Briefing Victoria Legal Aid Chambers

Our Chambers advocates provide high-quality representation for clients with a grant of legal assistance in criminal law, civil law, child protection and family law. They appear in all Victorian courts and tribunals, the Federal Court, the Family Court and the High Court of Australia. Chambers advocates are experienced in assisting clients with complex needs.

Chambers advocates can be briefed to appear for clients by Victoria Legal Aid (VLA) lawyers and private practitioners on our panels.

To engage the services of our advocates or to get further information, please contact Victoria Legal Aid Chambers on:

• phone – (03) 9269 0300
• email – advocates_clerk@vla.vic.gov.au

Chief counsel and associate director

Chief Counsel

Julia Munster (she/her)

Admitted to the legal profession: admitted in 1993 and began practising in 2003

Julia leads the team of specialist in-house advocates in VLA Chambers. She is a member of our Senior Leadership Team and plays a leadership role in organisational, policy and law reform issues. She supports and fosters high-quality advocacy across our state-wide civil justice, criminal law and family and children's law practices, and leads our Equitable Briefing Strategy project.

Julia has lived in regional areas most of her life and is committed to postcode access to justice and providing high quality and compassionate representation to First Nations clients and clients with complex needs.

Julia joined VLA Chambers as a public defender in 2011 and was appointed senior public defender in 2016 and chief counsel in 2021.

Julia is an experienced trial advocate and practices primarily in criminal law. She appears in all criminal jurisdictions. She has significant experience in complex sexual offence matters. Julia also practices in public law / administrative law matters which intersect with criminal law: matters under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act, Serious Offenders Act, inquests and judicial review.

Before joining VLA, Julia was a solicitor advocate for seven years in the Alice Springs office of the NT Legal Aid Commission. She practiced in crime, mental health, and family and children's law, and was an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner (since lapsed). Before that, she worked for 10 years as an anthropologist on land and native title rights and heritage protection projects for the Central Land Council.

Julia is available to be briefed in complex criminal law matters and some public law matters.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Laws (1993, Monash University)
• Master of Laws (candidate)
• Accredited Criminal Law Specialist (since 2012)
• Co-Chair LIV Accredited Specialisation Criminal Law Advisory Committee
• Member of Law Institute of Victoria, Victorian Women Lawyers, and Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychiatry, Psychology and Law.

Associate Director

Jarrod Van Arkadie

Admitted to the legal profession: 2013

Jarrod manages the operations of Chambers.

He also provides strategic support to chief counsel on organisational, policy and law reform issues. Jarrod leads on service delivery issues, strategic priorities and ensures that Chambers provides high quality advocacy to all of the VLA programs it serves. Jarrod manages the Trial Counsel Development Program (for junior trial advocates at the Bar), the Advocacy Development Program (for in-house practitioners) and a range of other advocacy development initiatives.

Jarrod provides leadership and support to the associate public defenders within Chambers. Jarrod was most recently a public defender and associate public defender within Chambers and has significant experience in the conduct of complex criminal matters. He has appeared in a range of appeals, committals, contested hearings, pleas, trials and Victorian Courts. He mentors lawyers and has presented on various areas of legal practice including with the VLA Specialisation Support program.

Prior to joining VLA he worked for the Tasmanian Aboriginal Community Legal Service (formerly operated by VALS), Tasmania Legal Aid (formerly known as the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania). He has also worked for WorkSafe Victoria, in private practice and in Court administration.

He is available to be briefed on a reserve basis.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• GDLP
• Accredited Criminal Law Specialist
• NMAS Accredited Mediator
• Member of Law Institute of Victoria, Resolution Institute (Professional Member), Asian Australian Lawyers Association, ANZAAPL, Victorian Society for Computers and the Law

Criminal Law

Senior public defenders

Daniel McGlone

Admitted to the legal profession: 1997

Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2007

Daniel is a trial advocate with extensive experience in criminal law, administrative law and human rights. He regularly appears in the Magistrates’, County and Supreme Courts, in both metropolitan and rural Victoria. He holds a current Indictable Crime Certificate through the Victorian Bar and has been a Victoria Legal Aid Preferred Trial Barrister since 2015. Previously he worked in management, advocacy, legal education, indigenous organisations, policy and ministerial advice.

