Lee Anne Stapleton

• Mentor in Practical Legal Training, teaching alternately both full time and part time groups.
• Past co-coordinating Ethics subject
• Current Employment topic coordinator.
• Learning Transformation Project - Contributor - initially on Course Design planning team with Craig Collins and Julie Anderson; then on an Ethics team with Vicky Kordouli; Digital Design Team with Liz Chase and Julie Anderson - including contribution to the - Leo Justice Lab project.
• Attended and contributed to many Brightspace meetings and overviews and discussions around the User Experience (UX) - as it relates to using Brightspace, but also the new PLT program incorporating the concept of The Whole Lawyer - and how this will engage new law graduates in terms of their experience of PLT but also their impact and contributions as future lawyers.
• Prepared and reviewed contracts and other legal documents following applicable regulations

Course co-ordination of PLT Programs to over 20 mid and top tier Law Firms -

• Creating course specific Timetables
• Management of Course Lecturers,
• Oversight of student enrolment,
• Course completion and ensuring all Students were admitted to practice as planned.
• Managing Academic issues which arose - eg plagiarism; non-participation; and other issues.
• Maintained relationships with existing stakeholders such as Partners and Learning & Development Staff at participating Law Firms and their Students, while developing connections with prospective Firms who were interested in running a co-operative PLT Program.
• This position required advanced expertise, not just in terms of legal knowledge, but in understanding needs of all potential stakeholders. Each Firm required a bespoke PLT Program to compliment their own Graduate Induction and advancement process.
• Communicated regularly with clients to confirm their needs were being met, and to evaluate areas where course content or delivery could be improved.
• High level of autonomy in this role, which meant decisiveness was key in terms of when to manage a situation myself, or refer matters to Executive level.
• A sound understanding of the Academic framework within which PLT sits and obligations to admitting bodies in each state - this was necessary as I provided advice to Learning & Development coordinators at several firms who often required assistance with ensuring their graduates met rules for admission each year.
• One of my innovations at the College was to introduce an annual lunch for Learning & Development staff from the mostly top tier Law Firms to attend - with the dual purpose of providing a networking opportunity as well as some information for them regarding the PLT Program being taught to their graduates. This became a National Lunch and very successful
• In this role I collaborated with lecturers nationally due to Law Firms often having a PLT Program running in most states. I worked with administrative staff in various locations to arrange both online and printed material and delivery, as well as the Executive Director in Victoria and the Chief Academic Officer (in Sydney) where approval or advice was required regarding amendments to the PLT Program to adapt to each Law Firm's requirements.
• This role required showing both empathy and compassion to Students and Lecturers from time to time which enabled everyone to complete their course and meet all requirements of their position and their own expectations as well.

• Lecturer - Practical Legal Training (PLT) Program at the College of Law
• Teaching and assessing students in Graduate Programs at several top and mid-tier law firms and in General Courses – both full and part time
• Contributing to ongoing academic development of the College.

• From January 2000 when I was first employed to assess grants of aid to direct applicants and lawyers applying by phone from Court or Jail - I worked at Victoria Legal Aid on both a full time and part time basis until finally leaving in 2016.
• I worked initially at the Melbourne office, but then moved to a smaller Child Support Legal Service situated within the Family Law Program. This position although more focused on a narrow area of law, gave me the opportunity to travel to many branch offices of VLA to provide a legal advice clinic.
• This experience has provided awareness of differences that exist in Victoria and smaller community groups, in terms of opportunity, education, cultural considerations, financial challenges, and of course access to justice.
• I worked (2003 - 2005) on VLA's Legal Information Project named LawGuru - which was to develop an Intranet database of legal definitions, guidelines, general information and overviews of legislation in every area of law - to be used by VLA Legal Help Officers, but also other lawyers when needed.
• I then moved to VLA's Ringwood office to work as a Family Lawyer for 4 years - which allowed me to develop my duty lawyer skills in both Magistrates Court and (then) Federal Circuit Court weekly.
• Other elements of all my work at Victoria Legal Aid included the following -
• Provide legal advice, ongoing casework and court representation in Magistrates’, Federal Circuit and Family Courts, in matters relating to family law and child support, including DNA testing, debt reduction and enforcement, international child support negotiation and assistance, negotiating with the Child Support Agency, Conduct of ongoing casework in family law.
• Provide advice and representation at Roundtable Dispute Management, drafting of documents, provide advice on all family law matters in VLA family law clinics.

• Delivered Family Law Elective subject to 43 students in First Semester 2016.
• Presented lectures
• Presented seminars
• Course outline had been prepared, but it was necessary to create engaging modes of delivery each week - particularly as attendance was optional.
• Guided discussions in lectures as many students came from backgrounds where their parents had separated - this required approaching teaching with empathy due to their potential emotional response during discussion of cases from week to week.
• Graded essays and final exams, following academic requirements and policies of ACU.

• All family legal matters, particularly Property and Childrens’ Matters, but including -
• Child Support,
• Binding Financial Agreements,
• Pre- Nuptial Agreements,
• Court Documents,
• Family Violence Intervention Orders,
• Mediation,
• Roundtable Dispute Management,
• Divorce.
• Accomplished at using the LEAP Legal Database and early adopter of online client files.

• Student Legal Service
• Provide immigration advice to mainly international students regarding visa issues relating to their study in Australia.
• Mentored Law Students who attended client interviews

• Research and write handbook on environmental law.