Dr John Emerson

Biography/ Background

John's formal studies are in French, specialising in cinema. He completed a postgraduate degree at the Université de Paris III - Sorbonne Nouvelle and a PhD at Adelaide comparing French and Australian representations of colonial history in contemporary cinema.

In 2002 he was commissioned to write a series of books on South Australian legal history and the Law School has provided him with a base. The first two were published in 2006 (see list below) and currently he is writing a biography of poet and former Chief Justice John Bray.

John is also establishing The University of Adelaide Press which aims to publish book-length refereed works by the University's staff both through the web and print-to-order.

Research Interests

John's current primary research is for his biography of John Bray.

Publications

John published numerous articles and book chapters as postgraduate student in journals in Australia, France, Belgium, UK and USA.

Since 2002 he has published numerous articles in the Law Society Bulletin and in The Advertiser on legal history topics. For the Bulletin he is also doing an ongoing series of profiles of South Australian Supreme Court judges.

 

Refereed Article (forthcoming)

'Did Blackstone get the Gallic Shrug?'. Chapter in Wilfrid Prest (ed.) Blackstone and his Commentaries, Hart Publishing, Oxford.  Due for release in July 2009.

 

Books

First Among Equals. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Barr Smith Press, 2006.

History of the Independent Bar of South Australia. Adelaide: University of Adelaide Barr Smith Press, 2006.

Professional Associations

Association Culturelle Franco-Australienne

Professional Historians Association (SA)

Community Engagement

John Bray Law Chapter, University of Adelaide Alumni

Editorial Committee, Law Society Bulletin

Entry last updated: Wednesday, 16 Sep 2009