Daniel is available to be briefed in:

• Appellate work including applications for special leave to the High Court, appeals against conviction and sentence in the Court of Appeal as well as appeals to the Supreme Court on a question of law.
• Immigration law matters in the Federal Court, particularly those pertaining to refugees
• Case management, trials, pleas, appeals, breach proceedings, and bail applications in both the Supreme and County Court
• Contested committals
• Matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and the Serious Offenders Act 2018
• coronial inquests
• advice and case strategy discussions.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Master of Laws
• Bachelor of Laws
• Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
• Member of Criminal Bar Association.

Amy Brennan

Admitted to the legal profession: 2005

Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2008

Amy has been with VLA Chambers since 2017. Prior to that, she was a barrister at the private Bar from 2008. Her practice at the Bar included prosecution and defence work, including occupational health and safety matters. She also appeared in disciplinary proceedings and inquests. As a solicitor, she worked for Victoria Legal Aid's Broadmeadows office and at Maddocks law firm. She held an associateship with the head of the Criminal Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria, Justice Teague.

Amy has experience appearing in and is available to be briefed in:

• Supreme and County Court trials, pleas, appeals and bail applications
• contested committals
• appeals against sentence and conviction to the Court of Appeal
• appeals on a question of law to the Supreme Court of Victoria (s. 272)
• judicial review proceedings; applications for special leave to the High Court of Australia
• matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act 2018
• complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
• inquests.

Amy is fluent in French and the author of the chapter on criminal law in a French publication about the laws of Australia titled Droit de l'Australie.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Science – BS, Immunology (Hons)
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Member of Criminal Bar Association.

Andrew Waters

Admitted to the legal profession:1996

Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2001

Andrew is an experienced criminal advocate, who is committed to delivering high quality and compassionate representation to all legally aided clients.

Prior to joining Chambers in January 2021, Andrew had over 19 years' experience at the Victorian Bar appearing in all manner of criminal hearings including complex County Court and Supreme Court trials and appeals.

Andrew also has extensive experience in the Children's Court (Criminal Division) and continues to appear in serious indictable matters for children both in the Children's and higher courts.

Andrew is available to be briefed in:

• County Court trials and pleas
• Supreme Court trials and pleas
• Court of Appeal matters
• breach proceedings
• committals
• Complex Children's Court matters
• County Court and Supreme Court bail applications
• advice matters.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons)
• Bachelor of Arts (Criminology) (Hons)
• member of Criminal Bar Association
• member of Children's Court Bar Association.

Naomi Smith

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2004

Signed Victorian Bar Roll: 2008

Naomi joined VLA Chambers as a senior public defender in 2018.

Prior to her appointment to VLA Chambers, Naomi spent 10 years at the Victorian Bar both prosecuting and defending criminal cases.

Upon completion of her articles, she worked as a solicitor in personal injuries law for TAC Law. She then went on to work for Victoria Legal Aid and the Office of Public Prosecutions and obtained LIV accreditation as Specialist in Criminal Law, before joining the Bar.

Naomi is regularly briefed to appear in County Court and Supreme Court Criminal trials, pleas, appeals, and bail applications.

Naomi is available to be briefed in:

• Supreme and County Court trials, pleas, breaches and appeals
• complex contested committals
• complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
• Supreme and County Court bail applications
• matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act
• inquests
• complex advice matters.

Naomi is an experienced, supportive and enthusiastic teacher, advocacy coach and mentor for less experienced practitioners. She is also a consultant for the Monash Law Faculty regarding advocacy and court skills contracts with external clients.

In addition to being a barrister, Naomi is also a civil celebrant and has had the honour of marrying many friends and colleagues.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Commerce (Monash, 2002)
• accredited criminal law specialist
• accredited advocacy instructor with the Australian Advocacy Institute
• member of Criminal Bar Association.

Angie Wong

Admitted to the legal profession: 2010

Year signed the Bar Roll: 2013

Angie is an experienced advocate who practices in the areas of indictable crime, administrative law and judicial review. Angie joined VLA Chambers in 2018 from the Bar, where she practised in criminal and civil law. She previously worked as a civil solicitor at Victoria Legal Aid and prior to that as a criminal solicitor at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency.

