Our Team

Franky joined the FLS team in October 2017 as our Senior Lawyer based at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. Prior to joining FLS, Franky worked as a criminal solicitor for over four years at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency in Darwin. Admitted to practice in January 2012, Franky has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland and a Masters in Law from the University of Washington in Seattle, USA. Franky commenced as our Managing Lawyer in August 2020.

Jennifer joined us in September 2013 as our Senior Community Lawyer at the Neighbourhood Justice Centre. In October 2016 she was appointed Principal Solicitor. Jen was admitted to the legal profession in April 2009 after completing her articled clerkship at Victoria Legal Aid. She has a Bachelor of Arts Law from the University of Melbourne and is an accredited criminal law specialist. Prior to joining the FLS team, Jennifer worked for Victoria Legal Aid in the appeals and strategy, and advocacy teams. She has also worked at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service and the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.

Ella joined us in March 2013 as a Legal Trainee. She was appointed a Family Lawyer in April 2014 and moved into her current role in July 2019. Prior to that, Ella worked as a paralegal at the Law Institute of Victoria and as a research assistant at Monash University. She has a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from Monash University.

Meghan joined us in 2008 and for a number of years held the role of Manager of Social Action, Policy and Law Reform. In October 2020 she took on a new role of Special Counsel, leading our strategic litigation and campaign work. Meghan sits on the Board of Harm Reduction Australia.

Brendan joined FLS in August 2019 as our Finance and Operations Manager. Before joining the FLS team, Brendan spent three years at Teach for Australia as their IT Manager. Brendan has over 36 years’ experience in the finance and IT sectors and has worked for government, private sector and not-for-profit organisations. Brendan is a Fellow of CPA Australia (FCPA). He has also graduated from RMIT (Bachelor of Business (Accounting)), Deakin University (Graduate Diploma of Computing) and Swinburne University (Diploma of Project Management). Brendan is an active member of his local cricket club, where he coaches a junior girls side, is the captain of the fourths, and is the club’s treasurer.

Megan joined the Darebin Community Legal Centre (now part of FLS) in March 2018 as Manager of the Women Transforming Justice Project; she moved to her current Managing Lawyer role at FLS in October 2020. Prior to joining Darebin, Megan worked at Legal Aid Queensland, the Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry, the Victorian Law Reform Commission, and the Commission for Children and Young People. Megan has a Master of Laws from the University of Toronto.

Adrian started work with us in 2005 as a Solicitor Advocate and the Managing Lawyer of our night service. For 10 years, he has managed the night service whilst also taking on other day roles including solicitor at the St Kilda Community Legal Service, Footscray Community Legal Centre, Public Interest Law Clearing House (now known as JusticeConnect) and Moonee Valley Legal Service. During 2014-2015, Adrian undertook the role of Senior Solicitor for our Taxi Driver Legal Service. He has a Bachelor of Arts from Charles Sturt University and a Master of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of New South Wales.

Hui completed her Articles at Fitzroy Legal Service and was admitted to practice in 2007. Since then she has worked as FLS’s Drug Outreach Lawyer, as a solicitor at North Melbourne Community Legal Centre and a mental health advocate at Victoria Legal Aid. Hui has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor Laws (Hons) from the University of Melbourne, and a Certificate of Qualification from the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. Hui was the Principal Lawyer at Darebin Community Legal Centre since 2016 and continued as Principal Lawyer of Fitzroy Legal Service once the amalgamation with Darebin Community Legal Centre was finalised.

Laura commenced as the Leadership Program Coordinator of the Women Transforming Justice project in May 2019. Before taking on this role, Laura managed the women’s mentoring program at VACRO, and worked as a case manager for Flat Out. Laura has qualifications in international relations, gender policy and family violence; she also has a Master of Human Rights Law at Melbourne University. In addition, Laura has volunteered at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, Amnesty International, and at the St Kilda Gatehouse.

