The law was not the original profession of Leo Cussen. He studied civil engineering at the University of Melbourne and completed his certificate in 1879. After working as an engineer for the Victorian Railways he returned to the University of Melbourne and graduated BA in 1884, LLB in 1886, and MA the following year. While practising as a barrister, Cussen was independent (part-time) lecturer in International Law and the Law of Obligations, and a member of the University Council from 1902.
Cussen became a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1906. He developed a reputation as one of its most gifted and skilful judges. Sir Owen Dixon said it was a tragedy that Cussen was not appointed to the High Court.
While a judge, Cussen somehow made time to work on two multi-volume consolidations of Victorian legislation. Enacted in 1915 and 1929, the consolidations brought together and modernised the State's statute law, making it accessible and coherent. With the help of Harrison Moore, he also consolidated the large collection of archaic and confusing English statute law that was received in Victoria through the process of colonisation, resulting in the Imperial Acts Application Act 1922.
Cussen died in 1933. His memory is honored in the Leo Cussen Chair of Law at Monash University and the Leo Cussen Institute for Continuing Legal Education.
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