The numbers of domestic violence matters are exploding. Explore representing clients on both sides of domestic violence matters plus the relationship with Family law matters. Gain effective courtroom strategies including practical insights into cross examining expert witnesses and analyse recent sentencing decisions. Beyond legal updates, this practical guide also gives you real advice that you can implement in the best interests of your clients.

Presenters

Kellie McDonald, Senior Solicitor, Women’s Legal Service NSW
Kellie McDonald is a Senior Solicitor at Women’s Legal Service NSW. She primarily assists vulnerable women who have experienced domestic and sexual violence, providing advice, advocacy, and representation in the areas of family law, AVOs, care and protection and victims support. She has worked as a solicitor in the community legal centre sector for the past 14 years advising disadvantaged community members, developing and delivering community legal education and advocating for a just and fair legal system.


Katherine Dowling, Senior Solicitor, Curt Hofmann Barristers and Solicitors
Katherine graduated in 2007 with a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Law from the University of Western Australia. She commenced her legal career at an international law firm, working in commercial civil litigation. She quickly realised, however, that she enjoys advocacy and working with ordinary people so started practicing in criminal law after completing her restricted practice. Katherine provides advice and representation in all areas of criminal and traffic law. She has r extensive experience in the Supreme, District and Magistrates Court jurisdictions. She is counsel in jury trials, pre-trial applications and sentencing hearings. She has also assisted and briefed other prominent barristers. Katherine has outstanding communication and interpersonal skills and prides herself on her ability to establish excellent working relationships with her clients and peers to ensure that matters are resolved in a professional, practical and cost-efficient manner. She has been repeatedly recognised as a leader in her field of criminal law, evidenced by her nomination in Doyles Guide from 2018-2023. In addition to her legal work, Katherine has sat as an adjudicator for disciplinary hearings on the Football West Tribunal, the WACA Tribunal & the Rugby WA Judiciary, was a committee member of the Criminal Lawyers Association from 2020.


Tom F Percy KC, Albert Wolff Chambers
Tom Percy KC was admitted to practice in 1978 after graduating from UWA. He was elected to the WA Bar Association in 1984 and took silk in 1997. He practices primarily in the area of Criminal trials and appeals. He is a former National Director and State President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance. He won the WA Civil Justice Award in 2006, The WA Law Society Community Service Award in 2007 and the WA Lawyer of the Year award in 2013. He is currently Head of Chambers at Albert Wolff Chambers in Perth.


Lisa Boston, Barrister, Albert Wolff Chambers
Lisa Boston obtained her Law degree with Honours at the Australian National University before moving to Perth and completing her Articles of Clerkship with Blake Dawson Waldron. In 1994, Lisa embarked on a career in Criminal Law, first being employed by Aboriginal Legal Service (WA) in Kalgoorlie and then in Perth by Legal Aid West Australia. It was during her time at Legal Aid, Lisa obtained her Master of Laws in 1998. In 2000, Lisa established her own criminal law practice in Perth, where she specialised in jury trial defence work, before being called to the bar in NSW in 2004. In 2007, Lisa returned as a barrister to Western Australia, where she has practiced at the bar in Criminal Law ever since. In over 25 years of practice, Lisa has appeared in a vast number of trials in all jurisdictions, at sentencing hearings and appeals. Lisa is also a recipient of WA woman lawyer of the year. The main stay of Lisa’s work has been as a jury trial advocate, working primarily as Defence Counsel for accused facing serious crimes, although Lisa also acts as Counsel prosecuting on behalf of both the State DPP and Commonwealth DPP. Lisa practises and can and has appeared as counsel in the following areas: Homicides, Serious Assaults [GBH, Attempt murder], Drug offences, including, Commonwealth offences, Sexual offences, Crimes against the person - Violent offences, Dangerous Driving Occasioning Death, Financial crimes, Stealing, Fraud and Corporate offences, People trafficking and Robbery, burglary.


Leah Clemens, Principal, LB Lawyers
Leah completed her post graduate law degree in 2004 after serving as an officer in the Navy. After being admitted, Leah worked in civil litigation at a boutique maritime law firm before joining Legal Aid servicing many clients for over a decade in criminal law, family law and civil litigation, often being referred unusual or tricky cases where jurisdictions overlap. Leah was the supervising solicitor in care and protection matters for and undertook ICL training in 2008. Leah returned to private practice in 2019, heading up a commercial litigation practice, family law practice and more recently criminal law practices.She advocates for both applicants and respondents in Restraining Order matters and has a very detailed technical understanding of the law. Her area of specialty is the “trifecta” where clients are subject to criminal complaints, have restraining orders afoot and are a party to Family Court proceedings. She has succeeded in opposing serial family violence offender applications and is no stranger to making submissions to parliament on aspects of legislative reform. Leah has just commenced practice as Principal Lawyer at LSC Legal, which is a general practice. She appears in all Courts and Tribunals in WA including the SAT, Federal Court and the High Court of Australia. She as appears as counsel in interstate matters involving historic sexual abuse cases.