User:Noongarbooja

Virginia Falk
Virginia Falk is an Indigenous Australian lawyer, academic and writer. She specializes in water law, Aboriginal site consultation and Aboriginal water rights and interests in property and environmental law.

Virginia after leaving school in year 10, studying at university some time later. Concurrently completing a Bachelor of Laws at the University of Wollongong, a Bachelor of Arts (major in Sociology) and a Bachelor of Vocational Education and Training. She was inducted as a lifetime member to the Golden Key National Honour Society.

Concurrently, Virginia then completed an Honours in Communications, a Masters of Laws at the Australian National University and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice. Shortly after Virginia commenced a Doctor of Philosophy in law at Macquarie University in research on the impact on Aboriginal water rights and interests within the competing non-Aboriginal interests in Australia. The dissertation also includes examing Indigenous water knowledge and water management systems, intellectual property to Indigenous water knowledge, fidiciary duty, native title with comparatives to Canada, United States and New Zealand.

Virginia has worked as a criminal lawyer, in developing national and state policy, as a Research Associate to the Judiciary of the Federal Court, lecturer and course writer in university. Virginia has written extensively over the years in law, education, sociology and in water property rights in the context of Indigenous social justice.

Currently, her publication of a co-contribution in a chapter on Aboriginal water rights is in Indigenous Australians and the Law (2nd ed. 2008) and articles in www.austlii.com.au. In 2008 Virginia has been part of an international water expert panel for the United Nations University on "Indigenous Water Knowledge, Indigenous Water Interests", which will submit recommendations to UNESCO Water and Culture Database and to the 2009 World Water Forum in Turkey and the Eighth Session of the United Nations Forum on Indigenous issues.

Virginia is a member of Macquarie University's 'Macquarie Global Leadership Program, proving leadership in a range of international issues.