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EDO Organisational Chart
EDO Staff Profiles
Jeff Smith
Jeff is the Director of the Environmental Defender’s Office.
He is a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW with a Masters of Law from Sydney University (majoring in Environmental Law and Policy). He has taught and researched in environmental law and policy, criminal law and litigation at the University of NSW and Macquarie University.
Jeff has written extensively in the fields of environmental law, criminal law and litigation.
Prior to joining the Environmental Defender’s Office he was involved in drug law reform and criminal justice work at the Attorney General’s Department, as well as working in strategic policy for the Environment Protection Authority.
Jeff sits on the Boards of the Australian Centre for Climate and Environmental Law, the Environmental Planning and Law Association, and the Combined Community Legal Centre Group. Jeff is also a member of the Special Purpose Assessment Committee for the Contaminated Land Management Program administered by the Environmental Trust. He has previously been on the Board of the Total Environment Centre for many years and the Steering Committee for the Climate Action Network Australia.
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Kirsty Ruddock
Kirsty joined EDO-NSW as the Principal Solicitor in October 2006. Kirsty graduated with Arts(Honours)/Law(Honours) from the Australian National University in 1995. She also has a Graduate Diploma in Arts (writing). In 1996, she commenced work at the Australian Government Solicitor's Office in Sydney where she worked in trade practices law, administrative law, environmental law, intellectual property law and native title.
In 2002 she decided she needed a change and spent a year working in the Office of the Attorney-General in Samoa on civil litigation, commercial work and criminal prosecutions as part of the AusAid program, Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development. This lead to work in the Public Solicitor's Office in the Solomon Islands where she appeared as an Advocate in criminal and civil cases, including on behalf of a number of customary landowners who were trying to stop logging on their land.
Pursuing the tropical lifestyle, Kirsty moved to work as a Solicitor (part-time) at EDO-NQ in August 2004 and a Legal Officer at the Cape York Land Council (part-time). During her time at EDO-NQ she was involved in a number of judicial review and merits review cases including the first climate change case brought under the EPBC Act on behalf of Wildlife Whitsunday. She also taught Environmental Law to science students at James Cook University in Cairns.
In her spare time Kirsty likes reading, writing, walking, bushwalking and travelling. She also has a long involvement with local groups of Amnesty International and will be hoping to continue her involvement from afar with various environmental and indigenous groups in North Queensland.
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Jessica Wood
Jessica is a senior solicitor employed with the EDO's Northern Rivers office.
She holds a Masters of Environmental Law, Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Sydney University.
Before she joined the EDO, Jessica worked as a solicitor in private practice in environmental and planning law and construction law. She has also worked as a tipstaff at the NSW Land and Environment Court and the NSW Court of Appeal. Jessica's particular area of interest is marine and coastal law.
Outside of work, Jessica enjoys bush walking, kayaking and ocean swimming.
(Jessica is currently on leave from the EDO and will return in 2009.)
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Ian Ratcliff
Ian works as a senior solicitor at the EDO Northern Rivers.
He has a Bachelor of Laws-European (Honours) from the University of Warwick in England and a Masters of Environmental Law from Macquarie University.
Before joining the EDO, Ian was Principal Legal Officer at the NSW Department of Local Government. He has also worked as a Legal Officer at the Refugee Review Tribunal, research officer for the Environment, Planning and Local Government branch of a City law firm and the editor of local government and environmental law publications for a legal publishing company.
Away from the office, Ian has a long-standing interest in ornithology and is a member of Birds Australia. He spent several holidays in England doing conservation work with the BTCV and RSPB. His other diverse interests include choral singing, swimming and cookery.
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Sue Higginson
Sue is a solicitor at the EDO Northern Rivers.
She has a Bachelor of Laws with first class honours. Before joining the EDO Sue worked as a solicitor in private practice in Lismore in a number of areas including property and criminal law. Her work has included acting inside and outside the Courts at the intersection of environmental protest and the criminal law. She has also taught Environmental Law at Southern Cross University in Lismore.
Before becoming a solicitor Sue worked in the environment movement for a number of years. She has done extensive work in relation to forest conservation in North East New South Wales. She was an active campaigner and spokesperson for the North East Forest Alliance. Sue's particular area of interest in environmental law is biodiversity and threatened species conservation.
Outside of work Sue is usually playing somewhere in the Northern Rivers region with her two brilliant daughters or in the garden.
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Felicity Millner
Felicity is a solicitor at the EDO.
