Our Team

Hamish is a public, administrative and human rights lawyer with over 15 years’ experience in Australia and New Zealand's legal assistance sector. During this time he led the Mental Health and Disability Program at Victoria Legal Aid, and helped to manage the Public Law Team at the Victorian Government Department of Premier and Cabinet. In 2023, he co-authored human rights legal book 50, Human Rights Cases that Changed Australia, with Lucy Geddes, and co-presents 3RRR's queer and trans talk show Queer View Mirrors.

Amy brings with her extensive experience in Australia’s community legal sector with a deep commitment to reforming unjust systems. Prior to joining Fitzroy Legal Service in August 2024, Amy was Director of Client Services at Tenants Victoria where she led a multidisciplinary team to protect renter rights during Australia’s housing crisis. Prior to this she worked across diverse client casework, law reform, strategic litigation and national campaigns for organisations including the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency, the Human Rights Law Centre and Federation of Community Legal Centres.

As an active Fitzroy Legal Service member and former Night Service volunteer, Amy is committed to furthering FLS’s proud history of fearless law reform and being at the forefront of building a fairer Victoria. She has a Juris Doctor from the University of Melbourne and is Admitted to Practice in both the High Court and Supreme Court of Australia.

Laura joined FLS as our Administration and Client Services Officer in March 2021; she was appointed to the Practice Manager position in May 2022. 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.

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.

Adam began working at FLS in 2015 as a volunteer and, after a brief hiatus working for a private firm in South Gippsland, he was appointed to the position of Drug Outreach Lawyer in 2016. With the expansion of the outreach service into Darebin, Adam was then appointed to the position of Senior Drug Outreach Lawyer in 2019. Adam holds a Bachelor of Law and a Bachelor of Psychological Science from La Trobe University.

Tim joined FLS in July 2024 as a Senior Criminal Lawyer. Prior to this, he practiced as a criminal lawyer at both Youthlaw and Victoria Legal Aid for over five years. Tim began his career as a commercial lawyer at Ashurst in 2017, and moved across to practice as a criminal defence lawyer in 2018 due to his passion for social justice and desire to help marginalised members of the community. He has a Bachelor of Law from Monash University.

Andy joined FLS in May 2024 as a Drug Outreach Lawyer, after working in private practice at Doogue + George Defence Lawyers. Prior to this, Andy was the Section Lead for the Criminal Law Section at the Law Institute of Victoria. Andy began his career working overseas in international criminal law, at the United Nations Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials, after completing his Juris Doctor at Melbourne Law School.

Paloma was admitted to legal practice in 2018, and previously worked in Maurice Blackburn’s Employment and Industrial Law Service, where her key practice areas were employment, sexual harassment, equal opportunity, defamation and human rights law. Paloma has also worked for Legal Aid Queensland as a frontline Client Information Officer, and in senior legal policy roles for the Victorian Department of Justice and Community Safety, where she lead a variety of human rights, equal opportunity, defamation, family violence and criminal law reform projects.

As a queer woman, Paloma is passionate about serving her community and establishing ongoing relationships of mutual support and empowerment. She recognises that the law has historically been, and continues to be, a system which establishes, entrenches and weaponises disenfranchisement and discrimination of marginalised communities. She is passionate about upending this status quo by using the law as a vehicle for justice and progress through individual client representation and wider law reform advocacy.

Before coming to FLS in February 2024, Sophie worked for several years doing a wide range of civil justice work as a Senior Lawyer in the Mental Health and Disability Law team at Victoria Legal Aid. Sophie has previously worked as a lawyer in family law and family violence at Victoria Legal Aid after she was admitted to legal practice in 2018. Prior to this, Sophie worked as an Associate to the Honourable Justice Thornton of the Family Court of Australia, and as an Associate to Judge Purdon-Sully and Judge Curtain of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. Sophie has also worked as a legal clerk in the Public Law sector of Crown Law, Queensland.

