The 2025 Morwell Legal Laneway Breakfast

Rob first attended RMIT as a law student, where he graduated in 1982.30 years later, in October 2012, Rob returned to the University to set up the Centre for Innovative Justice as a place to develop, drive, and expand the capacity of the justice system to meet and adapt to the needs of its diverse users.

Rob previously served as the Attorney-General and Deputy Premier of Victoria with the Bracks and Brumby Governments from 1999 to 2010. As Attorney-General, Rob instigated significant and lasting changes to Victoria's legal system. At the time, many of these policies saw Victoria become a national leader in progressive social justice reform. Today, nearly a decade later, these reforms have become an accepted and valued part of the state’s mainstream justice and social systems and have influenced other jurisdictions to follow suit.

In his state political career as the Member for Niddrie, Rob held the offices of Attorney-General; Minister for Manufacturing Industry and Minister for Racing, Minister for Work Cover, Minister for Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations.

Fiona was appointed Victorian Legal Services Commissioner and CEO of the Legal Services Board in January 2018. She was reappointed to the role for a second five-year term on 8 January 2023.Fiona is the former CEO of the access to justice organisation, Justice Connect, and has previously held a number of senior roles, including General Counsel and Company Secretary at World Vision Australia and Special Counsel at Clayton Utz.

Fiona has a BA (Hons) from the University of Melbourne majoring in psychology with honours in criminology, an LLB from the University of NSW and an LLM in public and international law from the University of Melbourne. She also has an LLM in public service law from the New York University Law School and has attended both the Harvard and Stanford Business Schools, where she completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2017.

Fiona is the Co-Chair of Equality Australia and the chair of the Australian Communities Foundation. She was the inaugural Deputy Chair of the Australian Not-for-Profit and Charities Commission Advisory Board for five years, was on the board of the Human Rights Law Centre from 2010to 2017 and the inaugural Board Chair of Health Justice Australia from 2016 until 2023.

I am a proud Yorta Yorta - Taungurung man born in Mooroopna near Shepparton Vic. And live in Bairnsdale, in beautiful East Gippsland. 

 I was taken from the Goulbourn Valley Base Hospital and put into The Haven babies home in Nth. Fitzroy and adopted into a loving family in Melbourne 1967, and moved to Bairnsdale, East Gippsland in 1981. Over the years it’s been exciting to find my mob and make connection back to country especially Cummeragunja. Most of my working life has been in communities both Vic and NSW. Education and Justice have always been my passions. 

My other passion is music. I’m a musician and have released my own CD. I am also very active in my local church. My other passion is music. I’m a musician singer/songwriter and have released my own CD. I am also very active in my local church.  

I have been with The Bairnsdale Koori Court since May 2019 and also assisting with Latrobe Valley Koori Court as well. I love working in the Justice space and learning more and more all the time. I love listening to the Elders conversations with participants attending KC and the amazing wisdom they bring to both myself and Koori Court. 

I believe we should be ‘Peddlers of HOPE’.  

Katherine attended her schooling in Gippsland, and upon her completion of Year 12 moved to Melbourne to complete her Bachelor of Business Information Systems. She then worked in various Marketing and Information Technology roles before returning to University to complete a Bachelor of Laws. During her law degree, she volunteered at various legal services, including the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre in Footscray and West Justice in Sunshine.

After she was admitted in 2018 as a Lawyer in the Supreme Court of Victoria she commenced her legal career in Melbourne at a private general practice firm. In 2020, she returned to Gippsland to join Tyler Tipping & Woods.  

Katherine practices primarily in family law matters, criminal law matters, intervention order matters and child protection matters. She regularly appears in the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia, the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria and the Children’s Court of Victoria.  

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Lynne leads the Victoria Law Foundation team. She brings with her a wealth of experience in the fields of communications, journalism and management.

For 16 years, she worked with ABC Radio, including a stint hosting The Law Report on Radio National. She has also worked at the ACCC, the City of Melbourne, the Victorian Ombudsman and as a consultant. She has degrees in Law and English from the University of Western Australia and holds qualifications from the Australian Institute of Company Directors, the Institute of Community Directors Australia and has attended the Cranlana Centre for Ethical Leadership.