Speaker details

Biography

I have worked within the Australian legal profession for 40 years, in public and corporate sector roles and in private practice as a solicitor. I am passionate about life-long learning and have devoted much of my career to the formal education and ongoing professional development of all who work in the legal arena. I have led the Queensland Law Society’s professional development program, managing the delivery of continuing legal education to a diverse demographic from para-legals and trainees to accredited specialists throughout the jurisdiction. I established the Queensland campus of the Australian College of Law in 2003 and continue to direct its operations as we expand into new business lines. I am immensely proud of the talented team I lead and of what we have achieved, including recognition as Queensland’s leading provider of practical legal training. I have pursued diverse professional interests including fostering new generations of lawyers; highlighting and overcoming barriers to career progression in law faced by women and minority groups; and contributing to programs to build resilience among practising lawyers. My current research interests include the evolving professional identity of lawyers across the legal career spectrum and the future of legal work. I have served as a Director and President of Australian Women Lawyers and as a Foundation Director of the Australian Gender Equality Council. I chair the Queensland Law Society's Equity and Diversity Committee and am a Diversity Advisor and Nominated Support Person for the Women Lawyers Association of Queensland. Each of these voluntary roles allow me to model leadership among the profession in order to influence change. In 2018 I had the great honour to receive the Queensland Law Society's Agnes McWhinney Award. Named after Australia’s first admitted female solicitor, this award recognises outstanding professional or community contribution by a woman lawyer and the significant involvement of women in the legal profession and the community.