The Hon Craig DOWLING
Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 9.02.2024
Location: Melbourne
Craig Dowling was appointed to the Federal Court on 9 February 2024.
He graduated from Monash University with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws and from the University of Melbourne with a Master of Laws.
He was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1991. Between 1991 and 1999, he worked as a solicitor in Melbourne, as a legal researcher in London and as Associate to Justice Tony North in the Federal Court of Australia. He came to the Bar in 1999 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2017.
At the Bar he practiced mainly in industrial relations and employment law, discrimination law and administrative law. He is a former President of the Industrial Bar Association. He was for many years a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne Law School in the Master of Laws program where he continues to teach.
Associateship applications
Justice Dowling’s Chambers are staffed by two associates. The usual duration of each associate position is 12-18 months.
Justice Dowling is currently accepting applications for an associate starting in approximately August or September 2026. Candidates interested in applying for the position are invited to send a covering letter, CV, academic transcript and an example of written work to associate.dowlingj@fedcourt.gov.au by 9 September 2025. Applicants with at least 18 months’ experience in legal practice at the time of commencement will be preferred. Interviews with shortlisted applicants will be conducted in September/October 2025.
General information about associate positions can be found in the employment pages of the Federal Court's website. Any queries in relation to the application process should be directed to the Associate to Justice Dowling at associate.dowlingJ@fedcourt.gov.au
