ProfKaren O'Connell
Professor
Faculty of Law
BIO
Professsor O'Connell is an expert in discrimination law, particularly sex and disability discrimination, sexual harassment, and biotechnologies of the body, neuroscience and genetics. She is experienced in law reform, policy development and managing large research projects. With Professor Isabel Karpin she held an Australia Research Council grant on "The Legal Regulation of Behaviour as a Disability" (2015-2019) and continues to work at the intersection of equality laws and the biosceinces.
Prior to joining UTS as a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow she worked in human rights law and policy at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In a number of senior roles, she worked on national inquires and major reports into pregnancy discrimination, immigration detention, paid maternity leave, family responsibilities discrimination and age discrimination. She co-wrote submissions on key human rights cases and law reforms and produced national guidelines on sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination. Professor O'Connell completed her masters and doctoral degrees at Columbia University in New York.
At UTS, Professor O'Connell is a member of the Law Health Justice Centre and co-founded the Feminist Legal Research Group. She has national and international advisory roles, as a member of the federal government's National Women's Safety Alliance, the 1800RESPECT service, and on the board of Berkeley Law School's Center for Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law. She is active in human rights and law reform work, as a member of the Discrimination Law Experts Group, and as an adviser on projects for the Champions of Change Coalition, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Professor O'Connell has won numerous academic awards and scholarships, including the Audrey Harrisson Fellowship from the Australian Federation of University Women and the Finkelstein Fellowship from Columbia Law School. In 2021, she was awarded "Legal Academic of the Year" by the NSW Women Lawyers' Association.
Prior to joining UTS as a Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow she worked in human rights law and policy at the Australian Human Rights Commission. In a number of senior roles, she worked on national inquires and major reports into pregnancy discrimination, immigration detention, paid maternity leave, family responsibilities discrimination and age discrimination. She co-wrote submissions on key human rights cases and law reforms and produced national guidelines on sexual harassment and pregnancy discrimination. Professor O'Connell completed her masters and doctoral degrees at Columbia University in New York.
At UTS, Professor O'Connell is a member of the Law Health Justice Centre and co-founded the Feminist Legal Research Group. She has national and international advisory roles, as a member of the federal government's National Women's Safety Alliance, the 1800RESPECT service, and on the board of Berkeley Law School's Center for Comparative Equality and Anti-Discrimination Law. She is active in human rights and law reform work, as a member of the Discrimination Law Experts Group, and as an adviser on projects for the Champions of Change Coalition, the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Professor O'Connell has won numerous academic awards and scholarships, including the Audrey Harrisson Fellowship from the Australian Federation of University Women and the Finkelstein Fellowship from Columbia Law School. In 2021, she was awarded "Legal Academic of the Year" by the NSW Women Lawyers' Association.
UNIVERSITY OF TECHNOLOGY SYDNEY APPOINTMENTS
- Law Representative, Vice-Chancellor's Social Justice CommitteeUniversity of Technology Sydney, Sydney, Australia1 Jan 2022 - present
- Co-convenor, Equity and Justice CommitteeUniversity of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Law, Sydney, Australia1 Jan 2022 - present
- Member, Faculty BoardUniversity of Technology Sydney, Business, Sydney, Australia1 Jan 2022 - present
- UTS Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research FellowUniversity of Technology Sydney, Faculty of Law, Sydney, Australia2010 - 2015
NON-ACADEMIC POSITIONS
- Acting Director/Senior Policy OfficerAustralian Human Rights Commission, Sydney, Australia1998 - 2010
- Policy and Programs OfficerNSW Department of Corrective Services1997 - 1998
- Research AssistantAustralian Law Reform Commission, Sydney, Australia1997 - 1997
DEGREES
- Doctor of the Science of LawColumbia University, New York, United States
- Master of LawsColumbia University, New York, United States
- BA/LLBUniversity of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
- 10 Reduced Inequalities
- 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
- 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
PROFILE TYPE
- Academic
AVAILABILITY
- Masters Research or PhD student supervision