Angie is available to be briefed in matters including:

• County Court trials
• as junior in Supreme Court trials
• committals
• pleas (County and Supreme courts)
• appeals
• judicial review proceedings.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)(Hons)/Bachelor of Arts
• Member of Criminal Bar Association
• Member of Women Barrister's Association.

Nick Goodenough

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 1991

Nick is an experienced criminal trial barrister. He joined VLA Chambers from the Victorian Bar in 2022.

After admission, Nick worked for the CDPP in Adelaide, Canberra and Sydney for 8 years, in war crime matters and general prosecutions.

In 1999, he worked for Legal Aid in Fiji for 12 months.

On his return to Australia, Nick moved to VLA, where he was variously a duty lawyer, indictable crime solicitor and manager. During his time at VLA, he took on a 6-month secondment to work as a prosecutor through RAMSI in the Solomon Islands. He remained at VLA until 2008, after which he relocated to Madang in Papua New Guinea and worked as a regionally based prosecutor.

After 2.5 years in Papua New Guinea, Nick returned to Victoria in 2011 and joined the private Bar, where he worked exclusively in criminal law. He developed a strong defence and prosecution practice, and regularly appeared in complex trials in the County Court. He also appeared in the Supreme Court.

Nick is available to be briefed in:

• Supreme and County Court trials, pleas and bail applications
• Court of Appeal matters
• supervision order hearings under the Serious Offender Act and Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
• breach proceedings
• complex committals
• complex Children's Court matters
• advice and case strategy discussions.

Public defenders

Daniel Thomas

Admitted to the legal profession: 2015

A key focus of his current role as Public Defender is to appear in matters and support practitioners and clients in the Bendigo, Ballarat and Shepparton regions, although he accepts briefs from all over Victoria (including Melbourne).

Prior to joining Chambers, Daniel was a senior advocate with the VLA Youth Crime team where he was briefed as in-house counsel to appear in complex criminal proceedings in the Children's Court. In addition to his work with VLA, Daniel has worked over a number of years as a senior lawyer with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service, the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service and Stary Norton Halphen.

Daniel has experience in a broad range of summary and indictable matters for adults and children and has appeared as a solicitor advocate across Victoria and the Northern Territory.

Daniel is available to be briefed in:

• County Court trials, pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
• complex Magistrates' Court matters – contested committals, contested hearings, pleas, bail applications
• Complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
• bail applications (all courts).

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Juris Doctor (JD).

Danielle Lamovie

Admitted to the legal profession: 1992

Danielle has been with VLA Chambers since 2009. Prior to this, she was at VLA as the managing lawyer Summary Crime, managing lawyer Ballarat, and acting managing lawyer at Morwell. Danielle started working as an advocate with regional offices after working as an indictable lawyer in criminal law and as a senior lawyer in youth crime.

Prior to VLA, Danielle spent 5 years working for Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.

Danielle has experience appearing in a range of criminal law matters across the Magistrates' Court, Children's Court, County Court and Supreme Court.

Danielle is available to be briefed in:

• County Court trials, pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
• committal mentions
• contested committal hearings and committal mentions
• Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act matters
• complex Magistrates' Court contested hearings
• County Court and Supreme Court bail applications
• advice matters.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts (Hons)/Bachelor of Laws
• Master of Laws
• Criminal Law Specialisation.

Darcy Dempsey

Admitted to the legal profession: 2007

Darcy joined VLA Chambers in January 2017 from the Indictable Team, VLA. Prior to joining VLA in 2015 she was employed by the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service as a solicitor advocate in Townsville, responsible for managing all indictable matters and Children's Court matters.

Prior to ATSILS, Darcy was an associate with Stary, Norton, Halphen Lawyers, in Melbourne, managing a busy summary and indictable practice. Before working at SNH she was employed as a solicitor advocate at Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service. Darcy began her career in law in 2007 as associate to Her Honour Judge Gaynor in the County Court.

Darcy is available to be briefed in:

• County Court trials, pleas, appeals, breach proceedings and bail applications
• Supreme Court bail applications, pleas and as junior in Supreme Court trials
• Court of Appeal sentence appeals
• matters involving the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997 and Serious Offenders Act
• Complex Children's Court matters (Criminal Division).
• complex Magistrates' Court matters – contested committals, contested hearings, pleas, bail applications

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice
• Master of International Studies.