Helen Davidson holds a Degree in Law and Media Studies. She was a Family and Child Protection Lawyer with Victoria Legal Aid from 2011 to 2018 and is also a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Ms Davidson is a current Councillor at Moreland City Council and has been a councillor since 2012 and Mayor from 2016 to 2017. She currently holds the portfolio of the Status of Women in Moreland City Council.

Tori joined as our Administrative and Client Services Officer in January 2016. Previously, she spent three years working at Allens as a Legal Secretary, and two years working as a Marketing Assistant at List A Barristers.

Karen Fletcher joined Darebin Community Legal Centre in 2018 as a senior solicitor in prison advocacy, family violence and general law. She was appointed Managing Lawyer, Public Interest Law in September 2019. Karen was Principal Solicitor and Coordinator of the Prisoners Legal Service in Queensland from 1996 to 2002. She obtained a master’s degree in Public Health Law in 2005 and worked in a range of public health and Victorian Government roles prior to returning to community legal centres in 2018. She is on the Board of Flat Out Inc., a housing and support service for women leaving prison in Victoria and their children.

Laura joined FLS as our Administration and Client Services Officer in March 2021. Prior to joining FLS, Laura worked as a qualified registrar at Court Services Victoria. Laura has undertaken a variety of volunteer work, including as an Inside-Out think tank participant at Karreenga Correctional Centre, and as an interviewer of young people involved in a youth diversion program.

Yasmin joined FLS as one of our criminal lawyers in September 2017. Prior to becoming a member of the FLS team, Yasmin worked as a lawyer at Richard Revill Lawyers and as a paralegal at Leanne Warren & Associates. She has also volunteered at Youthlaw and the La Trobe Law Clinic. Yasmin has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Journalism) from the University of Technology in Sydney, and a Bachelor of Laws from La Trobe University in Melbourne.

Thea joined FLS in January 2020 as our Drug Outreach Lawyer. Before becoming a member of the FLS team, Thea worked for Victoria Legal Aid. Thea has a Bachelor of Arts from the Australian National University, and a Juris Doctor from Melbourne University.

Lauren joined the FLS team in September 2018. She has a wealth of experience in a broad range of legal areas. Prior to joining the FLS team, Lauren worked at Eastern Community Legal Centre, and Justice Connect Senior’s Law in a Health Justice Partnership with St Vincent’s Hospital. She spent around six years at Victoria Legal Aid as a generalist and duty lawyer. Lauren has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Adelaide. She is also the National Secretary of Servas Australia.

Paul joined us in March 2018 as our Trainee Lawyer. He moved into the Community Lawyer role in February 2019 and the Senior Community Lawyer role in January 2021. Paul graduated from La Trobe University with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in 2017. As well as graduating with first-class honours, Paul’s academic achievements include receiving the Public Law, Constitutional Law and Legal Institutions and Methods prizes. Paul has also been active in the Australian HIV response. He sits on the Boards of HIV Justice Network and Hepatitis Victoria, is a member of the Victorian Government’s LGBTI Taskforce Justice Working Group, and was the inaugural Chair of the Victorian HIV Legal Working Group and the Equality Project.

Sophie first joined FLS in 2017 as a volunteer in the Social Action, Policy and Law Reform team, before moving into her current role of Community Education and Projects Officer in December 2018. Before becoming a member of the FLS team, Sophie worked in legal advocacy in the environmental and humanitarian immigration sectors. Sophie has worked as a volunteer at the Aboriginal Legal Service in Redfern, Environs Kimberley in Broome, the Murray Lower Darling Rivers Indigenous Nations in Victoria, and Melbourne Activist Legal Support. Sophie graduated with distinction from RMIT with a Bachelor of Legal and Disputes Studies in 2015, and is currently undertaking a Juris Doctor at Monash University.

Amre has a Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws from Monash University, and upon graduation completed his articles at Behan & Speed. Several years in general practice followed before Amre focused on family and personal injury law. Amre was accredited as a Family Law Specialist in the 1990’s, and joined Webb, Stagg, Tonkin & Spark. He ran their Doncaster office, and developed a large following in Doncaster and Diamond Valley. He then joined and became a partner of Yuncken & Yuncken, a firm based in Melbourne with a large branch in Blackburn. He has been with FLS since 2006, practising exclusively in family law.

