JUSTICE CONNECT - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Global Head of Pro Bono for Herbert Smith Freehills
As Global Head of Pro Bono for Herbert Smith Freehills, Brooke leads the strategic direction of pro bono services across a global network.
Brooke's practice focuses on leveraging her expertise in social impact to advocate for systemic change, bringing together cross-sector stakeholders to achieve tangible outcomes for communities in need.
Brooke has 20+ years' experience in working with a diverse range of pro bono clients and is regularly sought out by non-profit, charities, social enterprises and corporate Boards and Executives for strategic and legal advice. Brooke is renowned for going above and beyond to maximise social impact through deploying skills and influence at a systemic level.
Brooke has particular expertise in access to justice and working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander clients.
Job Titles:
- Head of Community Programs
Job Titles:
- Head of Not - for - Profit Law
Job Titles:
- Patron
- Patron of Justice Connect / Emeritus Professor
Gillian Triggs is a long-term Patron of Justice Connect, and was our Chair from 2017-2019. Before joining us as Chair of Justice Connect, Gillian Triggs was the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Gillian has a wealth of experience in the legal, human rights and social justice sector. She is well known for her advocacy work, especially regarding rights for women and refugees.
Alongside her career in commercial law, Gillian Triggs has also had a vibrant academic career. Gillian was the Director of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law. She then went on to become Dean of the Faculty of Law and Challis Professor of International Law at the University of Sydney. She is also the author of many books and papers on human rights and international law.
As Chair of Justice Connect, Gillian Triggs has been awarded the Judge's Choice Catalyst Award in the Pro Bono Impact 25 Awards. The award recognises her outstanding positive impact and commitment to social justice.
Gillian lives in Melbourne and has two children.
Job Titles:
- Trust / Lord Mayors' Charitable Foundation / Ian Potter Foundation
Jidah is a Djab Wurrung man also with Kirrae Wurrung, Boon Wurrung, Taungurung, Wemba Wemba, and Palawa ancestry. He was raised at the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement in Western Victoria.
Jidah is a lawyer with strong policy expertise, having worked for over a decade across the private, public and community sectors. His professional experience crosses commercial litigation, human rights, child protection, youth justice, community development, cultural heritage, business development, and tourism. Jidah has contributed to numerous boards and committees aimed at achieving social justice, and has been heavily involved in community advocacy projects. Jidah is a member of the Yoo-rrook Justice Commission's Expert Advisory Committee.
Job Titles:
- Head of Innovation and Engagement
Job Titles:
- Chartered Accountant
- Member of the Board
Laavanya is a Chartered Accountant and a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors with over 20 years of experience across a broad range of industries. After completing her training at Grant Thornton as an auditor, she entered the commercial sector and has worked across the medical, marine service, campaigning and media industries.
Most recently, Laavanya completed 2 years of service as both Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer at GetUp Ltd. She has held board positions across both the profit and not for profit sectors.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences
The Hon. Marcia Neave AO has had a career as a judge, lawyer, academic and public policy maker.
From February 2015 to March 2016, she was the chair of the Royal Commission into Family Violence. That Royal Commission was entrusted with the task of making recommendations regarding the family violence support system and justice system in Victoria, including government and non-government organisations, courts, police, corrections and child protection. The Commission's Report including its 227 recommendations were provided to the Victorian Government on 29 March 2016.
Prior to her role as Commissioner, for nine years she was a Justice of the Court of Appeal at the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Ms Neave was a legal academic for many years. She held chairs at Adelaide University, and later at Monash University and then Australian National University. She was also a visiting Professor on three occasions in New York University's Law School's Global Law Program. In 2006 she became the first academic in Victoria's history to be appointed to the Court of Appeal.
Throughout her career, Ms Neave has always been passionate about how the law relates to women and responds to their needs. In the early 80's she took leave from the university and became Research Director and a part-time Commissioner at the New South Wales Law Reform Commission, which, among other things, examined property division and support after the breakdown of de facto relationships.
In 1985 she chaired the Victorian Inquiry into Prostitution, which recommended decriminalisation of sex work, removal of most sanctions against sex workers, and the use of planning controls to coordinate the locations of brothels.
In the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1999, Ms Neave was made an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for her services to the law, and in 2001, she was awarded the Centenary Medal.
In 2001 she became the Foundation Chair of the Victorian Law Reform Commission. This enabled her to play a key role in modernising Victorian law, including recommending changes that addressed some of the systemic disadvantages faced by women and children within the legal system, in particular victims of domestic victims and sex offences.
The Hon. Marcia Neave is a Fellow of the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia, and a life member of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration.
