Jessica is a passionate advocate for access to justice.
Acting for low-income and disadvantaged clients who cannot obtain Legal Aid, Jessica specialises in victims compensation, employment, discrimination and dispute resolution. In her role as co-ordinator of Clayton Utz's pro bono practice, Jessica ensures pro bono work is part of each Clayton Utz lawyer's everyday practice.
Early in her pro bono career, Jessica played a key role in the Sexual Assault Communications Privilege Project, a collaboration between private firms and the community law sector. She's built on that early success and become an active member of the community law sector, fostering pro bono best practice across Australia's legal profession and building strong partnerships and collaborations.
With her strong ethical focus and friendly, empathetic style, Jessica strives to be a great ambassador for pro bono legal services, and demonstrate that pro bono is what the best lawyers do.
Jessica is National Practice Group Leader – Pro Bono.
Expertise
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Pro bono
Jessica commenced in the Pro Bono practice in October 2009. She successfully manages and develops the practice with the Pro Bono team.
Dispute resolution: She is a strong advocate for dispute resolution and appears in conciliations and mediations before the Australian Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW, the Federal Circuit Court and the Federal Court. She has trained lawyers internally on dispute resolution.
Employment and discrimination: Jessica has significant employment law experience in acting for clients with unfair dismissal, general protections, unpaid wages and discrimination issues.
Victims compensation: She is an expert in victims compensation and has been involved in hundreds of victims compensation claims for women and children victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. Jessica has trained internal, external and in-house lawyers on victims compensation.
Financial Management Orders: Jessica is the firm contact for the Families and Friends of Missing Persons Unit within NSW Department of Justice, and provides advice and representation for families to apply to the Supreme Court for financial management orders in respect of their missing relatives.
Sexual Assault Communications Privilege (SACP) Project: Jessica was a key player in the Sexual Assault Communications Privilege (SACP) Project, a collaborative effort between various law firms, the Women's Legal Service of NSW, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the NSW Bar Association. In 2009 and 2010, Jessica appeared for sexual assault victims in the Local and District Courts (Downing and Parramatta) to argue for privilege to apply to their medical and counselling records.
As a result of the Project, in November 2010, the NSW Parliament undertook reform, adopting legislative amendments recommended by the SACP Project, which also saw the establishment of a permanent state-wide SACP Unit within Legal Aid NSW.
See Pro Bono