Professor Steven Vaughan is the Dean of the Faculty of Law and an internationally renowned legal educator, scholar and author with 20 years’ experience spanning industry, higher education and several non-executive director roles. A values-driven leader, Professor Vaughan is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and has spent much of his career developing teaching approaches that influence, motivate and inspire students to learn.

Professor Vaughan joined Monash University on 2 January 2025, having previously worked at University College London (UCL), where he was Professor of Law and Professional Ethics. He has had extensive leadership experience at UCL Laws, having previously served as Vice Dean (Strategy), Deputy Dean/Head of Department, and (COVID) Chair of the Faculty Education Team. Professor Vaughan has also held teaching and academic leadership positions at leading law schools across the UK, including Cardiff University, the University of Bristol and the University of Birmingham.

Over the course of his career, Professor Vaughan has made significant contributions to the legal field both in the UK and abroad. His work has been cited and used by legal services regulators in the UK and Canada, and he is recognised as an authoritative voice in policy-making with several non-executive appointments in healthcare, press and legal services regulation. Professor Vaughan is regularly invited to speak on his legal expertise at prominent academic and industry events around the world, with talks in the UK, EU, North America, Australia and Asia.

With an established international reputation as a prolific researcher, Professor Vaughan has dedicated his academic career to environmental law, lawyers’ ethics, legal education (including clinical legal education), diversity and corporate governance. He has a strong track record for securing external research funding and has regularly assessed grant applications for providers in the UK, Europe and New Zealand. He has authored and edited two monographs, two edited collections, two journal special issues, and more than 30 chapters, journal papers, and reports since 2007.

A Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy since 2006, Professor Vaughan has received multiple awards and honours for his achievements in teaching and research. He was the final Chair of the Joint Academic Stage Board, which validated all qualifying law degrees across England and Wales. Professor Vaughan’s academic qualifications include a Bachelor of Arts (2002) from the University of Oxford as well as a Master of Sciences (2008) and PhD (2014) from Cardiff University. He began his career as a corporate finance solicitor specialising in environmental law, working for Freshfields and then Latham & Watkins.