
Encourages students to ask questions.
Always fair, constructive, and supportive.
Inspires students to reach new heights.
Brings real-world insights to the classroom.
Always patient and encouraging to students.
Jane Knowler served as a Senior Lecturer in the School of Law at the University of South Australia, contributing significantly to legal education in the lead-up to the 2026 merger forming Adelaide University from the University of Adelaide and UniSA. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws, and Master of Laws in Private Law from the University of Adelaide, completing her LLM between 1991 and 1994. Admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia, Knowler began her academic career as an Associate Lecturer in Law at Flinders University of South Australia, where she co-authored the case note 'Astley v Austrust Ltd' published in the Melbourne University Law Review in 1999 alongside Gary Davis. At UniSA, she took on roles including course coordination for Lawyers, Ethics and Society, and served as Program Director in the School of Law.
Knowler's scholarly work focuses on private law disciplines, encompassing equity, trusts, property law, fiduciary duties, contract implications, the legal profession, and water law. Notable publications include 'The Fiduciary Duties of Joint Venture Parties – When Do They Arise and What Do They Comprise?' (2011, co-authored with Charles Rickett), 'Unqualified Persons and the Practice of Law' (2014, Flinders Law Journal, with Rachel Spencer), 'Innovation in the Australian Legal Profession' (2017, International Journal of the Legal Profession, with Vicki Waye, Martie-Louise Verreynne, and John Steen), 'Third Parties and Breaching Fiduciaries in Corporate Law' (2018, Australian Journal of Corporate Law, with Anja Kantic), 'Final Report: An Online Residential Tenancy Bond System for SA' (2021, co-authored team), and 'Is Mandatory Disclosure an Effective Panacea for Buyer Beware?' (2023). She contributed to the edited volume 'The Boundaries of Australian Property Law' (2016) and authored 'Current Issues in Australian Water Law: Federal Control versus States' Rights – Power Struggles in the Pursuit of National Water Security' (2006). Knowler co-presented seminars such as Law Evenings Research Seminar Series on accommodation agreements and innovation topics. Her publications have influenced discussions on implied terms, fiduciary obligations, and professional practice in Australian law.
