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Dr Mitchell Adams

Senior Lecturer, Law
Graduate Certificate in Media and Technology for Education, Harvard University, United States; Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching, Swinburne University, Australia; Doctor of Philosophy (Law), Swinburne University , Australia; Graduate Certificate of Research and Innovation Management, Swinburne University, Australia; Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Australian National University, Australia; Bachelor of Science (Chemistry), Monash University, Australia; Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours), Monash University, Australia

Biography

Mitchell Adams is the Course Director of the Bachelor of Laws and Senior Lecturer at Swinburne Law School. His specialisation lies at the intersection of law and technology, as an expert in intellectual property law, legal tech and legal design. Mitchell heads up the Legal Technology and Design Clinics, where he creates the conditions for legal innovation through student and industry collaboration. He has recently been appointed as a Centre for Legal Innovation Distinguished Fellow investigating the use of generative AI in legal practice. 

He holds a PhD in trade mark law as well as science and law degrees from Monash University. He writes on intellectual property rights, using empirical legal methods to investigate international registration systems. His current research is focused on trade mark law and designs law. Other areas of research include those in the field of entertainment law and the legal protection afforded to fictional characters. He is the recipient of over $500,000 in grants from sources including IP Australia and the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing. 

He is also the producer of 40 Floors Up, the only law-themed board game in Australia. The game has been played by hundreds of secondary school legal studies students and has been purchased around the world.

Recently, Mitchell was named ‘Academic of the Year’ at the 2022 Australian Law Awards. He has also received several awards, including a Dean’s Excellence Award, a Vice Chancellor's Award for Teaching Excellence (High Commendation) and a Teaching Excellence Award. Mitchell is an intellectual property lawyer, being admitted as an Australian Lawyer with the Supreme Court of Victoria, a Practitioner of the High Court of Australia and a registered Trade Marks Attorney. 

Research interests

Intellectual Property Law; Trade Mark Law; Entertainment Law; Designs Law

PhD candidate and honours supervision

Higher degrees by research

Accredited to supervise Masters & Doctoral students as Co-Supervisor.

Fields of Research

  • Intellectual Property Law - 480603
  • Law, Science And Technology - 480408
  • Media And Communication Law - 480411

Teaching areas

Intellectual Property Law;Trade Mark Law;Legal Technology;Legal Design

Awards

  • 2023, National, PhD Award (shortlisted), Australian Legal Research Awards
  • 2023, National, Distinguished Fellowship, Centre for Legal Innovation (College of Law)
  • 2022, National, Academic of the Year, Australian Law Awards
  • 2021, Swinburne, Dean's Excellence Award, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2020, Swinburne, Vice-Chancellor's Innovation Award - Nominated, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2019, Swinburne, Vice-Chancellor's Teaching Excellence (Higher Education) Award - High Commendation, Swinburne University of Technology
  • 2019, Swinburne, Teaching Excellence Award, Faculty of Business and Law

Further information

Publications

Also published as: Adams, Mitchell; Adams, M.
This publication listing is provided by Swinburne Research Bank. If you are the owner of this profile, you can update your publications using our online form.

Recent research grants awarded

  • 2023: Protecting Artists from AI Mimicry for Art Trading Platform *; HBZ META ARTECH PTY LTD FUND SCHEME
  • 2023: Trade Marks and Business Start-Up *; EASTERN INNOVATION FUND SCHEME
  • 2022: Strengthening Victoria?s family violence risk assessment and information sharing: Understanding effective capability building to support MARAM implementation through the experiences of victim-survivors *; Family Violence Research Grants: Phase 1
  • 2020: Analysis of the economic effect of Virtual Designs *; IP Australia
  • 2020: Entrepreneurship and Trade Marks *; John Monash Tech School
  • 2020: Legal Factors Impacting Business Start-Up *; John Monash Tech School
  • 2019: Civil Liability for Trade Mark Infringement *; Monash Tech School Fund Scheme

* Chief Investigator