings & Francine Feld (2007) Aligning Learning and Assessment in Law, UWS Learning and Teaching Action Plan ($19,000)

Susan Fitzpatrick & Susan Armstrong (2007) Refining Assessment in Interdisciplinary Law Units, UWS Learning and Teaching Action Plan ($19,000)

Susan Armstrong (2004) Developing best practice strategies for teaching indigenous students and indigenous issues in the first year law curriculum, NSW Law Society Public Purpose Fund ($2,400)

Susan Armstrong (2000) Is Feminist Law Reform Flawed? NSW Law Society Public Purpose Fund ($4,102)

Susan Armstrong (1999) Experts in what doesn’t work: the role of Women’s Legal Services in family law reform NSW Law Society Public Purpose Fund ($2,300)

Susan Armstrong (1998) Feminist law reform - the politics, potential and problems of changing family law UWS Research Seed Grant ($7,200)

Kate Sainsbury & Susan Armstrong (1999) Extending Peer Support at Law School, UWS Student Equity Grant Scheme ($5,000)

Book Chapters & Monographs

Michelle Sanson and Susan Armstrong (2012) Holistic Approaches to Academic and Social Transition to Law School, in Leon Wolff and Michelle Nicolae (eds), First Year Experience in Law School: A New Beginning? Halstead Press, (in press)

Susan Armstrong and Judith McNamara (2011) Key Focus: First Year and Capstone, in Sally Kift, Michelle Sanson, Jill Cowley, Penelope Watson (eds) Excellence and Innovation in Legal Education, LexisNexis

Susan Armstrong, Rosemary Thomson, Sandii Chan & Janne Malfroy (2008) Assessment Guide: Implementing criteria and standards-based assessment, University of Western Sydney, ISBN 978-1-74108-195-4 (print) 

Journal Articles

Susan Armstrong (2013) Good practices with culturally diverse families in family dispute resolution 92 Family Matters 48-60 ISSN 1030-2646 (print) ISSN 1832-8318 (online) (invited contribution)

Susan Armstrong and Michelle Sanson (2012) From confusion to confidence: transitioning to law school 12 Queensland University of Technology Law and Justice Journal (in press) ISSN 1445-6230

Susan Armstrong (2011) Encouraging conversations about culture: supporting culturally responsive family dispute resolution 17(3) Journal of Family Studies 233-248, ISSN 1322-9400 

Susan Armstrong (2011) Accommodating culture in family dispute resolution: what, why and how? 20 Journal of Judicial Administration 167-177, ISSN 4200F020Y

Susan Armstrong (2011) Developing culturally reflexive practice in family dispute resolution 22 Australasian Dispute Resolution Journal 30-40 ISSN 1503V22-1

Graham Hendry, Susan Armstrong and Nikki Bromberger (2011) Implementing standards-based assessment effectively: Incorporating discussion of exemplars into classroom teaching, Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, 1–13, First Article, ISSN 0260-2938 (print) ISSN 1469-297X (online)

Graham Hendry, Nikki Bromberger and Susan Armstrong (2011) Constructive guidance and feedback for learning: The usefulness of exemplars, marking sheets and different types of feedback in a first year Law subject 36(1) Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education 1-11, ISSN 1469-297X (online) 0260-2938 (print)

Susan Armstrong (2010) Enhancing Access to Family Dispute Resolution for Families from Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds, Australian Family Relationships Clearinghouse Briefing No 18, 1-23, ISSN 1834-2434 (online) ISBN 978-1-921414-50-3 (print)

Susan Armstrong, Marnie Campbell & Michael Brogan (2009) Interventions to enhance the student experience of a first year law degree: what they really wanted, 2 Journal of the Australasian Law Teachers Association 135-148, ISSN 1836-5620 (print)

Susan Armstrong (2009) Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution in Family Relationship Centres 13 Family Relationships Quarterly 3-7  ISSN 1833-9077 (online)

Susan Armstrong (2006) Evaluating Law Reform, 10 University of Western Sydney Law Review 157

