Rate My Professor Estelle Wallingford

Dr Estelle Wallingford is a Lecturer and legal academic in the Department of Business Law and Taxation at Monash Business School, Monash University. She earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Law from Monash University, where her thesis, Assigning Liability in the Context of Modern Artificial Intelligence, examined frameworks for attributing legal responsibility in AI-driven private law disputes. Additional qualifications include a Juris Doctor from the University of Sydney, a Diploma of Legal Practice from the Australian National University, a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from the University of Melbourne, and a Diploma in Languages from the University of Melbourne. Before entering academia, Estelle practiced as an admitted Australian lawyer at a multinational corporate law firm. She contributed to major financial regulatory investigations, including the 2018 Australian Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry, and handled complex cases in bankruptcy, insolvency, and litigation.

Estelle's research centers on the legal implications of emerging technologies, particularly artificial intelligence, alongside broader issues in digital twins, data policy, privacy law, legal personhood, and ethics in AI. Her work proposes innovative solutions, such as the Tri-Phase AI Liability Model, which assigns private law liability based on AI autonomy and human oversight to complement regulatory governance. This model features prominently in her first book, Liabilities and Modern Artificial Intelligence: A Tri-Phase Model (Routledge, 2026). Recent publications include co-authored conference abstracts: 'AI learning circle: bridging the AI gap in education' (2025) and 'Collaborative approaches to integrating artificial intelligence in higher education teaching and assessment: opportunities, challenges, and ethical considerations' (2025). In her teaching, she offers undergraduate units in business law and technology law, integrating AI to promote responsible use and understanding of its legal and ethical dimensions. Estelle received the Dean's Award for Innovation in Learning and Teaching in 2023 for her contributions to pedagogy.