Glenn Cooper

Admitted to the legal profession: 2015

Glenn joined VLA Chambers in early 2021 and was appointed Public Defender in late 2023. He is based at our Bendigo office.
Prior to joining VLA Chambers, Glenn was a senior lawyer in VLA's Indictable Crime Team. He also worked for a number of years as a criminal lawyer at the VLA Bendigo office and in his spare time taught criminal law for La Trobe University in Bendigo.
Glenn appears in a range of complex criminal law matters. He has significant experience representing clients in contested matters under the Serious Offender Act jurisdiction and has appeared unled in Supervision Order hearings in the County Court and as junior counsel in Detention Order applications in the Supreme Court.

Glenn is available to be briefed in:

• County Court pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
• counsel in County Court and junior counsel in Supreme Court trials
• bail applications (all courts)
• committal hearings and committal mentions
• Magistrates' Court contested hearings
• complex Children's Court matters
• Serious Offender Act matters – supervision orders and detention orders.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB), Bachelor of Business
• accredited specialist in Criminal Law (2020)
• member of Law Institute of Victoria.

Honorah Edwards

Admitted to the legal profession: 2016

Honorah joined VLA Chambers as an Associate Public Defender in early 2022 and was appointed Public Defender in late 2023.

Prior to joining Chambers, Honorah worked as senior solicitor advocate with the Office of Public Prosecutions, where she was briefed to appear in complex summary and indictable matters across Victoria.

Before this, Honorah was a lawyer with Victoria Police appearing in criminal and quasi-criminal matters in the Children's Court and Magistrates' Court of Victoria.
Honorah is available to be briefed in:

• County Court and County Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, breach/contravention proceedings
• bail applications (all courts)
• counsel in County Court and junior counsel in Supreme Court trials
• complex Magistrates' Court matters including contested committals, contested hearings, contested SORA applications and plea hearings
• Supreme Court bail applications
• matters under the Crimes Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried Act 1997
• complex Children's Court (Criminal Division) matters

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (Hons) / Bachelor of Arts (Dist).

John Blackley

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2017

John has joined VLA Chambers from the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) where he worked as a trial advocate.

During his tenure at NAAJA John appeared in complex and challenging summary and indictable matters, covering the top end of the NT. He has appeared unled in trials in the Supreme Court and in many contested Magistrates' Court matters.

Prior to working in the Northern Territory he worked in private practice in Victoria.

Living and working in regional areas has provided him with an opportunity to develop a strong appreciation of the needs of complex clients.

John is available to be briefed in:

• County Court trials, pleas, appeals and bail applications
• junior in Supreme Court trials
• supervision order hearings under the Serious Offender Act and Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
• breach proceedings
• complex committals
• complex Children's Court matters (criminal division)
• advice and case strategy discussions.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Bachelor of Social Science majoring in Criminology.

Amanda Hurst

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 1998

Amanda joined VLA Chambers from the bar in 2023.

Prior to joining Chambers, Amanda enjoyed a successful career for 16 years at the Bar having worked primarily in Criminal Law, Child Protection and intervention orders matters.

Amanda is based in the Geelong office and appears in complex criminal law matters across the south-west of Victoria including Warrnambool, Ballarat and Horsham.

Amanda is a sessional member of the Mental Health Tribunal.

Prior to working in the law, Amanda worked as a state-enrolled nurse, a cleaner and a residential care work for people in community residential care units. Amanda has also worked in theatre production and toured with Back to Back Theatre company.

Amanda is able to be briefed for mentoring and advocacy support on matters.

Amanda can be briefed to appear in the following matters, including across remote areas of Western Victoria:

• Magistrates' Court matters - committal mentions, committals, pleas, contests
• County Court – Appeals, pleas, and trials, Special Hearings, Supervision Orders
• Coroners Court Hearings
• Children's Court Criminal Matters

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• LLB
• member of Children's and Criminal Bar Association
• peer support barrister for Victoria Bar
• Current sessional legal member of Mental Health Tribunal Victoria.

Associate public defenders

Alex McLennan

Admitted to the legal profession: 2009

Alex joined VLA Chambers in early 2024 and is based at our Bendigo office. Although he appears primarily in the Bendigo, Ballarat and Shepparton regions, he accepts briefs all over Victoria (including Melbourne).

