Dr Kcasey McLoughlin

Dr Kcasey McLoughlin’s research demonstrates the importance not only of greater diversity in our public institutions but also the need to critically interrogate the gendered assumptions that pervade our legal and political institutions. Kcasey was awarded the prestigious Australian Political Studies Association (APSA) Prize (2017) for her doctoral thesis, ‘Situating Women Judges on the High Court of Australia: Not just men in skirts?’ As an interdisciplinary researcher interested in feminist legal theory and feminist political theory, she is eager to press the boundaries between the disciplines of law and political science in ways that are meaningful to both disciplines. 

Kcasey is an advocate for the legal rights of women and other marginalized groups on the local, national and global stage and her research fosters links between the academy, the community and the legal profession. Kcasey’s contributions as a researcher and educator have been recognised by numerous honours: in 2019 she was nominated for the Academy of Social Sciences Paul Bourke Award for Early Career Research, in 2020 she was awarded the Beryl Nashar Award for Research Excellence and in 2021 she was a finalist in the Women Lawyers Association of NSW Awards for ‘Change Champion’ and ‘Legal Academic of the Year’.

In the post-doctoral stage of her career, Kcasey has extended the reach of her research to strengthen gender justice internationally. Kcasey’s current collaborative research project ‘Reimagining judging in international criminal courts: A gendered approach’ with Prof Louise Chappell (Human Rights Institute, UNSW) and Dr Rose Grey (USyd) advances Australia's commitment to gender justice internationally by addressing the International Criminal Court’s (ICC’s) poor conviction record for sexual and gender-based (SGB) crimes. Supported by a competitive Australian Research Council (ARC) 2021 Discovery Project grant, the team are advancing research on an innovative book reimagining ICC cases through a feminist judgment approach which will form part of a valuable online toolbox for judges and academics alike. As an intersectional and international project, 50 contributors from 16 countries are involved in this book project. For more information about this project see: https://www.humanrights.unsw.edu.au/research/current-research/reimagining-judging-international-criminal-courts-gendered-approach

The international and comparative elements of Kcasey’s research and teaching have been enhanced by visiting scholar positions at leading universities in Australia and overseas. She has held visiting positions at the Human Rights Institute (UNSW Queen Mary, University of London (UK), the University of Melbourne, and the Centre for Sexuality Race and Gender Justice at the University of Kent (UK).

Kcasey’s research sets out Constitutional and legislative reform strategies necessary to achieve transparency and diversity in judicial appointment processes. In the wake of revelations about sexual harassment and bullying at the peak of Australia’s legal and political institutions, drawing on her ongoing scholarly work in this area, Kcasey advocated for reforms that would not only improve transparency and accountability of existing judicial appointment strategies but also enhance diversity. As an invited expert panelist at the 2020 Human Rights Institute ‘Above the Law’ webinar Kcasey joined leading voices in the legal profession in setting out strategies to better combat gender-based abuse, sexual abuse and bullying in the legal profession and beyond. Her book ‘Law, Women Judges and the Gender Order: Lessons from the High Court of Australia’ examines the institutional features which have shaped the legal system’s failure to appropriately respond to sexual harassment and bullying.

As a member of the University of Newcastle Gender Research Network (led by A/Prof Trisha Pender). Kcasey has contributed to important initiatives to improve legal responses to gender-based violence and to raise awareness about the prevalence of gender-based violence more generally. For example, in 2020, the Gender Research Network were awarded a grant from the City of Newcastle to turn Civic Park (Newcastle) orange for the 16 Days of Activism to end Violence Against Women. This initiative not only raised awareness about the prevalence of gender-based violence, it also enhanced the safety of members of the community by installing a permanent lighting fixture in the city precinct. As part of the Gender Research Network’s contribution to the 2020 16 Days Campaign Kcasey facilitated a webinar interrogating current initiatives to criminalise coercive control in NSW. Kcasey has also served as a consultant for a number of initiatives designed to improve legal responses to violence against women/ women’s experiences of the legal system. For example, in 2020 she was invited as Consultant for Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence Against Women: Combining Evidence and Practice Knowledge for Policy Reform. The Primary Prevention of Sexual Violence and Harassment, a project led by Dr Leeesa Hooker at La Trobe University (funded by the Federal Department of Social Services).

With teaching responsibilities in the foundational course Legal System and Method, Equal Opportunity Law, Jurisprudence, Constitutional Law, Competitive Mooting (Advocacy), and Family Law,  Kcasey’s contributions to teaching and learning have been recognised by numerous awards (The Faculty of Business and Law Award for Teaching and Learning Excellence 2016 and 2019; the Deputy Vice Chancellor’s Merit List 2021). In 2021 she was awarded an AAUT Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. These awards recognise Kcasey’s success in motivating her students to think critically about the social role of law and how they as 21st-century lawyers might meaningfully participate in its reform.

 Role modelling lawyers’ capacity to contribute to law reform debates, Kcasey inspires her students to reflect on the social role of law and to see themselves as agents for reform. Kcasey’s capacity to translate cutting-edge research for student, policy and public audiences means that her contribution to knowledge extends beyond traditional scholarly outputs. In 2019, she was part of a multi-disciplinary team of researchers and students funded by the philanthropic Copley Bequest to chart the legal and social experiences of the marriage equality postal survey. The project culminated in an exhibition at Watt Space Gallery, a series of public lectures, and submission to the parliamentary consultation in response to the draft exposure Religious Discrimination Bill. Kcasey led the group’s parliamentary submission and delivered a public lecture communicating concerns about the extent to which the legislative response privileged certain freedoms at the expense of equality and protection of the LGBTIQ+ community. The team was awarded the Excellence Award for Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (Faculty of Education of Arts, University of Newcastle) in recognition of their outstanding public touring exhibition (Newcastle 2019/2020; Maitland 2020) and engagement with the university and wider community to foster inclusion of people of diverse genders and sexual identities.

Kcasey is admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and has experience in commercial legal settings and in community legal centre work. Her experience as a Solicitor at the University of Newcastle Legal Centre advice sessions further underscores her commitment to clinical legal education. Kcasey’s approach to teaching and learning presents law as a dynamic theoretical and practical discipline. She builds connections with the legal profession and fosters students’ positive identities as legal practitioners of the future. Kcasey is passionate about the educational benefits of mooting and coordinated Newcastle Law School's Mooting Program from 2013-2018. This involved coaching students in various competitions (the Ashurst Equity Moot, Kirby Contract Moot, the Harry Gibbs Constitutional Law Moot, and the Jessup Moot) and forging connections with the legal profession to enhance the opportunities available to our students. In 2015 her contribution to mooting was recognised with the Faculty of Business and Law Student Engagement Award, ‘for generating opportunities for our students in advocacy, networking and critical thinking as Mooting Director.’

Kcasey is the primary carer for her two small children (born in 2017 and 2021).