Jake Bussoletti

• Prepared and compiled comprehensive briefs to counsel, ensuring accurate and timely presentation of critical case details.
• Drafted detailed letters of instruction to a diverse range of experts, streamlining the evidence gathering process.
• Developed and reviewed legal documents, such as pleadings, affidavits, and originating applications.
• Established and maintained strong relationships with clients, facilitating communication between solicitor and ensuring their needs and concerns were addressed throughout the legal process.
• Liaised effectively with Courts, Governmental bodies, and other organisations, ensuring compliance and timely responses to requests and mandates.
• Coordinated and prepared matters for mediation, resulting in successful settlements and resolutions for clients.
• Oversaw and managed a high volume of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to relevant FOI laws.
• Played a crucial role in the management of diverse case types, including workers compensation, public liability, professional negligence, historical sexual abuse, and intentional torts.
• Demonstrated an exceptional ability to manage sensitive topics with utmost professionalism and empathy, particularly in historical sexual abuse matters.

Skills acquired

• Possess an in-depth understanding of legal research, evidence collation, and documentation critical to building strong cases.
• Strong experience in liaising with legal bodies, including Courts, making me adept at understanding courtroom procedures and protocols.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, honed through drafting legal documents and liaising with a variety of stakeholders.
• Proven ability to handle complex and sensitive matters with discretion and care, a crucial attribute in criminal law matters.

• Trial Support:
• Assisted Principal Sarah Khan, David Dalton SC, and Thomas Woods throughout a Supreme Court Murder Trial that resulted in an acquittal, overturning a decade-long legal battle, a prior conviction, and a 32-year sentence.
• Played an instrumental role by analysing critical evidence serving as the Final Defence Witness, presenting crucial evidence that cast significant doubt on a previously strong Crown case from 2018.
• Evidence Analysis & Drafting:
• Summarised extensive EAGP briefs and reviewed key evidence, enhancing the firm's ability to provide accurate, sound legal advice to Clients.
• Identified misleading evidence in the Crown's presentation of telephone records, and subsequently drafted a submission that clarified the true nature of the evidence, bolstering the defence.
• Continuously dissected Crown cases, ranging from serious offences such as murder and large-scale importation to minor infractions like traffic violations. Through this, honed a keen eye for spotting inconsistencies and deficiencies in presented evidence.
• Administrative & Operational Roles:
• Managed day-to-day operations during the Supreme Court trial, including local court appearances and task completions to ensure smooth proceedings in other firm matters.
• Coordinated trial exhibits, ensuring materials were organized and digital displays were prepared for effective presentation in court.
• Embraced the firm's dynamic environment by regularly working extended hours, often exceeding 12-14 hours, to meet the demands of the criminal law sector.
• Professional Development & Recognition:
• Initially joined the firm to assist in a Supreme Court Trial, but quickly proved worth by drafting a compelling Brief Summary for a separate case. This led to a formal offer for a full-time Paralegal position.
• Demonstrated adaptability and commitment by performing a blend of tasks, from high-level evidence review to routine administrative duties, underlining versatility and capability.

• Established rapport with customers using active listening and interpersonal skills.
• Beyond what would typically be expected when undertaking retail duties, I routinely managed to lead store rankings in various key performance indicators, most commonly daily sales targets and customer satisfaction scores.
• Due to my tendency to remain calm under pressure, I inadvertently took on the informal role of customer service manager as co-workers would habitually ‘palm off’ disgruntled customers to me.
• As such, I dealt with customer complaints daily which allowed me to strengthen my ability to communicate root causes of problems to customers and find solutions whilst continuing to de-escalate situations, turning negative altercations into positive customer experiences.

• This was a position where I was regularly challenged, being ‘thrown in the deep end’ and forced to adapt quickly on a routine basis.
• Being provided with a work phone, I was the primary point of contact for a large number of the firm’s clients. This required me to develop my interpersonal skills and learn how to communicate with clients from all walks of life.
• Given the nature of the work, office and clientele, this often involved some quite severe conflict resolution between heated individuals.
• Acted as a point of support for a team of criminal and traffic lawyers, taking responsibility for the more tedious administrative tasks, allowing them to spend more of their time providing assistance directly to clients.

Regular daily tasks included, but were not limited to:

• Day to day administrative carriage of 18 criminal law matters which involved acting as a buffer between client and principal, appearing for routine local court mentions, summarising briefs and preparing relevant subjective material
• Appearing in, and communicating with various local courts and registries for simple, routine listings
• Drafting legal documents, preparing and editing submissions
• Providing exceptional client management from initial consultation to sentence
• Utilising legal software (LEAP) in addition to regular usage of the Legal Aid portal

• Partnered with small local businesses including cafes, restaurants and skilled trades to establish a social media presence and strong branding.
• Built and designed websites and social media profiles. Created content to post on these platforms to connect companies to their target markets.
• Acted as an intermediary dealing with the clients directly and delegating various aspects of work to University of Wollongong marketing students.
• After being granted a meeting to discuss my services further, I maintained a >80% conversion rate in bringing potential clients into the business.