Summary
Overview
Work History
Education
Skills
QUALIFICATIONS
Hobbies and Interests
Timeline
Generic

Melissa Anne Jozwiak

Campbelltown,NSW

Summary

Legal professional with strong background in providing comprehensive legal advice and representation. Adept at navigating complex legal frameworks, drafting precise legal documents and negotiating favourable outcomes. Known for fostering collaborative team environments and delivering results under evolving conditions. Skilled in managing, mentoring and supervising staff; managing several different programs simultaneously; legal research; client advocacy; and case management, with a reputation for reliability and adaptability.

Overview

17
17
years of professional experience

Work History

Assistant Principal Solicitor

Macarthur Legal Centre
10.2023 - Current
  • Providing day-to-day supervision of MLC’s legal team, including staff supervision, checking advice, task and casework; settling solicitor correspondence/court documents/wills; approving timesheets, leave requests, kilometre claims, training requests etc.; new staff induction; resolution of conflict issues; work allocations etc. under the supervision of MLC's Principal Solicitor.
  • Ensuring MLC compliance with the CLCNSW Risk Management Guide and relevant legal/ethical practice standards.
  • Staff training/mentoring, including training and supervision of new and junior solicitors.
  • Effectively dealing with day-to-day workplace issues, as they arise (e.g., client/staff complaints, office administration/WHS issues etc.).
  • Management of MLC’s community legal education (CLE) program (i.e., promotion, preparation/settling of CLE materials, rostering CLE delivery, delivery of CLE materials etc.), under the supervision of MLC's Principal Solicitor.
  • Management of the HJP Program including supervision of MLC'S HJP solicitors under the supervision of MLC's Principal Solicitor.
  • Management of MLC’s law reform program (including planning projects, preparation/settling of submissions etc.) under the supervision of MLC's Principal Solicitor.
  • Acting as principal solicitor when the principal solicitor is on leave or otherwise unavailable.
  • Day-to-day supervision of other non-legal services, when required, including MLC's Aboriginal Legal Assistance Program (ALAP), Children’s Court Assistance Scheme (CCAS), Domestic and Family Violence Financial Counselling Service, Western Region Outreach services, etc.
  • Other management delegations, when required.
  • Attend internal/external meetings, events, networking activities, etc.
  • Work effectively as a part of the broader MLC management team.
  • Generalist Solicitor Duties including but not limited to: providing generalist legal information, advice, referrals, task, and casework assistance to clients in MLC’s entire catchment; provide MLC services at targeted partner service locations throughout our catchment area via a variety of modes, including phone, email, mail, face-to-face and AVL which has included travel to Western Region LGAs for Wills Clinics and Western Region Legal Outreach Circuit runs.

