The Law Reform and Social Justice (LR&SJ) program at the ANU College of Law was established in 2007 with the creation of the Director of Law Reform and Social Justice position. This position is currently held by Associate Professor Simon Rice.

The history of LR&SJ can be traced back to a conference held by the ANU Faculty of Law in 1974, entitled "Australian Lawyers and Social Change". The proceedings of that conference were published in a book of the same name edited by David Hambly and Jack Goldring. Thirty years later, in 2004, the ANU Faculty of Law and the National Institute of Social Sciences & Law held another conference on Australian lawyers and social change, revisiting some of the earlier themes and taking a fresh look at the roles of Australian lawyers in the twenty-first century.

During the 2004 conference, some of the participants in the 1974 conference reflected on the earlier conference and the changes that have occurred since. In 2011 and beyond, LR&SJ continues that inquiry through its teaching curriculum, academic research and social justice initiatives. The program aims to explore and enhance the complex role of law in society, and the part that lawyers play in promoting both change and stability.