Susan Armstrong (2004) Is feminist law reform flawed? Abstentionists & Sceptics, 20 Australian Feminist Law Journal 43 ISSN 1320-0968

Susan Armstrong (2001) ‘We told you so ...' Women's Legal Groups and the Family Law Act Reform 1995 15 Australian Journal of Family Law 129

Susan Armstrong (1994) Student Assistance Merits Review, 2 Australian Journal of Administrative Law 80

Conference Papers

Susan Armstrong, Kate Sainsbury, Rebecca Frost, Alira Morey, (2013) “He didn’t hit you, what are you upset about?” – imagining a future where all solicitors have respectful, knowledgeable and appropriate responses to disclosures of DV, National Community Legal Centre Conference, 24-26 July 2013

Susan Armstrong and Nihal Danis (2012) Encouraging conversations about culture: supporting culturally responsive FDR, National Mediation Conference, Sydney, 11-13 September 2012

Kate Sainsbury & Susan Armstrong (2012), Assessing and addressing criminal law students’ attitudes towards domestic violence, Australia and New Zealand Society of Criminology Conference, Auckland, 24-26 November 2012

Susan Armstrong (2012) Developing culturally responsive family dispute resolution, Invited Participant of Symposium: Family law and cultural diversity, 12th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, 25-27 July 2012

Susan Amstrong (2012) Enhancing children’s wellbeing through culturally responsive family dispute resolution, Invited Keynote, Riverina Family Law Pathways Network Conference, Wagga, 14 March 2012

Susan Armstrong (2011) Supporting culturally responsive family dispute resolution, 4th Family Relationship Services Australia Conference, Gold Coast, 8-10 November 2011

Susan Armstrong (2011) Training and sustaining cultural responsiveness in family dispute resolution, LEADR Kongres Conference, Brisbane, 7-9 September 2011

Susan Armstrong (2011) Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution in Family Relationship Centres: Access and Practice, Keynote Address, Adelaide, Family Law Tapas: South Australia Family Law Pathways Network Inaugural Conference, 4-5 August 2011

Susan Armstrong (2011) Culturally Responsive Family Dispute Resolution in Family Relationship Centres: Access and Practice, Keynote Address, Strengthening Vulnerable Families: Greater Newcastle Family Law Pathways Gateway Project Conference, Newcastle, 22 July 2011

Michelle Sanson & Susan Armstrong (2011) Holistic Approaches to Academic and Social Transition to Law School, Keynote address to First Year Experience in Law School: A New Beginning? Conference, Bond University, Gold Coast, Australia,2 July 2011

Susan Armstrong, Ross Butler & Paula Bruce (2010) Facilitating access to FDR and developing culturally responsive family dispute resolution, Family Relationships Services of Australia, Diversity: Everyone Benefits, Melbourne, 3-5 November 2010

Susan Armstrong, Ross Butler & Paula Bruce (2010) Culturally responsive family dispute resolution, 10th National Mediation Conference, Adelaide, 6-9 September 2010

Susan Armstrong & Michael Austin (2010) How can we ensure that family law system practitioners have the appropriate knowledge, skills and tools in relation to cultural awareness? 2nd Family Law System Conference Working Together to Improve the Australian Family Law System into the Future, Canberra, 20-21 July 2010 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong, Paula Bruce & Ross Butler (2010) Culturally Reflexive Family Dispute Resolution, Paper presented at the Fourth National ADR Research Forum: Trends and Issues in ADR Research, National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, Brisbane, 16-17 July 2010 (published online)

Susan Armstrong (2010) Enhancing access to family dispute resolution for families from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, 11th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, 6-9 July 2010

Graham Hendry, Susan Armstrong & Nikki Bromberger (2010) Linking assessment standards and exemplars for exemplary teaching, Showcase Presentation at the Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia Conference, Melbourne, 6-9 July 2010

Michelle Sanson & Susan Armstrong (2010) Aligning Expectations in First Year Law, Australasian Law Teachers’ Association Conference, Auckland, New Zealand, 4-7 July 2010