Generalist Senior Solicitor

Macarthur Legal Centre
03.2012 - Current
  • Provide high quality, practical legal advice in plain English to clients in several areas of law including but not limited to: Family Law - parenting, property, divorce and child support; Domestic Violence and Family Violence; Credit and Debt; Wills, Power of Attorney and Guardianship; Letters of Administration; Probate; Victims of Crime; Neighbourhood Disputes; Consumer Complaints; Centrelink Issues; and Employment law in a variety of modes including telephone, email, mail, face-to-face and AVL.
  • Provide disadvantaged clients with minor taskwork assistance and/or casework assistance.
  • Conduct extensive research.
  • Draft various legal documents.
  • Draft Victims Services Recognition Payment submissions and Victims Services Recognition Payment Appeal submissions.
  • Assist clients in Legally Assisted Mediations held by several Family Relationship Centres; private Family Dispute Resolution Practitioners and Mediation services; and by Legal Aid.
  • Attend regular meetings with other Macarthur Legal Centre legal team staff; other Community Legal Centre staff and managers; Legal Aid managers; and Family Relationship Centre managers and staff held by both Uniting and CatholicCare organisations.
  • Solicitor based negotiation.
  • Regularly travel to organisations within MLC's catchment for legal outreach appointments.
  • Conduct an effective legal practice.
  • Review documents drafted by junior solicitors and provide guidance and constructive feedback on the same.
  • Conduct conflict of interest checks and advise Macarthur Legal Centre legal staff on potential conflicts of interest.
  • Administration duties.
  • Supervise, support, train and mentor Macarthur Legal Centre's junior solicitors and other legal staff members on a daily basis.
  • Acting Principal Solicitor when the Principal Solicitor is on leave or out of the office for extended periods. Duties of which have included: daily supervision of all Macarthur Legal Centre legal staff and volunteers; daily management of Macarthur Legal Centre; reviewing and approving legal advices, task work and casework completed by all Macarthur Legal Centre solicitors; reviewing legal documents, submissions, forms, letters, emails, etc. drafted by Macarthur Legal Centre solicitors and staff; drafting Legal Board Reports; attendance at Management Meetings; conducting legal staff meetings; reviewing and approving timesheets, leave requests, kilometre claims, and training requests; resolution of conflict issues; work allocations; and conducting and participating in state-wide Community Legal Centre cross checks.
  • Manager of the Macarthur Legal Centre Health Justice Partnership with Campbelltown Hospital. Duties of which have included: attending Health Justice Partnership meetings with the General Manager and Executive staff of Campbelltown and Camden Hospitals; presenting legal information sessions at meetings to Hospital Unit Managers and Hospital staff; conducting extensive research into Health Justice Partnership models around the world; attending meetings and telephone conferences with Executive Officers and Principal Solicitors of other Community Legal Centres (in both NSW and Interstate) that have established Health Justice Partnerships; drafting a Memorandum of Understanding; researching evaluation models for the Health Justice Partnership; attending the Health Justice Partnership at Campbelltown Hospital, Camden Hospital and the Palliative Care Unit, Camden on a rotating basis with a select couple of other Macarthur Legal Centre solicitors which includes advising and assisting on-ward patients and outpatients with their legal matters, drafting documents (e.g. Wills, Power of Attorney, Enduring Guardianship) on the spot, etc.; managing Health Justice Partnership referrals, work performed and the running of the Health Justice Partnership at Campbelltown Hospital on a daily basis; supervising Macarthur Legal Centre Health Justice Partnership solicitors, answer any queries they have, review documents they have drafted and provide constructive feedback; providing secondary consultations to Hospital staff when required; preparing, drafting and presenting Health Justice Partnership Reports, Award Applications, and reviews; applying for Health Justice Partnership related grants and funding opportunities.
  • Community Legal Education and Event Manager. Duties of which have included: the promotion of Community Legal Education presentation sessions on several areas of law; extensive legal research; drafting Community Legal Centre PowerPoints and presentations on several areas of law; creating and organise activities and quizzes for presentations to school students; assigning Community Legal Education sessions to myself and fellow Macarthur Legal Centre solicitors; presenting Community Legal Education sessions in several areas of law; presenting legal training seminars to caseworkers and to TAFE and University students; organising and preparing Macarthur Legal Centre stalls at various community events; drafting and designing simple language legal information flyers for caseworkers and clients; planning, arranging and organising various Macarthur Legal Centre Events such as book launches, baby showers, staff farewells, etc.
  • "Let's Talk Legal" Library Series and "Legal Matters" Library Series Manager. Duties of which have included: attending both Let's Talk Legal and Legal Matters planning meetings; extensive legal research; drafting Community Legal Education presentations and seminars on several areas of law; drafting feedback forms customised to the audience at each "Let's Talk Legal" and "Legal Matters" presentation seminar; preparing information packs for attendees; presenting "Let's Talk Legal" and "Legal Matters" presentation seminars on several areas of law, at various libraries in the Macarthur, Narellan, Oran Park, and Camden areas.
