Criminal Law Careers

In-person event

The Sydney Institute of Criminology will host a Criminal Law Careers Event on the 24th April, 12-2pm at the Sydney Law School. We welcome students interested in a career in criminal law practice to attend and learn more about the transition from University into criminal law practice, the requirements and role descriptions of junior positions with major criminal law agencies in NSW, and the benefits of criminal law practice.

The event will begin with a presentation by his Honour Judge Haesler SC who will speak to his own diverse career in criminal law, and avenues of practice for graduating students – as well as some practice tips. Following his Honour’s presentation, there will be short information sessions co-ordinated by representatives of various criminal law agencies (ODPP, ALS, LA, private practice, NSW BAR), during which speakers will address the topics above. Those attending will then have the opportunity to interact directly to the speakers, and ask questions about criminal law practice.

The event presents a fantastic opportunity for those interested in criminal law practice, hoping to learn more about practice roles and opportunities in NSW.

Speakers

• His Honour Judge A C Haesler SC (District Court Judge)

Andrew Haesler SC is a Judge of the District Court of NSW

Admitted to practice in 1981 Andrew worked as a Solicitor with the Redfern Legal Centre, in Alice Springs with the Aboriginal Legal Service and in Wollongong with the Legal Aid Commission.

Andrew was admitted to the Bar in 1990 practicing from Hargrave Chambers in Wollongong.  He volunteered at the Illawarra Legal Service and taught at University of Wollongong. He became the South Coast Public Defender in 1995 and later a Deputy Senior Public Defender. In 1999-2000 he was the Director of the Criminal Law Review Division of the NSW Attorney General’s Department.  He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2004 and a Judge of the District Court of NSW in 2010. Since 2016 he has been the permanent list judge at Wollongong.

Andrew has presented and had published, many papers, on a variety of topics concerned with criminal law and advocacy.

• Miiko Kumar (Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor)

Miiko Kumar is the Deputy Senior Crown Prosecutor for Sydney West (which covers Parramatta, Campbelltown, Penrith, Katoomba and Bathurst). Miiko appears in significant and complex trials and appeals. Miiko was an Acting Deputy Director for the first part of this year.

From 1996, Miiko lectured in evidence for the University of Sydney. Miiko was an Advisory Committee Member and Consultant on the ALRC’s review of the Evidence Act. Miiko received the 2022 DPP Excellence Team Award for her training on domestic violence to police prosecutors and the 2019 DPP Excellence Team Award for her prosecution of historical child sexual assault involving Aboriginal complainants and an Aboriginal offender.

Miiko is the Deputy Chair of the NSW Bar Association’s Human Rights Committee. Since 2016, she has been an Assistant Editor of the New South Wales Law Reports. Miiko is the Chair of the ODPP’s Implementation Committee for the Child Sexual Offence Evidence Program.  She is also the Co-Chair of the Crown Prosecutors’ CPD Committee. Miiko is the Chair of the ODPP First Nation’s Mentoring Program.

• Robert Hoyles (Legal Aid, Director Criminal Law NSW)

Rob is the Director of Criminal Law for Legal Aid NSW. He is an accredited specialist in criminal law and holds an Executive Master of Public Administration from ANZSOG. He has previously held many roles within Legal Aid NSW including Deputy Director, EAGP Project Lead and Solicitor in Charge of a Sydney Indictable Team. He was the inaugural Solicitor in Charge of Legal Aid NSW’s Port Macquarie office and previously worked as criminal defence lawyer in Sydney private practice, with the Aboriginal Legal Service and in four regional Legal Aid NSW offices. He commenced his career as Researcher of NSW Court of Appeal. He is presently appointed to the NSW Law Society’s Criminal Law Committee, Ethics Committee and Specialist Accreditation Advisory Committee for Criminal Law. In 2008, he represented Australia in the Lawyers Cricket World Cup in Hyderabad, India.

• Steven Rees (Aboriginal Legal Service)

Steven Rees is a Senior Trial Advocate for the Aboriginal Legal Service. Completing his LLB at UTS in 2007, Steven was admitted as a solicitor in 2008 before starting at Legal Aid NSW in 2009 and the Aboriginal Legal Service later that year. His practice primarily consists of District Court trials and sentences, Coronial Inquests and complex Local Court hearings.

Other practitioners present

• Adam Booker (Private bar)
• Benjamin Hart (Private bar)
• Talitha Hennessy (Crown prosecutor)
• Timothy McKenzie (Private bar)
• Harriet Skinner (Trial advocate Wollongong ALS)

Schedule

12pm – Information desks
1pm – Presentation by his Honour Judge Haesler SC
1.45pm – Presentations by other speakers
2.30pm – Information desks resume
3pm – Event concludes

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Monday 24 April 2023

Time: 12-3pm AEDT

Venue: Law Foyer, Level 2, New Law Building (F10), Eastern Avenue, Camperdown campus

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This event is proudly hosted by the Sydney Institute of Criminology at The University of Sydney Law School.