Graham Hill Legal Aid
From July 2008 to June 2021, she was Legal Aid WA`s Head of Client Service, responsible for onboarding and assessing clients and creating clear and positive pathways for clients in need of legal assistance. Colleen is a qualified independent child lawyer, arbitrator and collaborative lawyer with extensive experience and interest in family law. Julie joined Legal Aid WA in 1985 and has established herself as a recognized leader in child representation in the areas of protection, care, family and crime. In 2009, Julie was named Western Australian Lawyer of the Year in recognition of her commitment to her clients and the legal profession. Curtis (he/he) is an attorney at Clairs Keeley Lawyers. He has worked primarily in the area of family law, with a particular focus on domestic violence issues. Curtis is also active in criminal and commercial matters, including small business litigation and consumer protection. He has experience in a variety of different work environments, including private practice, the municipal legal sector and Legal Aid WA. Helen is passionate about resilience and well-being in the legal profession, as well as staff development and mentoring.
Helen led the graduate program and the Country Lawyers program and was responsible for setting up wellness mentors at Legal Aid WA. Helen is an outstanding trainer and educator who develops and delivers graduate studies for the Australian National University and community legal education for Legal Aid WA. Julie is the head of the Family and Domestic Violence Advisory Network and a member of working groups that monitor protocols for information sharing between courts, police and other government agencies regarding child protection and family violence. In 2021, Julie was appointed as a member of the Family Law Council, an organization that advises the Attorney General of the Commonwealth on family law matters. In July 2021, July became Director of the new Early Intervention Services Division, responsible for client onboarding and triage, discreet family law and virtual office advisory services, and legal education in the community. From July 2008 to July 2021, Jane served as Director of Legal Practice Development, responsible for graduate recruitment and training, the National Lawyer Program, in-house career planning, professional development and training, including the annual CPD events of the Legal Aid Summer Series, audit and compliance, legal resources and content, and the creation of community resources for legal education. Jane is currently responsible for assisting the Director of Legal Aid WA with special projects. Lanie is a social worker by profession and joined Consumer Protection in 2011. Lanie has also served as Head of the Priorities Implementation Unit in the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in Western Australia, held senior positions at the Economic Regulatory Authority, headed the Social Policy Department of the Western Australian Council of Social Services and worked in municipal legal centres, notably in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. Helen started her legal career at Legal Aid WA in 2005 and works primarily in criminal law.
In 2011, Helen was appointed Acting Counsel in charge of the Fremantle office before leading the Legal Practice Development Division from 2013 to July 2021. Helen was also responsible for setting up Legal Aid WA`s virtual office service in 2019. Jane studied law at UWA and was called to the bar in 1978. She worked in what was then the Crown Law Department and later at Parker & Parker before becoming a founding partner at Key & Crisford, one of WA`s first all-female legal partnerships. In 1984, she joined the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia as Counsel in Charge of the West Kimberley Office and then as Counsel in Charge of the East Kimberley Office in Kununurra. She represented Aboriginal families on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. In 1991, she moved to Dwyer Durack, where she became a family lawyer and then a partner. Julie plays an active role in the development of legal and policy reforms related to child welfare, family law and family violence. She is particularly interested in improving justice processes, information sharing and interagency cooperation to achieve better justice outcomes for children and victims of domestic violence.
In 2010, Julie completed a Churchill Fellowship to explore the integration of family court and juvenile court services in other countries. From 2011 to June 2021, she was Director of Family Law at Legal Aid WA. She has served as Chair of the WA Family Pathways Network and is currently a member of the Steering Committee. Jane joined the Independent Bar in 1998 and was appointed Senior Counsel in 2002. She was appointed Chairperson of the Equal Opportunities Commission in 2003 and was a judge in WA Family Court and Australian Family Court from 2006 until her retirement in 2016. Previously, she held a number of honorary positions, including as a member of the Chief Justice`s Indigenous Committee, the Women Lawyers of WA, the Law Society of WA, the Legal Practice Board, the WA Bar Association and the Australian Association of Women Judges. Elspeth Hensler is an attorney at Francis Burt Chambers and practices in commercial matters such as banking, corporate, bankruptcy, revenue, mining, construction and estate matters. Curtis was previously a member of the Young Lawyers Committee of the Law Society of Western Australia, where he served as Chair for Social Justice and Human Rights.