Nick Newlands is the Senior Lawyer for Migration at Fitzroy Legal Service where he is charged with establishing the organisations state-wide migration law services. Before joining FLS, Nick was a Senior Lawyer at the Law Institute of Victoria where he worked to reform key legal policy relating to Administrative and Human Rights Law in Victoria. For over six years, Nick also worked with Australia’s largest community legal service for people seeking asylum, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, where he oversaw a weekly legal clinic for people in the community and navigated complex cases through immigration law. Nick has a Bachelor of Arts (Politics) from Monash University and a Juris Doctor and a Masters of International Law and International Relations from the University of New South Wales.

Peter joined FLS as Senior Generalist lawyer in mid 2023. Prior to this Peter worked at National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services (NATSILS) in a Policy and Research role. Peter practiced criminal law with VALS after being admitted to practice in 2014 and was appointed Senior Criminal Lawyer in 2019. He has an ongoing interest in public interest law and has also volunteered in the environmental law field prior to commencing criminal law. In a previous iteration, Peter practiced Chinese Medicine (Acupuncture) and worked in health and drug and alcohol rehabilitation centres.

With Fitzroy Legal Service for over 17 years, Meghan is a public lawyer and has spearheaded strategic litigation and law reform regarding the stigmatisation of people who use drugs, proceedings challenging veracity of the business case regarding the East West Link, and freedom of political communication for medical practitioners on behalf of Doctors for Refugees at the High Court of Australia among other substantial public interest cases. Meghan is a leading voice for harm-reduction reform across Victoria.

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.

Prior to joining FLS in 2024, Sebastian worked for over five years at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission in a variety of policy, research and education roles. Prior to that he worked in industrial relations law for the Employment Law Centre WA for six years. Sebastian holds a Bachelor of Law/Arts (Honours) and a Doctorate in English and Cultural Studies from the University of Western Australia.

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.

Gatwech joined FLS in June 2023 as a Family Law and Family Violence Lawyer. Prior to this, he worked for Victoria Police as a lawyer, and practised criminal law, family violence and civil law at the Legal Services Department. Gatwech Wal escaped war-torn Sudan and spent more than 11 years in a refugee camp in Ethiopia.

He arrived in Australia in 2006 as a refugee. During his years in Australia, he worked in a variety of jobs and completed many courses including an Advanced Diploma of Justice at Holmesglen TAFE, a Diploma of Logistic AT Vostro College, a Bachelor Degree of Criminal Justice Administration, a Master Degree in Justice and Criminology at RMIT University and a Bachelor Degree of Law (LL. B) at Victoria University.

Christina Potts joined FLS in July 2023 after volunteering with the Family Law/Family Violence team while completing her law degree. Prior to this, Christina worked in family law at Nevett Ford Lawyers in Melbourne and criminal law firm Kingsley Napley in London. Christina holds a Bachelor of Laws from Deakin University and was admitted as a solicitor in September 2023.

In March 2025, Julie joined the Family Law and Family Violence team at Fitzroy Legal Service as a Community Lawyer. Julie has experience in the areas of family law, child protection and family violence.

Prior to FLS, Julie worked for 1 year as an associate to Her Honour Judge Jenkins at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia where she gained insight into the complexities of parenting and property proceedings, and the judicial decision-making process. Julie also has 3 years’ experience working in the community legal sector, having worked at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service within the Aboriginal Families Practice from 2021 to 2024.

Julie completed her double degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Justice from the Queensland University of Technology in 2019 and was admitted to legal practice in 2021.

Thorough and detailed in her approach, Julie is understanding of the emotional impact that comes with this area of law. Julie strives for resolution in an empathetic and compassionate manner.

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.

Em joined FLS in February 2021 as our Night Service Administration Officer. Em has a Bachelor of Music from the University of Melbourne and is currently studying the Juris Doctor at RMIT. Before joining the FLS team, Em 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.

Jess joined FLS in June 2022 as our volunteer program coordinator. Jess has a double degree in Law/ Business Management from Australian Catholic University. Before joining the FLS team, and whilst still studying, Jess was part of the executive board with the Prison Legal Education & Assistance project, which provides prisoners with legal information. She then went on to work with Jesuit Social Services and Corrections Victoria throughout COVID.