Having lived and worked in regional areas for many years, Alex is committed to providing high quality representation to clients across the state.

Prior to joining Chambers Alex was a senior lawyer in VLA's Bendigo office, where he ran a busy indictable and summary crime practice. He has also worked at VLA’s Shepparton office, where he held roles including Managing Lawyer and Deputy Managing Lawyer.

Before joining VLA, Alex spent two years as a lawyer at the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service.

Alex is available to be briefed in:

• County Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, contravention proceedings
• Contested committal hearings and committal mentions
• Magistrates’ Court contested hearings
• Children’s Court matters
• Bail applications in all courts.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Bachelor of Arts.

Courtney Marthick

Admitted to the legal profession: 2016

Courtney joined VLA Chambers in early 2024.

Courtney is based in Melbourne but available to accept briefs all over Victoria. Having lived and worked in remote areas, she has a strong commitment to and understanding of the importance of regional work.

Prior to joining Chambers Courtney was a leading figure in criminal practice at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency. She held various key roles there including Acting Managing Solicitor of Crime, Senior Criminal Lawyer and East Arnhem Manager.

Prior to her work in the Northern Territory, Courtney worked as a Judge’s Associate and Criminal Division Lawyer in the County Court of Victoria. Courtney commenced her legal career as a solicitor advocate at a busy private criminal practice in the northern suburbs of Melbourne.

Courtney has significant experience working with First Nations clients and clients with complex needs and vulnerabilities.

Courtney is available to be briefed in:

• County Court and Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, contravention proceedings, as a junior in trials
• Contested committal hearings and committal mentions
• Magistrates’ Court contested hearings
• complex Magistrates’ Court pleas
• Children’s Court matters
• family violence intervention order contested hearings
• bail applications in all courts
• matters under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act 1997
• brief analysis and advice.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Bachelor of Arts.

Dominique Lardner

Admitted to the legal profession: 2016

Dominique commenced in Chambers in January 2024.

Originally from NSW, Dominique has practiced as a solicitor advocate across three jurisdictions, working for the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency and for the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. She has additional experience as a solicitor with the OPP and as a Youth Crime Lawyer at Victoria Legal Aid.

Prior to joining VLA in 2023, Dominique was employed as a senior solicitor advocate for the Aboriginal Legal Service NSW/ACT covering the Wagga Wagga/Riverina region. Dominique brings with her extensive experience working with disadvantaged and marginalised clients, with a particular interest in supporting young clients, clients from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and clients living in regional and remote areas.

Dominique is available to be briefed in:

• County Court and Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, contravention proceedings, as a junior in trials
• Contested committal hearings and committal mentions
• Magistrates’ Court contested hearings
• complex Magistrates’ Court pleas
• Children’s Court matters
• bail applications in all courts.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB) (Hons)
• Bachelor of International Studies (Languages).

Iresha Siriwardana

Admitted to the legal profession: 2009 in New South Wales, 2016 in Victoria

Iresha joined VLA Chambers as an sssociate Public Defender in 2022.

She came to Chambers from the VLA Indictable Crime team, where she had worked since 2018.

From 2016–18, Iresha was a solicitor with the Victorian OPP and worked within the Appeals Team, Specialist Sex Offences unit (as it was then) and a general trial division. She was involved in preparing openings, drafting indictments and instructing in trials.

Before this she was a solicitor with the NSW DPP. She commenced working as a graduate in Sydney however then progressed to working as a Senior Solicitor in regional NSW in Western NSW (Dubbo, Bourke and Cobar) and later Northern NSW (Lismore, Tweed Heads, Armidale). She appeared in the Local Court, District and Supreme Court.

Iresha is available to be briefed in:

• County Court and County Koori Court pleas, conviction and sentence appeals, breach/contravention proceedings, bail applications and as a junior in trials.
• Supreme Court bail applications.
• Complex Magistrates' Court matters including contested committals, contested hearings, bail applications, contested SORA applications and plea hearings.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Laws
• Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law.

Naomi Low

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2013

Naomi joined Victoria Legal Aid as part of the New Lawyers Program in 2014. She was appointed to VLA Chambers in 2021.

Naomi has worked as a criminal lawyer at VLA's Ringwood and Dandenong offices, as well as in the specialist youth law, civil justice and indictable crime teams. Before joining VLA, she was a solicitor advocate at a busy private criminal law practice.

