Rate My Professor Stephen Shaw

Dr. Stephen Shaw serves as a Lecturer in the School of Law and Criminology at Murdoch University, where he has taught law for over 20 years. His teaching portfolio includes coordination and delivery of key units such as LLB450 Civil Procedure, LLB352 Evidence, and LLB210 The Law of Costs, equipping students with essential practical knowledge in procedural law, evidentiary principles, and cost management in litigation. Dr. Shaw's dedication to legal education is evident in his role as supervisor for multiple honours and graduate theses, including 'The Reformulation of the Penalty Doctrine' by C. Gilchrist in 2017, 'Determining the Admissibility of Confessional Evidence' by Tim Philbey in 2018, and 'African Mining Regime Reform: Is the Western Australian Model Appropriate?' by M. Gaynor in 2014. These supervisions highlight his expertise in advanced topics within contract law, evidence, and international legal regimes.

In addition to his academic contributions, Dr. Shaw co-founded the Murdoch School of Law's Costs Unit in 2016, enhancing specialised training in legal costs assessment and disputes. He has presented professional development modules for the Magistrates Association of Western Australia (MALA), including prior sessions on Evidence Law and forthcoming modules on Forming Contracts from October to November 2025, covering introduction to contract law, offer and acceptance, consideration, intention, capacity, certainty, estoppel, and equity. Balancing academia with professional practice, Dr. Shaw is Principal at Coulson Legal, bringing practical insights from legal consultancy to his university roles. His long-standing involvement at Murdoch University underscores his impact on legal scholarship and practitioner training in Western Australia.