Moody Law is motivated to help people get justice who have suffered trauma and is a leading law firm in this area. Since its inception, Moody Law has achieved over $150 million in settlements to date. I had conduct of 50+ personal injury claims on behalf of survivors of child sexual and physical abuse, including matters dealt with under alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, civil litigation and/or the National Redress Scheme. I ran factually complex and highly multifactorial claims… Show more Moody Law is motivated to help people get justice who have suffered trauma and is a leading law firm in this area. Since its inception, Moody Law has achieved over $150 million in settlements to date. I had conduct of 50+ personal injury claims on behalf of survivors of child sexual and physical abuse, including matters dealt with under alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, civil litigation and/or the National Redress Scheme. I ran factually complex and highly multifactorial claims against various Defendants like:* Catholic Church institutions such as the Christian Brothers and Marist Brothers;* State Defendants responsible for the operation and management of youth detention centres in Victoria, Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia;* State Defendants responsible for the operation and management of public schools in New South Wales and Tasmania; and* Unincorporated Associations like the Scouts Association of Australia.This role required:*Developing specialised knowledge of the findings made by and evidence considered by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse; * Developing specialised knowledge of Australian tort law in so far as it applies to the area of institutional abuse, particularly novel categories of duty of care and vicarious liability;* Managing a high volume practice with clients often presenting with complex psychosocial needs; * Making evaluative judgments on the persuasive value of witness statements and expert reports under time pressure;* A deep understanding of trauma on the human psyche, particularly within the context of sexual and physical abuse;*Demonstration of excellent interpersonal skills at all times by showing empathy, patience and acceptance to clients; and* Engaging with principles of restorative justice by advocating for clients to be recepients of written apologies from responsible Defendants and a direct personal response from a representative of a particular institution Show less

I leveraged strategic legal decisions to advance the liberty of asylum seekers, refugees, stateless people and First Nations members imprisoned in Australia's onshore immigration detention centres. My role involved:* Preparing and filing protection visa applications for recognition of refugee status with the Department of Home Affairs;* Conduct of merits review and visa cancellation matters in the then Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the now abolished Immigration Assessment… Show more I leveraged strategic legal decisions to advance the liberty of asylum seekers, refugees, stateless people and First Nations members imprisoned in Australia's onshore immigration detention centres. My role involved:* Preparing and filing protection visa applications for recognition of refugee status with the Department of Home Affairs;* Conduct of merits review and visa cancellation matters in the then Administrative Appeals Tribunal and the now abolished Immigration Assessment Authority; * Complaints made to the Australian Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner;* Submissions to the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention and UN Human Rights Committee alleging arbitrary detention under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; *Appearing in the Guardianship Division of the New South Wales Civil & Administrative Tribunal to advance the interests of detained persons in immigration detention centres presenting with complex psychosocial needs;*Instructing Counsel before the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the Federal Court of Australia and the Full Federal Court of Australia in judicial review applications, interlocutory proceedings and applications in the Federal Court seeking orders of mandamus requiring the Minister to facilitate the removal of asylum seekers and refugees from the Legacy Caseload to a safe third country.I was heavily involved in two strategic projects which aimed to promote life and liberty. The first was the uplift of over 110 people from Kabul to Australia, Afghanistan after the Fall of Kabul in August 2021. The second was having carriage over a series of Federal Court cases which paved the way for the closure of the infamous Park Hotel in Melbourne, a designated place of detention known for confining mentally unwell refugees to small hotel rooms without windows for excessive and prolonged periods. Show less

The Refugee Law Project arose out of a meeting of minds between barrister Victor Kline and some of his colleagues at the NSW Bar, and the teachers at the Thomas More Law School at the Australian Catholic University. For the barristers the Refugee Law Project was to be an opportunity to take advantage of the talents of the law school’s final year law students to help them provide pro bono (free) help to the many thousands of hitherto unrepresented asylum seekers appearing before the Federal… Show more The Refugee Law Project arose out of a meeting of minds between barrister Victor Kline and some of his colleagues at the NSW Bar, and the teachers at the Thomas More Law School at the Australian Catholic University. For the barristers the Refugee Law Project was to be an opportunity to take advantage of the talents of the law school’s final year law students to help them provide pro bono (free) help to the many thousands of hitherto unrepresented asylum seekers appearing before the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. For the law school, the Refugee Law Project was an opportunity to expose their students to real world practical law, and to the thinking and approach to legal practice of experienced barristers. The original team of students has been augmented by students from other universities and by graduates of all ages. These are now known as Volunteer Litigation Assistants.The VLAs attend first court date and offer the services of the Refugee Law Project to those asylum seekers who are unrepresented. From there on the VLA liaises with both the client and the advising barrister, as well as with interpreters and others who have agreed to assist the Refugee Law Project, to help the asylum seeker in whatever way they can, including making preliminary observations on the case for the benefit of the barrister. As a VLA, I assisted Counsel in identifying jurisdictional error in Makmudkhodjaeva v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2020] FCAFC 88, an appeal before the Full Federal Court of Australia which concerned the desperate plight of a former Uzbekistani national to reunite with her teenage daughter after being separated for 12 years.As Deputy Director, I co-led the Refugee Law Project through overseeing the recommendations written by law students and recruiting barristers willing to act pro bono and on a direct access basis. Show less

During university, I was trained by my father Tai Zhang in the art of plastering, a trade that I practised for over five years. We installed gyprock and steel frames in residential and commerical settings across Sydney suburbs. Towards the end of my time with the company, I assisted in drawing new customers through connecting the company with various social media platforms, including LinkedIn and Instagram.