Shamila joined Fitzroy Legal Service in early 2019 as a Community Lawyer and Project Coordinator for the Rachel and her children project; a family violence legal service, delivered as a Multi-Disciplinary Practice Model in partnership with Save the Children. Prior to this, Shamila practiced as a family violence lawyer at the Women’s Domestic Violence Court Assistance Service in Adelaide, South Australia. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Legal Practice from Flinders University.

Madeleine joined FLS in October 2019 as our Family Violence Lawyer. Before becoming a member of the FLS team, Madeleine worked at Peter Lynch Solicitors in the areas of family law and criminal law. Madeleine graduated from Monash University with a Juris Doctor in 2015; she was admitted to legal practice on 5 December 2017. In the interim, Madeleine worked at Oxfam Australia in humanitarian response and completed her practical legal training at the Human Rights Law Centre.

Sahema joined FLS in 2021 as a Trainee Lawyer. Sahema has a Bachelor of Science (first-class honours) from Monash University and a Juris Doctor (first-class honours in legal research) from the University of Melbourne. Before joining the FLS team, in 2018, Sahema interned at the Australian permanent mission to the United Nations in New York. She has also worked as a volunteer at Refugee Legal.

Odette joined FLS in March 2019 as our Trainee Lawyer. Odette graduated from the Australian National University (ANU) with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws in 2017. As well as graduating with first-class honours, Odette’s academic achievements include receiving a University Medal and being awarded the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department and Australian Government Solicitor Prize. Odette has also been awarded the Tillyard Prize for her environmental and refugee advocacy while at the ANU. Prior to becoming a member of the FLS team, Odette worked for the migration agent and human rights advocate, Marion Lê, and volunteered at Refugee Legal. Odette moved into our Outreach Lawyer role in January 2020.

Rachel joined FLS as our Senior Women’s Criminal and Outreach Lawyer in March 2021. Rachel graduated with a Bachelor Laws from the University of Melbourne in 1997 and was admitted to practice in 1999. She is an extremely experienced lawyer who has worked in range of legal areas, including personal injury, employment, human rights, criminal and family law. Rachel has volunteered extensively at organisations including JobWatch, Corio Legal Service, and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre. Before joining the FLS team, Rachel ran her own law practice for nine years, was the Law Society President for Far Western New South Wales for three years, and was nominated by Australian Lawyers Weekly in 2014 as one of Australia’s Hottest Lawyers for her legal achievements.

Adam began working at FLS in 2015 as a volunteer and was appointed to the position of Drug Outreach Lawyer in February 2016 and Senior Drug Outreach Lawyer in January 2019. Prior to becoming a member of the FLS team, Adam worked as a solicitor at Ruffin Lawyers. He was admitted to legal practice on 13 August 2014 after completing a Bachelor of Laws at La Trobe University and a Graduate Diploma in Practical Training at Leo Cussen Centre for Law. During his studies, Adam volunteered as a paralegal at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Services and completed an internship centred on Aboriginal corporate governance at South Australian Native Title Services.

Naomi has been the editor of The Law Handbook since 2013. Prior to joining us, Naomi worked as a Senior Editor at Oxford University Press, and spent six years in various editorial roles at Macmillan Publishing. Naomi has a Bachelor of Arts from Melbourne University, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Editing and Publishing from RMIT University.

Tuvan started working with us in 2007 as a casual helping with The Law Handbook invoicing. Now she now works two days per week assisting our Finance Officer. Prior to working with us, she spent six years at Complete Commercial where she looked after their accounts receivable and accounts payable. Tuvan studied nursing at university.

Emma joined FLS in February 2021 as our Night Service Administration Officer. Emma has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne and is currently studying the Juris Doctor at RMIT. Before joining the FLS team, Emma worked at the Mental Health Legal Centre. They have also volunteered with the Inside Access program and with the PLEA Project, which providers prisoners with legal information.

Morgan joined us in February 2018 and is a long term volunteer of the evening legal advice service.