Marcia brings incredible expertise as a lawyer and judge, as well as a thinker and academic. She has thought deeply about the impact of the law and about the systemic changes need to improve outcomes for the community. Through her work, she has made systems-level changes that improve the lives of many.
Crucial to our own work, Marcia is a tireless advocate for women. Her work has impacted the lives of many Australian women, and continues to do so at Justice Connect.
Job Titles:
- Financial Analyst
- Member of the Board
Michael is a financial analyst with expertise across strategy, budgeting, and statistics. After studying finance, economics, and econometrics at Monash University, he moved to San Francisco to join the rapidly growing start-up Afterpay, where he led a global team of analysts.
Having now returned home, he has started a new adventure as an investment analyst for a web3-focused venture capital firm.
Throughout his time at university, Michael sat on a number of academic boards and volunteered in various roles ranging from not-for-profit consulting, to tutoring and mentoring.
In his spare time, Michael is passionate about trying to build a more level playing field in the sports industry.
Robert, a lawyer by background, was appointed the Ageing and Disability Commissioner NSW in July 2019. He brings a significant amount of knowledge and experience to his role as Patron of Justice Connect.
Previously appointed as Productivity Commissioner, the Community and Disability Services Commissioner and Deputy Ombudsman in NSW. Robert has also served as the convener of the Indigenous Disadvantage Working Group of the Steering Committee for the Review of Government Service Provision and Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Robert was appointed to Chair the Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission Advisory Board for three years from 2012 and was formerly President of the Australian Council of Social Services.
Robert was made a Member of the Order of Australia in 1994, is a recipient of the Centenary medal, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Australian Catholic University in 2001.
Mr Fitzgerald has stated, "I saw firsthand Justice Connect's excellent work when serving as Chair of the Advisory Board of the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission. Their commitment to building a strong, vibrant community sector, and their work in using the law to do so, is unique, and it is an organisation I am excited to represent publicly."
Ruth McColl has been a long-standing champion for justice. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated exceptional dedication to using the law to help others, especially women and young Indigenous people.
Before being appointed to the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales, Ruth dedicated her career to numerous philanthropic causes. She was a Member of Public Education Council (2002 - 2005), on the Board of the New South Wales Cancer Council, and a Member of the New South Wales Rhodes Scholarship selection committee (Chair 2007-2010).
From 1999 to 2002, Ruth served as President of the Board of the New South Wales Public Interest Law Clearing House - the NSW forerunner of Justice Connect. To have her join Justice Connect as a patron in retirement is testament to her commitment to justice, and making the law work for good.
"Justice Connect is an organisation that stands for something that I believe in very strongly - that the law can be used to make people's lives better, and the community more connected and vibrant." said Ms McColl.
In 2004, Ruth was awarded Officer in the Order of Australia for her service to the law, to continuing professional development and education, particularly for women, and to the community in matters affecting indigenous groups and youth. She was awarded the Centenary Medal in 2001, and was appointed a Judge of the Court of Appeal in 2003.
Ruth retired from the Court of Appeal in January 2019.
Sarah is an academic at the University of Melbourne with a PhD in government and international relations. She is the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Arts, Professor of Politics in the School of Social and Political Sciences and the Co-Director of the Indigenous-Settler Relations Collaboration.
Sarah has extensive not-for-profit governance experience, including as past chair of the boards of the Australia Institute and of GetUp. She is very interested in the role of civil society in political discourse, and brings expertise in democracy, human rights and the study of social movements. Before her university career she worked in the community sector as a welfare and youth worker in inner Sydney.
Job Titles:
- Business Advisor
- Director
- Member of the Board
Tristan is a business advisor and lawyer with over 25 years of experience in financial services, management consulting, governance and the not for profit sector. Tristan has a strong history of pro bono practice with a focus on creating greater equity of access to justice and legal services.
Along with being a Director of Justice Connect, Tristan is an Ambassador of the Australian Indigenous Education Foundation, a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and a Member of the Law Society of NSW. Tristan is a former Director of YWCA NSW, Gilbert + Tobin Foundation, The Humour Foundation, and a former Director and VP of YWCA Australia.
Vicki is a Partner in EY's People Advisory Services practice and has over 19 years' experience leading large scale transformation projects around the world. She is a recognised global thought leader and practitioner, and advises organisations on a broad range of workforce strategy, design and implementation issues. Vicki has worked with Boards, senior executives and management within large publicly-listed, public and private Australian-based companies to improve organisational and divisional performance through people strategy.
Areas of specialisation:
Workforce strategy and planning
Workforce optimisation
Organisational design
Target operating model design
Talent strategy
Future of work
Workforce and HR transformation
Strategic change management
Business strategy review and alignment