DrPatricia Perlen

Patricia (Trish) Perlen is a Senior Lecturer in the Deakin Law School. Trish was admitted as an Australian Lawyer in 2007 and has worked in the public, private and community sector in Australia and overseas.

Trish has consistently taught and chaired foundational law units offered across undergraduate and postgraduate programs and in all modes. This experience has shaped her research and scholarship focus on the first-year higher education experience, enabling her to implement research-informed teaching and learning approaches. Trish received a scholarship to pursue her PhD at Lancaster University's Department of Educational Research, further advancing her higher education research, and enhancing her expertise. Trish completed her cross-disciplinary PhD in Law and Higher Education in 2023.

As an education-focused academic Trish has both fundamentally driven, and operationalised, the reform and delivery of legal education in Deakin Law School, especially at the first-year level. Trish's approaches to teaching and learning in the first-year law curriculum have been recognised by the Law School (2014), Faculty of Business and Law (2013, 2014, 2015 and 2019), University (2014) and National Teaching Awards (2012). In 2015 Trish was nominated for an Office for Learning and Teaching Citation. 

Trish is the current Associate Head of School (Teaching and Learning) and Accelerate Coordinator for the Deakin Law School.