Susan Armstrong (2010) Accommodating culture in family dispute resolution: what, why and how? Paper presented to Non-Adversarial Justice: Implications for the Legal System and Society Conference, 7 May 2010, Australian Institute of Judical Administration, Melbourne (published online)

Susan Armstrong (2009) Moving towards culturally competent practices in family dispute resolution, Legal Aid NSW Family Law Conference, Sydney, October 2009 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong, Marnie Campbell & Michael Brogan (2009) Interventions to enhance the student experience of a first year law degree: what they really wanted, 12th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference Proceedings, 29 June-1 July 2009, Townsville

Graham Hendry, Susan Armstrong and Nikki Bromberger (2009) Constructive guidance and feedback for learning: The usefulness of exemplars, marking sheets and different types of feedback in a first year Law subject, 12th Pacific Rim First Year in Higher Education Conference Proceedings, 29 June-1 July 2009, Townsville

Susan Armstrong, Marnie Campbell & Michael Brogan (2009) Interventions to enhance the student experience of a first year law degree: what they really wanted, Australian Law Teachers Association Conference, 5-8 July 2009, Sydney

Graham Hendry, Susan Armstrong and Nikki Bromberger (2009) Constructive guidance and feedback for learning: The usefulness of exemplars, marking sheets and different types of feedback in a first year Law subject, Australian Law Teachers Association Conference, 5-8 July 2009, Sydney

Susan Armstrong (2009) Cultural Responsiveness in Family Relationship Centres Intersections between the Law, Religion and Human Rights: Roundtable Discussion Series, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Faith Communities Mini Roundtable, Human Rights Commission, Sydney, February 2009

Susan Armstrong (2008) Culturally responsive family dispute resolution: processes and practice, Family Relationships Services Australia Conference, Cairns, November 2008

Susan Armstrong (2008) The potential for culturally responsive family dispute resolution, 9th National Mediation Conference, Perth, September 2008

Susan Armstrong (2008) Family dispute resolution for families from culturally diverse backgrounds, 10th Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Melbourne, July 2008

Rosemary Thomson, Susan Armstrong & Sandii Chan (2008) Developing an assessment resource: providing for staff what we want them to provide for students, Higher Education Research and Development Society of Australasia (HERDSA) Conference, Rotorua, New Zealand, July 2008

Susan Armstrong (2007) The new family dispute resolution system: a cultural shift for culturally diverse communities? Australian Law Teachers Association Conference, Perth, September 2007

Susan Armstrong (2005) Parenting Law Reform and the Role of Community Women, Women's Rights and Freedoms: 20 Years (In) Equality, National Association of Women and the Law & West Coast Legal Education and Action Fund National Conference, Vancouver, April 2005

Susan Armstrong (2004) The authority of Womens Legal Services in family law reform, Australian Law Teachers Association Conference, Brisbane, 2004

Susan Armstrong (2004) The contribution of Womens Legal Services to family law reform, Challenge, Change and Cha Cha Cha … Celebrating 20 years of Challenging and Changing the Legal System, A Conference on Women, Feminism and the Law, Brisbane, 2004

Susan Armstrong (2003) Is feminist law reform flawed? Abstentionists v Sceptics, Feminist Legal Academic Workshop - Legal Feminism: Now and Then, Adelaide, 2003

Susan Armstrong (2003) Experts in what doesnt work: The role of Womens Legal Services in family law reform, Australian Law Teachers Association Conference, Brisbane, 2003

Susan Armstrong (2000) The children’s provisions and the violence provisions in the Family Law Act: incompatible and inconsistent? Australian Institute of Family Studies Conference, Family futures: issues in research and policy, Sydney, 2000

Susan Armstrong (1998) The privatisation of family breakdown, Social Policy Research Conference, University of New South Wales: States, Markets, Communities - Remapping the Boundaries, Sydney, 1998

Seminar Presentations

Family Law and Dispute Resolution

Susan Armstrong (2010) Accommodating culture in family dispute resolution: what, why and how? Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, Canada, 29 September 2010

