Presenters

Jacqueline Dawson, Principal Solicitor, Sexton Family Law
Jacqueline Dawson is the Principal of Sexton Family Law and an Accredited Specialist in Family Law. Admitted to practice as a solicitor in 1994 and an Accredited Specialist since 2001, Jacqueline began practice in early 1995 with the firm then known as Robyn Sexton & Associates and remained as a principal of the firm when Judge Sexton was appointed to the Federal Magistrates Court. Jacqueline is a Councillor of the Law Society of NSW, and the 2025 Junior Vice President. Within the Law Society, she is presently Chair of the Specialist Accreditation Board, Co-Chair of the Family Law Committee and Chair of the Professional Conduct Committee. She also serves as a board member of the NSW Legal Aid Commission, a member of the Sydney University Law Extension Committee and a member of the Legal Qualifications Committee of the Legal Profession Admission Board.


Hayley Dean, Senior Advocate, Legal Aid NSW
Hayley is best described as an all-rounder and is the current Solicitor Advocate attached to the Parramatta office of Legal Aid NSW and became an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law in 2013. Hayley joined Legal Aid NSW in 2008, after working for both the Commonwealth and State DPP. In nearly 20 years of criminal law practice, Hayley has worked across all levels of Courts in NSW including Coronial, Children’s Court, and all the way to the Court of Criminal Appeal. Hayley has a keen interest in matters involving coercive control and is described as a “thought leader” on the topic, having written papers, presented CLE’s, as well as being the writer and host of the Legal Aid NSW 5-part series podcast on Coercive Control. The critically acclaimed Podcast Series was promoted on The Bar Association of NSW Website, the Judicial Commission Website and by the NSW Women’s Safety Commissioner as an authority for legal professional training on the topic. Hayley was nominated by the Law Society of NSW as a finalist for Government Solicitor of the Year in 2024 for her work in Coercive Control. Hayley has presented seminars and educational forums on a variety of topics of interest including Coercive Control, Vicarious Trauma for Lawyers and Expert Evidence in sexual assault matters. Hayley regularly donates her time as an assessor for medical professionals training to become experts in providing sexual assault evidence in trials. Hayley has presented seminars to a diverse range of community groups, lawyers, and medical professionals and is developing a special interest area in the of intersection of gendered violence and the legal system.


Nicola Callander, Solicitor, Legal Aid NSW
Driven by an intention to achieve the best outcomes for families and particularly children navigating the legal systems that impact their lives, Nicola has over 25 years experience as a solicitor in family and care and protection law. Nicola has Specialist Accreditation in Children’s Law and has been an Independent Children’s Lawyer for almost two decades. Nicola is a keen advocate of alternative dispute resolution and undertakes work as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. Nicola has held the position of Senior Children’s Registrar of the Children’s Court and led the integration of dispute resolution conferences into the care and protection jurisdiction in NSW.  After almost a decade as the Solicitor in Charge of Care and Protection for Legal Aid NSW, Nicola returned to litigation as a Solicitor Advocate representing clients in the FCFCoA, the Children Court, the NSW Administrative Appeals Tribunal and under the parens patriae jurisdiction of the Supreme Court. Nicola is a current active member of both the Law Society NSW, Children’s Legal Issues and Family Law Committee.