Recently, Naomi practised as a Senior Federal Prosecutor at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions where she prosecuted a range of Commonwealth offences including drug importation, human exploitation and online child sex offences.

Naomi was previously Senior Associate to Justice Hollingworth at the Supreme Court of Victoria where she was involved in serious criminal trials, mental impairment proceedings, plea hearings and applications for coercive power orders.

Naomi appears in all jurisdictions and has significant experience in representing youthful offenders in summary and serious indictable matters.

Naomi is available to be briefed in:

• Children's Court matters
• County Court pleas, appeals and breach proceedings
• County Court trials as junior counsel
• bail applications (all courts)
• Contested committal hearings and committal mentions
• Magistrates' Court contested hearings
• complex Magistrates' Court pleas
• contested intervention order hearings.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (Honours)/Bachelor of Arts.

Family and Children's Law

Senior In-house Counsel

Eric Myles

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2013

Eric has been with Victoria Legal Aid since 2015. He joined VLA Chambers in 2018 as a family and children's law advocate, was appointed public defender (Civil Justice) for six months in 2021 and was appointed senior in-house counsel, Family and Children's Law, in 2022. In addition to leading our team of family and children's law advocates, he has expertise in criminal law and civil justice. Before joining Chambers, Eric worked in VLA's Child Protection team in Melbourne and was a generalist lawyer in our Ballarat office.

Eric is available to be briefed in:

Family/children's law –

• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including ICL – interim hearings, final hearings, mentions, directions hearings
• family dispute – resolution conferences
• family violence – mentions, directions, final hearings
• Children's Court Family Division – contested hearings, IAOs, mentions, directions hearings, conciliation conferences
• complex Children's Court matters
• family law, child protection and family violence advice.

Civil/ciminal law –

• Supreme Court bail applications (crime)
• MHDL matters – administration and guardianship orders, Supreme Court and County Court review hearings under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
• ESR matters – tenancy matters.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Juris Doctor
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

In-house counsel

Bec Helberg

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2009

Bec joined VLA Chambers after seven years at Women's Legal Service Victoria working in and developing an outstanding reputation for her advocacy in family law, family violence and child protection.

Prior to this Bec worked exclusively in family law in Warrnambool, Dandenong and Melbourne CBD, which included a couple of years as a sole practitioner.

Bec is an always well-prepared, courageous and careful lawyer and advocate who in addition to her advocacy skills brings to Chambers great stakeholder relationships and a wealth of experience and mentoring and training staff and representing clients with complex needs throughout the State.

Bec is available to be briefed in:

• FDRS conferences
• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including ICL – mentions, dispute resolution conferences, interim defended hearings, compliance and readiness hearings, trial management hearings, final hearings
• family violence matters – mentions, directions, contested hearings
• Children's Court (Family Division) – mentions, reserved submissions, conciliation conferences, IAO contests, readiness hearings, contested hearings
• Family Law/Child Protection/Family Violence advice.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts
• Bachelor of Law
• Masters of Applied Law (Family Law)
• Independent Children's Lawyer.

Tom Schneider

Admitted to the legal profession: 2011

Tom joined VLA in 2022. Prior to joining Chambers as Associate In-House Counsel in January 2024, Tom was a Senior Family Lawyer and Independent Children’s Lawyer in VLA’s Frankston Office.

Before commencing at VLA, Tom was a sole practitioner whose primary focus was providing agency services to regional practitioners in metropolitan courts, particularly in the Family Law jurisdiction.

Prior to that Tom worked in private practice on the Mornington Peninsula and the Latrobe Valley where he developed his practise in Family Law, Child Protection and general practice.

Tom is available to be briefed in:

• FDRS conferences Independent Children’s Lawyer trials and hearings
• FCFCOA proceedings, including parenting and property matters for final hearing, interim hearings, directions hearings, mentions, compliance and readiness hearings, dispute resolution conferences, conciliation conferences and interlocutory hearings
• family violence mentions, directions hearings and contested hearings
• family law and family violence advice

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Laws (LLB)
• Bachelor of Commerce
• Independent Children’s Lawyer.