Susan Armstrong (2010) Accommodating culture in family dispute resolution: what, why and how? Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, Canada, 6 October 2010

Susan Armstrong (2010) Australian Family Law reforms & (compulsory) family dispute resolution: how is it working? Presentation to Family Law Windsor Bar, September 2010 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong (2009) Shared Care, Shared Parenting Forum, Parramatta, December 2009 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong (2009) Moving towards culturally competent practices in FDR, National Legal Aid Dispute Resolution Forum of Legal Aid, Sydney, November 2009 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong (2009) The Culturally Reflexive Practitioner: Implications for Family Dispute Resolution, LEADR - Association of Dispute Resolvers, NSW Chapter, August 2009, Sydney (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong (2007) The New Family Dispute Resolution System: A Cultural Shift for Culturally Diverse Communities? College of Business Research Symposium, November 2007

Susan Armstrong (2002) Feminist Law Reform, Faculty of Law Postgraduate Seminar Series, University of Sydney, 2002

 

Learning & Teaching

Susan Armstrong (2011) Curriculum Mapping for the School of Business, UWS School of Business, September 2011

Susan Armstrong (2011) Invited speaker, UWS Women’s Network Academic Career Development Workshops, July 2011

Susan Armstrong (2009) Criteria and standards-based assessment and learning guides: how to do it, UWS School of Law Sessional Staff Teaching Workshop, September 2009

Susan Armstrong (2009) Criteria and standards-based assessment and learning guides: how to do it, UWS School of Law Staff Teaching Workshop, July 2009

Susan Armstrong (2008) Implementing UWS Policy: criteria and standards-based assessment and learning guides, UWS School of Law Staff Retreat, December 2008

Susan Armstrong (2008) Shaping our future through quality: the first year law experience, UWS Quality Forum, November 2008 (invited presentation)

Susan Armstrong (2008) Turning good teaching into publications, UWS School of Law Teaching Scholarship Symposium, November 2008

Susan Armstrong & Graham Hendry (2008) Implementing criteria and standards-based assessment in law units: standards, UWS Teaching Development Unit, UWS School of Law Staff Teaching Workshop, August 2008

Susan Armstrong & Graham Hendry (2008) Implementing criteria and standards-based assessment in law units: criteria, UWS Teaching Development Unit, UWS School of Law Staff Teaching Workshop, August 2008

Susan Armstrong, Developing assessment criteria and standards, College of Arts and College of Business Learning & Teaching Forum, 24 July 2008

Susan Armstrong (2008) Aligning learning and assessment: writing learning outcomes, UWS School of Law Teaching Workshop, February 2008

Susan Armstrong (2008) Sessional Teaching Induction, UWS School of Law Sessional Staff Workshop, February 2008

Susan Armstrong (2007) Responding to the challenges of contemporary legal education: Assessment, UWS School of Law Teaching Symposium, November 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) Aligning learning and assessment in law, UWS College of Business Research Symposium, November 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) A busy academics guide to doing criteria and standards: why and how? UWS Heads of Program Forum and Workshop, November 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) A busy academics guide to criteria and standards, UWS School of Marketing, November 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) Refining Assessment Standards, UWS Teaching Development Unit Workshop, October 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) Criteria and Standards in Law, UWS Learning and Teaching  Forum, Criterion Referenced Assessment: Making it Work, July 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) Sessional Teaching Induction, UWS School of Law Sessional Staff Teaching Workshop, July 2007

Susan Armstrong (2007) Sessional Teaching Induction, UWS School of Law Sessional Staff Teaching Workshop, February 2007

Susan Armstrong (2006) Responding to Student Dissatisfaction: Clarifying Standards in Criminal Law, UWS Quality in Learning and Teaching  Forum: Assessment, June 2006

Susan Armstrong (2005) Large Classes: Challenges and Suggestions, UWS School of Law Staff Retreat, December 2005

Susan Armstrong (2004) Responding to the Law Student Satisfaction Survey: Issues of Assessment, UWS School of Law Teaching & Learning Seminar, September 2004