She holds a Bachelor in Arts/Law from the University of New South Wales. Felicity previously worked in private practice, at a firm specialising in Local Government, Planning and Environment law, where she was primarily involved in merits review and enforcement litigation in the Land and Environment Court. Prior to taking up that position, Felicity completed an internship at a Western Australian Land Council, where she assisted in preparation of a major Native Title case. She also volunteers at Redfern Legal Centre and recently returned from volunteering at an Asian NGO focused on improving women's legal rights.
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Melissa Jolley
Melissa is a solicitor at the EDO, Sydney.
Melissa was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in 2005 and registered on the roll of practitioners of the High Court in 2006. Melissa graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (Forensic), and completed a year of her science studies at Swansea University, Wales.
Before joining the EDO, Melissa working in private practice, specialising in Environment Law, Planning Law and Federal Litigation, where she appeared as a solicitor advocate in numerous judicial review proceedings in the Federal Magistrates Court.
Away from the office, Melissa enjoys travelling and exploring new places, spending time at the beach with a book and testing new recipes on friends and family.
BJ BeomJin Kim
BJ is a solicitor at the EDO.
BJ graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Laws from the Australian National University and is currently completing a Master of Laws (majoring in Environmental Law and Policy) at the University of Sydney.
Before joining the EDO, BJ worked in private practice for over 5 years in the areas of corporate and commercial law, government and public law, and commercial litigation. BJ has also worked in-house in a major publicly listed company as well as having spent a year as an adviser on an AusAID project with the Attorney-General's Department in Papua New Guinea.
BJ loves surfing, making sculpture and markets - especially food markets.
top Elaine Johnson
Elaine is a locum solicitor working with the EDO until June 2009.
In June she is departing to work as an Australian Youth Ambassador for Development with the Public Solicitor's Office in the Solomon Islands, to work with their forestry unit and one of their provincial offices through an EDO partnership. Elaine has previously spent time working in Government and private practice, specialising in environmental and planning law. She has also tutored and lectured at Macquarie University in environmental law, and worked as the Environmental Liaison officer for NSW conservation groups to State Parliament.
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Amelia Thorpe
Amelia is Programs Director at the EDO.
She holds a law degree from Oxford University and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School, and is admitted as an attorney in New York. She also holds degrees in Architecture and Policy Studies from the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University.
Amelia first joined the EDO as a volunteer at EDO WA, and has since volunteered with environmental and human rights organisations in Argentina, the US and South Africa. She has taught, researched and published in environmental law, urban design and social justice in Australia, the US and the UK. Amelia also worked for a number of years in the area of sustainable development for the WA state government.
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Jemilah Hallinan
Jemilah is the Education Officer for the Sydney office.
She has a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Arts (Humanities) from the University of Western Sydney. She is also admitted as a lawyer. Before joining the EDO, Jemilah worked with The Smith Family and volunteered for the Nature Conservation Council of NSW and the Legal Observers Project.
Outside of work, Jemilah enjoys reading, quality time in the hammock, taking photos and going on adventures. She also jumps at any chance to head north where she likes beach days and pretending the world is a quiet and peaceful place.
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Dr Mark Byrne
Dr Mark Byrne is the Education Officer at the EDO's Northern Rivers office.
He is a former urban planner, lecturer, group facilitator and social researcher. He came to the EDO from the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, where he was Senior Policy Officer, Energy + Water. He was previously Senior Researcher at the Jesuit Social Justice Centre, where he worked and published on transitional justice in Timor-Leste and the role of forgiveness in healing mass trauma.
Mark has a PhD in the humanities and is currently completing a Master of International Law with a research project on the likely emergence of "climate crime" as an issue in international law and security.
Outside work, Mark can usually be found in the water - sometimes on purpose.
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Heidi Evans
Heidi is the Education Assistant at the EDO.
She has a Bachelor of Environmental Management and a Bachelor of Laws from Macquarie University. She is particularly interested in indigenous land management and indigenous law. In 2007 she took part in a university research trip to the Northern Territory, working with local indigenous groups to explore how they might adopt tourism as a means to development and a sustainable income, without compromising their desired cultural lifestyle. Heidi has also undertaken volunteer work at the EDO.
Heidi loves baking, sunshine, camping (contrary to popular belief) and sitting, surrounded by nature in awe of God's amazing creation.
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Neva Collings
Neva is the EDO Indigenous Solicitor.