  • Family Relationship Centre ("FRC") Coordinator. Duties of which have included: general daily correspondence with the several FRCs Macarthur Legal Centre partners with; conflict checking referrals for legal advice appointments and Legally Assisted Mediations; organising and assigning Legally Assisted Mediations, weekly advice sessions and referrals amongst myself and fellow Macarthur Legal Centre FRC solicitors; assisting clients in Legally Assisted Mediations at the several Family Relationship Centres Macarthur Legal Centre partners with in different modes such as face-to-face, via AVL and telephone; attending Campbelltown FRC for face-to-face legal advice appointments; attending FRC Meetings with the Principal Solicitor.
  • Volunteer Coordinator. Duties of which have included: supervising volunteer solicitors and students during weekly legal advice sessions; coordinator of weekly Thursday afternoon advice sessions; coordinator and organiser of advice session rosters for volunteer solicitors and students; conducting interviews with potential volunteer solicitors and students, draft interview summaries and make a recommendation to the Principal Solicitor; organising and conducting extensive orientation/induction sessions with new volunteer solicitors and students; organising and presenting volunteer student training days; supervising both student volunteers and solicitor volunteers; mentoring volunteer students and newly admitted volunteer solicitors.
  • Lecturing/Teaching
  • Western Sydney University Criminal Law Domestic Violence Module which included: presenting and teaching Criminal Law students about domestic violence and Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders; providing real-life examples of domestic violence cases to students and answering questions; organising and running activities for the students; meeting students at Court and providing an introduction to the Domestic Violence Court and briefing students on Court etiquette, etc.
  • Run and teach a Pro Bono Law subject at Australian Catholic University with fellow Macarthur Legal Centre colleagues which included: drafting and presenting legal presentations; supervising students and answering questions.
  • Judge at the ALSA Client Interviewing Competition which included: assessing and providing feedback to law student client interviewing teams; grading law student interviewing teams.
  • Culturally and Legally Assisted Family Dispute Resolution for Separated CALD Families Experiencing Domestic Violence Program ("CALA program"). Duties of which included: attending various meetings with Bankstown Family Relationship Centre Management to discuss applying for a grant to participate in the CALA program; drafting the tender for a joint submission with Bankstown Family Relationship Centre; attending monthly meetings at Bankstown Family Relationship Centre to discuss the development of the CALA program; attending monthly and weekly training for the CALA program; drafting documents, forms, etc. specifically for the CALA program; acting as a co-mediator in Trauma Informed CALA program mediations; participating, as a senior solicitor, in Trauma Informed CALA program mediations; keeping an extensive record of Macarthur Legal Centre participation in the CALA program.
  • Participant solicitor in the NSW Legal Aid Family Dispute Resolution Pilot Program.
  • Western Sydney University Clinical Legal Placement ("WSUCLP") Manager. Duties of which included: attending Macarthur Legal Centre meetings to discuss and plan the WSUCLP; drafting activities for the WSUCLP students to complete whilst they are in the office. Activities included several case studies in different areas of law for students to write a letter of advice to the client, a court report and review, etc.; conducting orientation/induction sessions for WSUCLP students on a weekly basis; supervising and managing WSUCLP students; providing the Western Sydney University Clinical Legal Placement subject coordinator with written feedback and a performance review for each WSUCLP student; drafting a review of the Clinical Legal Placement subject as requested by the Western Sydney University Clinical Legal Placement coordinator.
  • Macarthur Legal Centre Social Media Manager. Duties of which included: establishing an official Macarthur Legal Centre Facebook page, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn Account; posting events, photos, advice session details, upcoming Community Legal Education information, etc. on the Macarthur Legal Centre Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages; monitoring comments made by the public on the Macarthur Legal Centre Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages; monitoring and replying to messages received through the Macarthur Legal Centre Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages.
  • Manager of Macarthur Legal Centre's 30th Anniversary Celebrations. Duties of which included: attending regular meetings with MLC Management to discuss the Centre's 30th Anniversary events; drafting proposals for different events and present the proposals at committee meetings; liaising with Macarthur Legal Centre Management to compile an official invite list including special guests; designing, organising and sending out official invitations to the event; organising, managing, and participating in fundraising stalls and donation requests; planning, organising and managing everything required for the 30th Anniversary celebration event which took place Friday, 03 November 2017; designing, organising and posting out "Thank you" cards to those who attended the event and/or made a donation.
  • Interviewer of several applicants for Macarthur Legal Centre Generalist Solicitor; Domestic and Family Violence Solicitor; and Domestic and Family Violence Financial Counsellor positions and prepare lengthy summaries of each interview for the Principal Solicitor's perusal.
  • Co-interviewer of the Macarthur Legal Centre Children's Court Assistance Scheme worker job applicants.
  • Co-interviewer of the Macarthur Legal Centre Aboriginal Legal Access program worker job applicants.

Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner Placement

Bankstown Family Relationship Centre
05.2016 - 11.2016
  • Completed my Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner Placement under the supervision of a Senior Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.
  • Conducted pre-intake assessment appointments with Party A and Party B to a dispute.
  • Conducted risk assessments during each pre-intake assessment.
  • Completed the necessary pre-intake assessment documents and notes.
  • Conducted Family Dispute Resolution sessions as a co-mediator.
  • Completed more than the required number of hours for graduation and registration as a Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner.

Practical Legal Training / Paralegal

Greenfield Lawyers and Barristers
03.2011 - 08.2011
  • Appeared at numerous Sydney Local Courts, District Court and Children's Courts for mentions.
  • Drafted submissions for Counsel.
  • Conducted extensive research.
  • Interviewed and took instructions from clients.
  • Prepared NSW Supreme Court Surety documents for both encumbered and unencumbered properties.
  • Prepared subpoenas.
  • Prepared general written correspondence and forms.
  • Administrative duties.

University Practical Subject Placement

NSW Legal Aid, Campbelltown Office
10.2009 - 11.2009
  • Interviewed clients.
  • Drafted various legal documents and forms.
  • Assisted a NSW Legal Aid Solicitor at the Campbelltown Children's Court.

University Practical Subject Placement

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
03.2008 - 11.2008
  • Prepared and organised briefs for the Crown Prosecutors.
  • Entered data into the CASES program utilised by the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
  • Assisted Crown Prosecutors as an Instructing Solicitor during trials.
  • Various administration duties.
  • Legal document drafting.
  • Interviewed victims and prepared Victim Impact Statements.

Education

Skills in Working with Male Family Violence

NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence
01.2018

Legal Practice Management Course

College of Law
10.2016

Graduate Diploma - Family Dispute Resolution Practice (FDRP)

College of Law, Sydney
12.2015

Predict, Assess and Respond to Aggressive/Challenging Behaviour

MTU Training Concepts
01.2015

CHCDFV301A Recognise and Respond Appropriately to Domestic and Family Violence

DV ALERT - Australian Government
01.2014

Master of Applied Law - Family Law

College of Law, Sydney
12.2013

Graduate Diploma - Legal Practice (GDLP)

College of Law, Sydney
01.2011

Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy)/Bachelor of Laws - BA/LLB

University of Wollongong
12.2009

Skills

  • High level of legal expertise
  • Strong negotiation skills
  • Strong effective communication skills
  • Strong problem solving skills
  • Strong legal document preparation and drafting skills
  • Strong leadership skills
  • Strong management and staff supervision skills
  • Strong analytical thinking and judgement skills
  • High level of verbal and written communication skills
  • High level of experience within the social justice and not-for-profit sector
  • Experience working with minority, socio-economically challenged and vulnerable groups
  • Legal research expertise
  • Dispute resolution skills
  • Staff development, training and mentoring
  • Teamwork and collaboration skills
  • Relationship building and networking
  • Staff assessment including performance evaluations/reviews
  • Public speaking
  • Program management
  • Attention to detail
  • Multitasking ability
  • Professionalism
  • Strategic planning
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Adaptability
  • Organizational skills
  • Reliability
  • Team collaboration
  • Advocate for social justice and change
  • Solicitor and volunteer student recruitment, training and supervision
  • Corporate/Business Social Media promotional skills
  • Designer of corporate/business promotional materials

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner (FDRP)
  • Accredited Mediator
  • Legal Practice Management Course
  • Master of Applied Law (Family Law)
  • The Law Society of New South Wales Unrestricted Practising Certificate (2011-present)
  • Admitted to the NSW Supreme Court as a Solicitor
  • Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice (GDLP)
  • Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy)/ Bachelor of Laws (BA/LLB)

Hobbies and Interests

Spending time with family, friends and my dogs, Cooking and experimenting with new recipes, Art and Design

Timeline

Assistant Principal Solicitor

Macarthur Legal Centre
10.2023 - Current

Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner Placement

Bankstown Family Relationship Centre
05.2016 - 11.2016

Generalist Senior Solicitor

Macarthur Legal Centre
03.2012 - Current

Practical Legal Training / Paralegal

Greenfield Lawyers and Barristers
03.2011 - 08.2011

University Practical Subject Placement

NSW Legal Aid, Campbelltown Office
10.2009 - 11.2009

University Practical Subject Placement

Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
03.2008 - 11.2008

Legal Practice Management Course

College of Law

Graduate Diploma - Family Dispute Resolution Practice (FDRP)

College of Law, Sydney

Predict, Assess and Respond to Aggressive/Challenging Behaviour

MTU Training Concepts

CHCDFV301A Recognise and Respond Appropriately to Domestic and Family Violence

DV ALERT - Australian Government

Master of Applied Law - Family Law

College of Law, Sydney

Graduate Diploma - Legal Practice (GDLP)

College of Law, Sydney

Bachelor of Arts (Philosophy)/Bachelor of Laws - BA/LLB

University of Wollongong

Skills in Working with Male Family Violence

NSW Health Education Centre Against Violence

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Melissa Anne Jozwiak