Susan Armstrong (2004) What can we learn from the Student Satisfaction Survey? School of Law Staff Retreat, February 2004

Susan Armstrong (2002) My vision for UWS students, UWS School of Law Staff Retreat, July 2002

 

Visiting Appointments

Ron W Ianni Scholar-in-Residence Program, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada, September  2010

Centre for Feminist Legal Studies, Faculty of Law, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, April 2005

Institute for Feminist Legal Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School of York University, Toronto, Canada, April 2005

 

Community Engagement

 

Member, Management Committee, South West Sydney Legal Centre, 2011-

Member, Community Advisory Group, Family Relationship Centre Bankstown, 2008-

Convenor, Family Law Interest Group, Australasian Law Teachers Association, 2011-

  

University Governance

Elected member for School of Law level A-C, UWS Academic Senate, 2012-

Member, School Academic Committee, 2012 -

Member, School Research Committee, 2012 -

Coordinator, First Year Program, UWS School of Law, 2008

Member, Assessment Policy Review Committee, UWS, 2007

Secondment, Teaching Development Unit, UWS, 2007

Steering Committee Member, Curriculum Review Committee, UWS School of Law, 2007

Chair, Learning and Teaching  Committee, UWS School of Law, 2007-2008

Member, Education Committee, UWS School of Law, 2004-2006

Elected Representative for School of Law, Board of Studies, UWS College of Business, 2003-2004

Convenor, Learning and Teaching  Committee, UWS School of Law, 2002-2003

Elected Representative for College of Law and Business, UWS Senate, 2001-2002

Member, Learning and Teaching  Committee, UWS College of Law and Business, 2002

Legal Member, Human Ethics Review Committee, UWS, 1999-2001

Member, Reference Group for the Program of Development of Women’s Research, UWS, 1999-2000

Member, Reference Group for Peer Mentoring, UWS, 2000

 

Postgraduate supervision

Children’s Right to their Culture: Does family dispute resolution in Australia accommodating children’s cultural rights? 2010 –

Australian conjugality: relationship recognition and sex, sexuality and gender diverse communities. 2011 –

The applicability of the Battered Woman Syndrome to gay male and lesbian individuals who kill their assailants in self defence. 2010 -

 

Teaching

Administrative Law, compulsory third year LLB unit, Coordinator 1998, 1999

Criminal Law, compulsory first year LLB unit, 1996-2004, Coordinator 2002, 2004-2006

Family Law, elective LLB unit, Coordinator 1999 -

Family Dispute Resolution, elective LLB unit, 2011 -

Feminist Jurisprudence, elective LLB unit, Coordinator 2002

Introduction to Law, compulsory first year LLB unit, 2007, Coordinator 2008

Introduction to Legal Principles, compulsory first year unit for Bachelor of Business students, 1997

Legal Method and Research, compulsory first year LLB unit, 1996, 1998

Torts Law, compulsory first year LLB unit, 1996, 1997

 

Student Support

Coordinator, First Year Program, UWS School of Law, 2008

Facilitator, Inaugural First Year Law Student Orientation Camp, UWS School of Law, 2008

Administrator, Law Student Satisfaction Survey, UWS School of Law, 2003

Administrator, Law Student Satisfaction Survey, UWS School of Law, 1999

Presenter, Orientation for new students: How to Survive Law School, UWS School of Law, 1997-2001

Coordinator, Student Work Experience Seminars, UWS School of Law, 1996-2000

Co-facilitator with UWS Employment and Careers Service, Inaugural Law Networking Evening with members of the local and CBD law profession, UWS School of Law, 2000

Presenter with UWS Employment and Careers Service, How to write and develop a CV Workshops, UWS School of Law, 1997-2000

Author, How to find Professional Work Experience in Law, UWS School of Law, 1999

Joint Coordinator, Criminal Justice? Student Seminar Series, UWS School of Law, 1996-1998

Joint Coordinator, Peer Mentoring program for first year law students, UWS School of Law, 1998-1999

Staff Liaison, Developing Student Study Groups, UWS School of Law, 1997-1999