Kate Eastman AM SC
Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, 1991; Master of Law, 1997; 2022 Doctor of Laws (Honoris causa)
Kate Eastman AM SC is one of Australia’s most distinguished human rights lawyers and a trailblazer in the legal profession. With a career spanning over three decades, she has consistently championed justice, equality, and access to the law for society’s most vulnerable. From representing victim-survivors of sexual harassment and sexual violence to advocating for children with disability seeking access to education, her legal work has had transformative impact both nationally and globally.
A graduate of UTS with a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (1991) and a Master of Laws (1997), Kate has remained closely connected to the university through mentoring and teaching (between 1995 – 2010). Her leadership in reforming the gender pay gap at the Bar and her role in shaping equitable briefing policies have opened doors for women and diverse practitioners across the legal profession.
My name is Kate Eastman and the degree I graduated from UTS was a Master of Laws, and I think it was 1994.
The Award means a lot. It's a very great honour. It's sort of nothing that I've strived for or even expected in my career.
One of the key lessons I learned at UTS was the importance of excellence, to always be careful and thorough in the research that I did, the way in which I wrote and how to communicate effectively. Now they might seem like really basic skills, but for lawyers they are essential. And those skills have really put me in good stead in my professional career for now over 30 years.
My experience at UTS gave me a really interesting perspective on the importance of education. The world is their oyster in terms of what they want to achieve and their goals, and so always encouraging the students to be better, brighter, bolder and have confidence in what they wish to achieve which was something that I really old dear from the time both as a student, but also, being involved in teaching while I've been at UTS.
My advice to my fellow alumni is be strong , be brave and be bold.
Kate’s influence extends beyond the courtroom. She co-founded Australian Lawyers for Human Rights, represented Australian NGOs in the UN negotiations for the International Criminal Court, and served as Senior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability. She is currently a Law Reform Commissioner with the New South Wales Law Reform Commission. Her contributions have earned her numerous accolades, including the Order of Australia and the 2026 Lawyer of the Year for Human Rights.
A passionate educator, Kate has taught human rights law at UTS, Monash University, and internationally. Her dedication to justice and reform exemplifies the values of UTS and its commitment to social impact.
UTS gave me the practical foundation and the intellectual courage to pursue a career in human rights law. It was at UTS, as a student and teacher that I saw how the law could be a tool for justice—and that belief has guided me ever since.