Butterworths Book Prize for First Place in First Year Arts/Law

Legal Aid Commission of New South Wales, Legal Officer Grade I-III, Civil Litigation (Consumer Law)

Tasks and responsibilities included:

• providing advice and minor assistance to members of the public in relation to a wide range of civil law matters;
• managing a large litigation practice (specialising in consumer law) including the following types of matters;

• insurance and superannuation disputes;
• proceedings brought under consumer protection legislation including the Contracts Review Act 1980(NSW), Consumer Credit Code (NSW) 1995 and Fair Trading Act 1987 (NSW);
• unfair contracts matters invoking common law and equitable principles; and
• false imprisonment and malicious prosecution proceedings;

• law reform and policy work including:

• drafting submissions and meeting with stakeholders and government in relation the federal government’s review of the Insurance Contracts Act 1984 (Cth);

• contributions to chapters relating to consumer credit and debt in the Law Handbook (9 th ed., Redfern Legal Centre Publishing).

Freehills, Solicitor (Employee Relations)

Tasks and responsibilities included:

• providing oral and written advice to clients in relation to employment, industrial relations, discrimination and occupational health and safety (OHS) issues;
• drafting legal documents and proposed industrial instruments;
• instructing counsel and appearing in various courts and tribunals in relation to litigation matters including:

• unfair contracts and unfair dismissal cases;
• criminal prosecutions brought under OHS legislation; and
• industrial disputes.
  
• undertaking a six month pro bono secondment to Kingsford Legal Centre during which I provided representation and advice to disadvantaged members of the community in matters including;
  
• victims compensation applications;
• summary criminal offences;
• consumer debt matters;
• social security matters; and
• discrimination and unfair dismissal matters.

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions ( Parramatta), Solicitor

Tasks and responsibilities included:

• managing a large criminal law litigation practice;
• regular appearances in the District Court in short matters including appeals from the Local Court (both on severity of sentence and on all grounds) and sentencing hearings; and
• preparing for and instructing Crown Prosecutors in the conduct of trial matters in the District Court of New South Wales.