Professor Vivien Holmes is based at the ANU College of Law.

Vivien’s research focuses on the legal profession, legal ethics and legal education. She has investigated with colleagues the ethical climate of Australian legal practice workplaces and the influence of ethical climate on the wellbeing and job satisfaction of new lawyers.

She and colleagues are exploring portential correlations between (un)ethical climate and sexual harassment and bullying in the legal profession.

Vivien has written on the effectiveness of the Giving Voice to Values curriculum in law, a curriculum that focuses on building skills for ethical action, and has explored the links between professionalism, ethics and wellbeing, including the important connections between values/professionalism and wellbeing in individuals, law schools and legal practices. Vivien has commented on issues of legal ethics in the media.

Prior to joining ANU, Vivien worked as a solicitor in private and government practice, a government legal policy officer, and a court officer. She has been a member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and is a member of the ACT Law Society’s Complaint Committee.


Fields of expertise


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