Associate In-house Counsel

Veronica Snip

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2019

Veronica has been with VLA since admission in 2019. She joined VLA Chambers in 2022 as a family and children's law advocate. Prior to joining Chambers, Veronica worked in VLA's Parenting Disputes team in Melbourne and before this, as a family/child protection lawyer in the Gippsland regional office.

Veronica is available to be briefed in:

• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia matters, including ICL – interim hearings, mentions, directions hearings
• family dispute resolution – conferences
• Children's Court Family Division – contested hearings, interim hearings, IAOs, mentions, directions hearings, conciliation conferences
• contested family violence intervention orders

Nadine Di Blasi

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2008

Nadine joined VLA in 2016 as a senior family lawyer in the Melbourne Office. Immediately prior to joining VLA Chambers, Nadine practiced as an independent children's lawyer for 18 months.

Before commencing at VLA she practised exclusively in family law/family violence in private practice for five years, initially at a boutique firm and subsequently at a commercial firm. Nadine began her career in Law as an associate to the now Justice McGuire of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia.

Nadine is available to be briefed in the following matters:

• independent children's lawyer trials and hearings
• Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia proceedings, including parenting and property matters for Interim Hearings, Final Hearings, Dispute Resolution Conferences, Mentions and interlocutory hearings
• family dispute resolution conferences
• family violence – mentions, directions hearings and contests
• family law/family violence advice
• Children's Court Family Division – interim hearings, IOAs, mentions, directions hearings, contests.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Independent Children's Lawyer National Qualification (2019)
• Bachelor of Laws (Hons)
• Bachelor of Arts (Hons)
• Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice – College of Law.

Civil Justice

Public Defender

Olivia Ridley

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2013

As a public defender for Civil Justice, Olivia leads a small team of specialist in-house civil law advocates in VLA Chambers.

Olivia joined VLA Chambers as an associate public defender in 2021 and was appointed public defender in 2022.

Prior to joining Chambers, Olivia was a senior lawyer and acting managing lawyer in VLA's Mental Health and Disability Law (MHDL) team.

Prior to joining VLA, she worked for Inner Melbourne Community Legal and Tenants Victoria (formerly operated as Tenants Union Victoria).

Olivia is available to be briefed in:

• review hearings under the Crimes (Mental Impairment and Unfitness to be Tried) Act
• MHDL program matters – treatment orders, administration and guardianship orders, STO and FLP matters
• ESR program matters – infringements, NDIS, WWCC and tenancy matters
• Equality Law Program matters
• judicial review and administrative law matters.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Law
• Post-graduate Diploma in Legal Practice

Associate public defenders

Julie Riva

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2004

Julie joined VLA Chambers as associate public defender, Civil Justice, in August 2023. Prior to this, she was deputy managing lawyer at the Peninsula Regional Office in Frankston, and senior civil advocate at the same office since 2019. Between 2010–2019, Julie worked in primarily the Commonwealth areas of Civil Justice practice in the Westernport Regional Office, Dandenong.

Julie's time at VLA has also included work in policy in the Disability Action plan team, as a senior lLawyer at the MJC, and as a generalist lawyer at the Goulburn Valley regional office in Shepparton.

Julie also spent a couple of years as a senior federal prosecutor at the CDPP.

Julia is available to be briefed in:

• social security administrative review and prosecutions work
• NDIS administrative review cases
• WWCC and Worker Screening Act review matters
• infringements matters including s.165 matters in the MCV.

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws
• Master of Laws (International Law)
• Contributing Author to Fitzroy Legal Service Law Handbook.

James Dalrymple

Admitted to the Legal Profession: 2017

James commenced his role as associate public defender, Civil Law, within VLA Chambers in 2023. Prior to this he was a senior lawyer in VLA's Mental Health and Disability Law program as well as senior criminal lawyer at VLA's Broadmeadows office.

Prior to joining VLA in 2018, James worked in private practice in immigration law.

James is available to be briefed in:

• CMIA – CSO and NCSO review hearings
• MHDL – administration order matters, guardianship orders, CTO matters and STO matters
• ESR Program – infringement matters, tenancy hearings, AAT – tier 2 appearances

Qualifications, memberships and accreditations:

• Juris Doctor (JD)
• Bachelor of Arts (Honours)
• Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law
• Member: Law Institute of Victoria's Disability Law Committee.