I was contracted as a solicitor by the National Justice Project at the end of 2020 to assist with their strategic litigation around personal injury claims made on behalf of asylum seekers and/or refugees detained on Nauru and/or Papau New Guinea who sustained injury as a result of their conditions of detention and allegedly, the Commonwealth's failure to comply with its non-delegable duty of care to these vulnerable people. I assisted the Principal and the Senior Solicitor by drafting… Show more I was contracted as a solicitor by the National Justice Project at the end of 2020 to assist with their strategic litigation around personal injury claims made on behalf of asylum seekers and/or refugees detained on Nauru and/or Papau New Guinea who sustained injury as a result of their conditions of detention and allegedly, the Commonwealth's failure to comply with its non-delegable duty of care to these vulnerable people. I assisted the Principal and the Senior Solicitor by drafting Statements of Claim in the Federal Court of Australia and the Australian Capital Territory Supreme Court; analysing and identifying key evidence through reviewing medical records; and thorough case preparation through drafting/settling chronologies and briefs to Counsel. I also had the privilege of advancing LGBTQIA+ rights during the inception of the COVID-19 pandemic by acting for Pride in Protest (PIP) in a contested matter before the Supreme Court of New South Wales, resulting in the NSW Health Minister granting the first legal exemption to protest since restrictions were first imposed for COVID-19 reasons, a result described by PIP as “a massive win for not only the right to protest but for the queer community to say that the fight against transphobia and homophobia cannot wait”. The successful outcome of this matter depended on successful negotiation with senior members of the NSW Police Force; persuasive written representations and engaging the very talented Mr Andrew Wilson as Counsel. Show less

Conducted legal research on contemporary legal issues. This is Australia’s first podcast (to date) featuring practising barristers talking shop. The show is hosted by The Hon Stephen Gingell Lawrence MLC, Felicity Graham (Black Chambers) and Emmanuel Kerkyasharian (Forbes Chambers).

Assisted criminal defence lawyers in their conduct of litigation before the Local Court of New South Wales and the District Court of New South Wales. The role involved:* Legal research on interesting and complex questions about Australian criminal law; * Preparing Supreme Court Bail applications; * Seeking leave to appear in various Local Courts across Sydney, mainly to seek adjournments; brief service orders and entering the matter for trial; * Preparing Briefs to Counsel… Show more Assisted criminal defence lawyers in their conduct of litigation before the Local Court of New South Wales and the District Court of New South Wales. The role involved:* Legal research on interesting and complex questions about Australian criminal law; * Preparing Supreme Court Bail applications; * Seeking leave to appear in various Local Courts across Sydney, mainly to seek adjournments; brief service orders and entering the matter for trial; * Preparing Briefs to Counsel in serious crime, including murder; * Administrative and file maintenance. Show less

"The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) has been fighting for justice and equity for more than 50 years. We are Australia's first free community legal service. We were born out of a protest movement on the streets of Redfern, Gadigal and Eora land. From a single shopfront to offices in 21 cities and towns, we have grown into the primary legal service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW and the ACT. Other communities across the country were inspired by our blueprint to create… Show more "The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) has been fighting for justice and equity for more than 50 years. We are Australia's first free community legal service. We were born out of a protest movement on the streets of Redfern, Gadigal and Eora land. From a single shopfront to offices in 21 cities and towns, we have grown into the primary legal service for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in NSW and the ACT. Other communities across the country were inspired by our blueprint to create their own Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Services, which now exist in every Australian state and territory. Today we deliver free, culturally appropriate legal advice, representation, information and referrals for thousands of people each year, alongside critical community services."As an Administration Officer and Paralegal, I assisted criminal defence solicitors representing First Nations persons before the Courts on charges of criminal offences by managing the ALS Supreme Court Bail Administrative Practice; preparing bail applications and attending Court with solicitors appearing in List matters. Show less

Gramelis Attorneys was founded by Eugene Gramelis, the principal of the firm, after he spent over 16 years practising as a barrister – trial lawyer – at the NSW bar. Since its inception, Gramelis Attorneys has grown into an elite team of hand-picked, highly-competent lawyers who strive to be the best at what we do and are committed to care, quality, excellence and client satisfaction. I completed my Practical Legal Training under Eugene. I assisted the Principal and his Associates by preparing… Show more Gramelis Attorneys was founded by Eugene Gramelis, the principal of the firm, after he spent over 16 years practising as a barrister – trial lawyer – at the NSW bar. Since its inception, Gramelis Attorneys has grown into an elite team of hand-picked, highly-competent lawyers who strive to be the best at what we do and are committed to care, quality, excellence and client satisfaction. I completed my Practical Legal Training under Eugene. I assisted the Principal and his Associates by preparing internal documents such as chronologies of disclosure obligations between parties in family law proceedings in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and providing general research and administrative support to office staff. Show less