With a background in public, criminal and commercial law, Michelle accepts briefs to advise and appear in a range of first instance and appeal proceedings including criminal law (defence and prosecution), defamation law (publishers and plaintiffs), public and administrative law (State and Commonwealth matters), commercial disputes and contracts. Michelle also appears for organisations, families and other interested parties in coronial inquests and commissions of inquiry.
Prior to coming to the bar, Michelle was an associate to the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia, Sir Gerard Brennan AC KBE and a Senior Associate in commercial litigation and media law with Minter Ellison Lawyers for 9 years – during which time she completed a Master of Laws, lectured in Constitutional Law and other undergraduate courses at USyd and UTS and enjoyed secondments to American Express as General Counsel and to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre to establish the NSW Homeless Persons’ Legal Service.
As Counsel Assisting the NSW Solicitor-General and Crown Advocate Michelle advised and appeared as junior counsel on a wide range of constitutional, administrative and criminal appeal cases before the High Court of Australia, NSW Supreme Court and NSW Court of Criminal Appeal.
Most recently Michelle represented the interests of indigenous Australians on behalf of the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency across the Northern Territory while based in Alice Springs and currently sits on the NSW Bar Association’s First Nations Committee.
