DrPnina Levine
Senior Lecturer
Curtin Law School
BIOGRAPHY AND RESEARCH IMPACT
Pnina holds a bachelor of laws with first class honours and a bachelor of arts from the University of Western Australia (UWA) and a PhD from Curtin University. She is also a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). Prior to joining Curtin in 2014 as an academic staff member, she was a Senior Associate at a top tier law firm in their dispute resolution group where she was involved in the conduct of general commercial litigation, with particular emphasis on corporate law, trade practices and insolvency. Pnina has also undertaken secondments as legal counsel at the WA Department of Commerce and senior legal counsel at a leading bank.
Pnina has previously taught Company Law, Property law and Contract law. She currently co-ordinates and teaches in Curtin Law School's Trusts Law and Legal Internship units.
Pnina researches in the area of higher education law, focusing on the protection of academic freedom and freedom of speech and the legalities associated with university responses to student and staff misconduct generally. She has published, presented and peer reviewed academic papers, written pieces for the media and has participated in media interviews in these and other areas.
Pnina currently serves as the Deputy Head of the Curtin Law School.
Positions and memberships
Deputy Head of the Curtin Law School
Co-President, WA Society of Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Inc
Member of the Law Society of Western Australia
Member of the Australasian Law Academics Association
Former Chair of the Engagement & Impact Committee at Curtin Law School
Awards
Curtin Law School Dean's Colleague Award for Engagement and Impact 2023
Curtin Law School Dean's Colleague Excellence Award for Learning and Teaching 2021
School of Law Early Career Research Prize 2016
Nominee for Guild’s Excellence in Teaching Award 2015
CBS Citation for Outstanding Contribution Prize 2014
Grants
Allison S., Brewer, M., Levine, P., Rohl, B., & Smith, L. (2023). Grades or Work Experience? Challenging Perceptions of the Relative Importance of Practice-Based Experience on Graduate Employability. 2023 Curtin Academy Mentorship Circle Small Grant ($2000)
Teaching
Trusts Law
Contract Law
Company Law
- Academic Freedom and Freedom of Speech in Higher Education
- Legalities associated with University Responses to Student and Staff Misconduct
- Consumer issues relevant to the ageing population
Presentations
January 2026 Presentation for an international conference hosted by the Haim Striks Law School in Rishon Le Zion, Israel on ‘Navigating Campus Free Speech in Polarised and Turbulent Times’: '‘Regulating Anti-Israel Speech in Australian Universities While Upholding Academic Freedom’ August 2025 Panellist (with Professor Matthew Ogilvie, Dr Linda Friedland and Ashri Fisher) for an event hosted by The Friends of the Hebrew University for the 100th year anniversary of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem entitled 'Voices on Campus: Diversity and Freedom of Speech in Academia'July 2018
Presentation at the Australasian Law Teachers Association Conference at Curtin University, Perth: ‘The suspension of a university staff member – how adequate is the law?’
July 2017
Presentation (with Dr Michelle Evans) for the Western Australian Teachers of Law Conference at the University of Western Australia, Perth: ‘We Need to talk about your Assignment’: The Requirements of Procedural Fairness when Academic Misconduct is First Suspected’
October 2016
Presentation for Curtin’s WA Forum on Contract Cheating: What to do if you suspect academic misconduct: a procedural fairness perspective
September 2016
Presentation for Aged & Community Services Western Australia (ACSWA) presentation (with Dr Eileen Webb): Residency Issues in Retirement Living
June 2016
Legalwise presentation (with Dr Eileen Webb): Residency Issues for Seniors in the Retirement Village and Aged Care Sectors
Ongoing Organiser and facilitator of several professional development seminars hosted each year by the WA Society of Jewish Jurists and Lawyers Inc.Nov 2011
Legalwise presentation (with Alain Musikanth): Contract Litigation: the essentials (substantive issues – the building blocks)
Media experience
February 2026October 2018
Interview on ABC National with Damien Carrick (Law Report) – Complaints, misconduct, cheating and plagiarism in higher education
Sep 2015
Interview on 6PR with Chris Isley – Seniors in Housing: What are your rights
June 2015
Interview on Curtin FM with Jenny Seaton – Legal Rights of the Elderly
ROLE
- Staff
FIELDS OF RESEARCH
- 4804 - Law in context
- 4806 - Private law and civil obligations
DEPARTMENT
- Curtin Law School