The Hon David John O'Callaghan

Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 1.02.2017
Location: Melbourne

Justice O'Callaghan was educated at the University of  Melbourne and Yale University.

Between 1982 and 1983, he was Associate to the Hon.  Justice Keely of the Federal Court of Australia. 

He signed the Roll of the Victorian Bar in 1986 and was  appointed Senior Counsel in 2003.  At the  Bar, he practised widely in federal and state jurisdictions, appearing in trial  and appellate matters involving corporations law, trade practices law, revenue  law, franchising law, equity, mining, energy and resources law and  constitutional law.  He was the Senior  Vice-President of the Victorian Bar Council (2015-2016), Chair of the Victorian  Bar Education and Professional Development Committee (2013-2016), Member and Chair  of the Readers' Course Sub-Committee (2010-2016) and a director of Barristers'  Chambers Limited (2013-2015).

Between 1996 and 1998 he was a Senior Research Affiliate  and Visiting Lecturer at Yale Law School. Between 1998 and 2000 he practised as  an attorney in the appellate law department of the law firm Wiggin and Dana in  New Haven, Connecticut. He is a member of the New York and Connecticut Bars,  and of the American Law Institute. He is currently a Senior Fellow at Melbourne  Law School.

Associateship applications

Persons interested in applying for a position as Associate to Justice O’Callaghan should send a covering letter, CV, and academic transcript to: ea.ocallaghanj@fedcourt.gov.au and associate.ocallaghanj@fedcourt.gov.au. The next available position will commence in January 2026.

Updated October 2023