Arthur Emmett AO KC has taught Roman law part time for more than 40 years at Sydney University, where he has been Challis Lecturer in Roman law since 1990. He has also taught Roman law as Adjunct Professor at the University of NSW.

Emmett was a judge for 25 years, first of the Federal Court of Australia and subsequently of the NSW Court of Appeal. He is presently Chair of the Electoral Commission of NSW and has been Chair of the Electoral Districts Redistribution Panel of NSW, Presiding Member of the Legal Profession Admission Board of NSW, Chair of other national committees overseeing the admission of lawyers in Australia and a member of the governing bodies of two schools. His many contributions to Australian legal publications and journals include Latin translations and pronunciations for Butterworths Australian Legal Dictionary and he is presently General Editor of Butterworths Corporation Law Bulletin.