Beth Nosworthy

Associate Professor Beth Nosworthy

Associate Prof/Reader

Adelaide Law School

Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Dr Beth Nosworthy is an Associate Professor in the Adelaide Law School, researching in the areas of corporate law and equity, in particular directors' duties and fiduciary obligations. She has published on fiduciary obligations, priorities in insolvency, and directors' duties in insolvent companies, and has co-authored the text 'Contemporary Australian Corporate Law' with colleagues from the Australian National University., now in its second edition

Dr Nosworthy lectures in Equity and Corporate Law at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and is also the Director of the Entrepreneur and Venture Advice Clinic, a clinical legal education opportunity for fourth and final year law students offering free legal advice to entrepreneurs, new and small businesses in South Australia.

Dr Beth Nosworthy's research is concentrated in corporate structures, corporate governance and directors' duties.

In 2013, Dr Nosworthy was awarded her PhD from the University of Adelaide, and won the Bonython Prize for best original thesis. Her thesis provided a legal analysis of directors' duties, and in particular the fiduciary obligation, under Australian corporations regulation, and whether in certain circumstances, that obligation could be owed directly to members, in addition to the company more generally.  This PhD research was in funded in part through the Zelling-Gray scholarship program.

Dr Nosworthy is particularly interested in the application of corporate governance to differing corporate forms, and the specific role of the directors' duties within corporate governance more generally.

Dr Nosworthy is a co-author of the text, Contemporary Australian Corporate Law, with colleagues from the Australian National University, College of Law, now in its second edition, along with other prominent commercial law and corporate governance texts from CUP.

  • Appointments
    Date Position Institution name
    2022 - ongoing Associate Professor University of Adelaide
    2018 - 2021 Senior Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2011 - 2017 Lecturer University of Adelaide
    2008 - 2009 Writing Centre Mentor, Writing Centre for Law, CLPD University of Adelaide
    2004 - 2008 Casual Seminar Leader University of Adelaide
    2003 - 2004 Associate to the Honourable Justice A Vanstone Supreme Court of South Australia
    2003 - 2004 Law Clerk Cowell Clarke Commercial Lawyers
    2002 - 2002 Winter Clerk Arnold Bloch Liebler

  • Awards and Achievements
    Date Type Title Institution Name Country Amount
    2018 Fellowship Faculty of the Professions Womens' Fellowship University of Adelaide Australia $15,000.00
    2017 Teaching Award Executive Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching (Academic Staff) 2017 University of Adelaide, Faculty of the Professions Australia $2000.00
    2014 Achievement Bonython Prize University of Adelaide Australia -

  • Language Competencies
    Language Competency
    German Can read, write, speak and understand spoken

  • Education
    Date Institution name Country Title
    2007 - 2013 University of Adelaide Australia PhD
    2005 - 2006 University of Oxford United Kingdom Bachelor of Civil Law
    2005 Law Society of South Australia Australia Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
    1999 - 2003 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Laws with Honours
    1998 - 2003 University of Adelaide Australia Diploma of Languages (German)
    1998 - 2000 University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Mathematics and Computer Science)

  • Research Interests
    Corporations and Associations Law Equity and Trusts Law Law and Society Lawyering and the Legal Profession

My recent external grants include:

  • Law Foundation of South Australia, Examining Legal Frameworks for Supported Decision Making, 2023
  • Cyber Security CRC, Corporate Legal Responsibility for Cybersecurity, 2023
  • Law Foundation of South Australia, Supporting the Legal Profession in Mentoring Diverse Interns, 2022
  • Law Foundation of South Australia, Broadening Horizons: Encouraging Law Students to Work in Regional and Indigenous Communities, 2021
  • Law Foundation of South Australia, 'Australian Navigational Guide Explaining Laws for Space' Project, 2019

My recent internal grants include:

  • Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Economics Internal Research Funding Scheme, Scoping Paper on Commercial Determinants of Health, 2022
  • Faculty of the Professions, Clinical Legal Education / Work Integrated Learning modules, 2020
  • Faculty of the Professions, Preparing Future-Ready Commercial Law Students, 2019
  • Faculty of the Professions, Womens' Fellowship 2018
  • Faculty of the Professions, Internship Grant 2017

Undergraduate Courses Currently Taught:

LAW 2598 - Corporate Law

LAW 2502 - Equity

  • Current Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2019 Co-Supervisor An Analysis of the Use of the Australian Corporate Oppression Remedy in the Insolvency Context Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Nadia-Ruth Hess

  • Past Higher Degree by Research Supervision (University of Adelaide)
    Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
    2020 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Launching a Law and Returning for Reform: A Historical and Comparative Analysis of Australia’s Law for Space Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mr Joel Willis Lisk
    2017 - 2022 Co-Supervisor Meaningful protection or unacceptable risk? A critical analysis of undue influence as a safeguard in proposed voluntary assisted dying legislation in South Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Michaela Estelle Okninski

  • Committee Memberships
    Date Role Committee Institution Country
    2022 - ongoing Member Academic Board Governance Institute of Australia Australia
    2020 - 2022 Chair Education Committee Governance Institute of Australia Australia
    2020 - ongoing Member Executive Committee Society of Corporate Law Academics Australia
    2018 - 2022 Member John Bray Law Alumni Network - Executive University of Adelaide Australia
    2018 - ongoing Member Academic Program Committee University of Adelaide, Adelaide Law School Australia
    2018 - 2021 Secretary Corporate Law Teachers' Association - Executive Corporate Law Teachers' Association Australia
    2017 - 2018 Member Corporate Law Teachers' Association - Executive Corporate Law Teachers' Association Australia
    2011 - 2018 Member Postgraduate Coursework Committee University of Adelaide, Adelaide Law School Australia
  • Position: Associate Prof/Reader
  • Phone: 83135543
  • Email: beth.nosworthy@adelaide.edu.au
  • Fax: 83134344
  • Campus: North Terrace
  • Building: Ligertwood, floor 3
  • Org Unit: Adelaide Law School
Connect With Me
External Profiles