Since graduating from Sydney University in 1995 with a Bachelor of Laws/Economics, Neva has worked as a policy officer with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission, legal officer for Gundjehmi Aboriginal Corporation in the Northern Territory, international projects officer for the Foundation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Research Action based in Geneva, and coordinated the Indigenous Law Centre at UNSW. In 2007 Neva completed a Masters of Laws majoring in environmental law and policy, and was admitted to practice in April 2008.
In her spare time Neva likes cycling, hiking, photography, and generally getting off the beaten track.
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Rosemary Bullmore
Rosemary is a Project Officer at the EDO, in the Sydney Office.
Rosemary will be working on projects focusing on Conservation on Private Land, Coastal Law and Climate Change.
Rosemary graduated from The University of New England with a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Commerce. Rosemary undertook a year of her University studies at Washington State University, Washington, USA.
Prior to joining the EDO, Rosemary worked in private practice specialising in Environment, Planning and Local Government Law.
Outside work, Rosemary enjoys music, scuba diving, the outdoors and travelling. top
Rachel Walmsley
Rachel Walmsley is the Policy Director at the Environmental Defender's Office, and works mainly on legislative law reform.
Rachel holds a Bachelor of Laws with Honours in international environmental law and a Bachelor of Arts from ANU and recently completed her Masters in Environmental Science and Law.
Previously Rachel was the Environment Liaison Officer (ELO) for the peak environment groups of New South Wales (NSW). This involved lobbying at the NSW parliament on a wide range of new legislation on topics including: national parks, waste, gene technology, game hunting, and fisheries. Prior to that, Rachel was a Research Assistant at the Australian Centre for Environmental Law (ACEL) at ANU in Canberra. Rachel has also worked for a British conservation organisation in London and Tanzania, doing biodiversity survey work and local environmental group capacity building.
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Robert Ghanem
Robert is the Acting Policy Director at the EDO.
He holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Science (Ecology Major) from the University of Sydney. He recently completed a Masters of Environmental Science and Law at Sydney University. He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in 2003.
Before he joined the EDO, Robert worked in the Federal Court and as a solicitor practising in civil litigation. Robert's particular areas of interest are threatened species and terrestrial ecology.
Outside of work, Robert works as a volunteer with St John Ambulance. He loves tennis, music, swimming and watching a variety of sports.
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Richard Howarth
Richard works as an Acting Policy Officer at the Environmental Defender's Office.
He graduated with a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science (majoring in Marine Biology) from the University of Queensland in 2006. Richard is also an admitted solicitor.
Prior to commencing his true calling at the EDO, Richard worked for a short time in private practice in the areas of intellectual property, corporate and commercial law.
His life outside work is focussed on sport, travel and all things coastal. top
Gillian Duggin
Gillian is the EDO 's Assistant Policy Officer.
She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Science from the University of Sydney.
Before joining the EDO, Gillian spent two years as a solicitor in private practice in the area of environmental and planning law, before heading off to Mongolia to volunteer under the AusAID program, Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development. While surviving the Mongolian winter, Gillian worked for a local human rights NGO, the Centre for Human Rights and Development. Her work there focussed on protecting the environmental rights of the country's nomadic herders in the face of a growing mining industry.
Outside of work, Gillian enjoys travel and getting outdoors as much as possible. top
Tom Holden
Tom is the Scientific Director at the EDO.
Tom has a Bachelor of Science (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of New South Wales and a Master of Environmental Law from the University of Sydney. Before joining the EDO in 2005, Tom worked for 5 years as an environmental scientist at a large environmental consulting firm where most of his work comprised preparing environmental impact assessments for infrastructure projects across NSW.
Tom has also worked as an intern with the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment in New Zealand and as a volunteer with the Australian Conservation Foundation in Sydney.
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Kristy Graham
Kristy works as the Scientific Officer at the EDO. She has first class honours in Environmental Science (ecology) and a Masters in Environmental Law from the Univeristy of Sydney.
Before joining the EDO, she worked in policy in the Parks and Wildlife Division of the then Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) and in Water Policy, also at DEC. She has also worked in industry as an environmental officer for a large manufacturing complex. She has spent time volunteering and travelling through Central America, working on a number of environmental projects in Costa Rica and Nicaragua.
Kristy also volunteers for the Smith Family, teaching English to migrants. Outside of work, Kristy enjoys bushwalking, travelling and heading home to rural NSW.
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