Ms Marcelle Burns

Marcelle joined the QUT Faculty of Law as an Associate Lecturer in February 2008.

Research interests

As a Kamilaroi woman Marcelle has a strong interest in Indigenous critical legal studies and social justice issues.

Her research interests include:

• native title
• representations of Indigenous Australians and law
• Indigenous women’s issues
• the Stolen Generations
• Indigenous human rights.

Background

Before coming to QUT she worked as a solicitor for several years:

• with the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) Limited
• with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW
• in private practice.

During this time Marcelle was also employed as a sessional academic in the:

• in the School of Law and Justice
• the College of Indigenous Australian Peoples at Southern Cross University.

Marcelle has also trained and worked as a mediator with the NSW Attorney Generals’ Department, Community Justice Centres.

Marcelle has extensive experience working with a number of Indigenous organisations, providing advice on governance and management issues in the areas of:

• Indigenous arts
• land management
• community development.

As a solicitor, Marcelle has also been involved with native title claims on the North Coast of NSW.

She has held a number of editorial positions including Assistant Editor of the Southern Cross University Law Review.

Projects

• coordinator – Embedding Indigenous Perspectives Project – QUT Law School
• awarded Faculty Teaching and Learning Grant to develop cultural competency for law and justice professionals in 2010.

Conferences

• Native Title and Whiteness in ‘Settled’ Australia, Re-orienting whiteness – Australian Critical Race Whiteness Studies Association Conference, 3-5 December 2008, Melbourne.
• Cultural Museum Who? Indigenous People and the Law Symposium – Indigenous Studies Research Network, 29 September 2009,  Brisbane.