I have practised as an Australian lawyer in community-based law (criminal, family, child protection, disability and equal opportunity) as well as in an internal legal services role. With further accreditation in dispute resolution and training in facilitation and restorative practice, am now a manager in a lawyer assisted family dispute resolution service.

I am passionate about access to justice and the right of people to understand the laws that affect them, and their options, and to get support to navigate complex systems. Helping people understand what is most important to them, and what they can and can’t control, and how to exercise choice, can make a difference.

While working as a lawyer, I undertook a graduate diploma in professional writing and editing at RMIT University and moved into community legal education (CLE) and digital content management. This allowed me to continue to translate technical legal concepts into clear, easy-to-understand language, in a range of print and online formats. With clients who were the most vulnerable in the community, it was critical we delivered information and education when needed, in a way that could be easily understood.

One of my strengths as a lawyer has been my ability to explain the law and legal and other processes to my clients, enabling them to make informed choices. This led to an expertise in plain language writing about the law.

In 2007 I set up my own consulting business, offering plain language training in the law, alongside writing and editing services. Through that business I consulted with universities, government and council agencies, and supported individual writers as well as small not-for-profit agencies, managing multiple projects. Hence the business name: 7projects Consulting. I have always had a lot of projects going on, in one way or another.

Along the way I have co-founded an online legal training business, held an editor role for a prominent medical association, and managed the guidance and education team at the national charities commission.

I have also raised young adults, while working in law, writing and mediation, and in recent years have focused on my personal projects, including writing about loss in a memoir, and having pieces published in short anthologies.