I am an accredited mediator and have been a dispute resolution lawyer since 1993. As a mediator, I undertake matters on behalf of private clients and am a member of a number of five panels. I am also accredited as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. On a volunteer basis, I am a member of the Resolution Institute chapter in South Australia, volunteer in the Magistrates Court pre-action pro bono scheme and have assisted in founding the Mediation Information Service in the Magistrates Court. I currently manage my own legal practice in which I undertake mediations and represent clients resolving disputes in many areas including environmental and planning law matters, employment, contract and estate matters.

 

My legal experience includes 5 years as a public interest environmental lawyer at the Environmental Defenders Office during which I acted for clients in the Federal and District Courts and the Environmental Resources and Development Court in matters relating to judicial review, freedom of information and third party planning appeals. I also co-authored "Biodiversity and the Law: The Case for Reform"; was the conservation representative for government committees relating to marine parks and chaired the Planning Committee of an environmental NGO for 2 years.

 

From 2009 to 2011, I coordinated and co-lectured an environmental law course at the University of Adelaide for the engineering faculty. I am a sessional lecturer on the legal requirements relating to site contamination, mining, the environment and the law at Adelaide University and have tutored on civil procedure at Flinders University.

 

Previously, for 14 years I worked in small and large law firms and my experience includes industrial law and commercial litigation, predominantly involving contractual, employment and estate disputes. I appeared in the Federal, Supreme, District and Magistrates' Courts and the Industrial Relations Court and Commission for conferences, mediations, applications and trials.

 

I am the South Australian editor of the Australian Environment Review, a member of the Law Society of South Australia and am currently on subcommittees relating to alternative dispute resolution and environmental law. I am a past president of the Women Lawyers' Association and past member of the Justice Access and Industrial Relations Committees of the Law Society. I also provide pro bono assistance for the Law Society, to clients of the Environmental Defenders Office and JusticeNet and previously assisted other community legal centres.

 

My non-legal community work includes chairing my children's primary school council and I'm a member of a leading conservation organisation's board. I'm also a former member of many other committees including Womens' Legal Service, my children's high school council and I've assisted a local Food Centre and Scout group with fundraising applications.