Professor Fitzgerald studied law at the Queensland University of Technology ('QUT'), graduating as a University Medallist in Law. He holds postgraduate degrees in law from Oxford University and Harvard University. He is well known in the areas of intellectual property and internet law, and has worked closely with Australian governments on facilitating access to public sector information.
From 1998 to 2002 Professor Fitzgerald was Head of the School of Law and Justice at SouthernCross University in New South Wales, and from January 2002 to January 2007 was appointed asHead of the School of Law at QUT. In 2009, he was appointed to the Australian Government's 'Government 2.0 Taskforce' and to the Advisory Council on Intellectual Property (ACIP). From 2007 to March 2012 Professor Fitzgerald was a specialist Research Professor in Intellectual Property and Innovation at QUT.