Executive Committee

Justine Anderson is a civil litigation lawyer focusing on medical litigation and her practice includes gynaecological and obstetric cases, wrongful birth, cases involving pulmonary embolism, sepsis, adverse surgical outcomes and coronial inquires. Justine has a passion for women’s health which has been a constant theme in her practice.

Justine joined the WLANSW in February 2018 as a sub-committee member for the ‘Welcome to the Law’ sub-committee in its inaugural year. Justine was voted onto the Executive committee in November 2018 as an ordinary committee member, in 2020 she served as Secretary, in 2021-2022 she served as Vice President and in December 2022 was elected President. 2024 marks her last year as President.

Justine is passionate about the advancement of women in the law and women generally within our society; firmly believing that equality and diversity is something to be advocated for until those milestones are reached. Justine has a keen enthusiasm for the closing of the gender pay gap in the legal industry and for women more broadly. She wants to help foster a legal industry that is inclusive, diverse, equitable and supportive.

Allysha-Jane Merrett is a lawyer, and marriage celebrant.

Over the years Allysha-Jane’s legal practice and volunteer advice/mentoring roles have exposed her to not only the needs of women facing personal and domestic turmoil, and accessibility to the support of the legal system, but also to the unique opportunities and challenges facing women lawyers. Allysha-Jane is committed to explore opportunities for growth of the WLANSW and support women in the legal profession state wide.

Allysha-Jane served as Vice President on the WLANSW Executive in 2023. Allysha-Jane is excited to continue to serve on the WLANSW Executive in 2024 and to implementing the exciting developments the Executive has planned.

Jasmine Lai is a third year Bachelor of Laws/Psychological Science Student at the University of New South Wales. She has a strong interest in corporate and commercial law, particularly where cognitive psychology intersects with business and law. As a law student, Jasmine is passionate about contributing to the work of the Women Lawyers Association of New South Wales and the advancement of female law students and lawyers.

Rochelle is a Senior Legal Advisor at MinterEllison. She offers critical risk and compliance guidance and support to the Office of General Counsel, playing a key role in ensuring the firm’s commitment to the highest ethical and professional standards. Rochelle harnesses her expertise in governance, risk, and compliance (GRC). Before her tenure at MinterEllison, Rochelle was engaged as a Conflicts and Compliance Lawyer at Dentons. She was managing and resolving potential conflicts of interest and compliance issues, demonstrating her adeptness in navigating complex legal landscapes. Rochelle’s qualifications are robust, holding a Bachelor of Laws from Western Sydney University and Diploma in Accounting from TAFE. Additionally, she has enriched her professional development with certifications in Learning GDPR and GRC for the Cloud-Native Revolution.

A fervent advocate for the empowerment of women in the legal sector, Rochelle serves as the Treasurer of the Women Lawyers Association of NSW, where she actively contributes to advancing the role of women in the profession. Her core competencies are wide-ranging, including exceptional analytical abilities, proficiency in finance, project implementation and team management. Motivated by commitment to delivering outstanding legal services and cultivating a culture of integrity, diversity, and innovation, Rochelle is driven to make a significant impact within the legal community.

Renée Bianchi is a barrister at 13th Floor St James Hall Chambers, having been called to the Bar in 2013 after practising as a solicitor in private practice for five years.

Renée joined the Executive Committee of the Women Lawyers Association of New South Wales in November 2018 as a general Committee member, becoming Vice President in November 2019 and was President from 2020-2022. As the incoming President, she introduced the first Strategic Plan for the Association, continued the work for the advancement of women within all facets of the legal profession and the community, and increased the profile of WLANSW by way of advocacy and by having an active social media presence, particularly as WLANSW celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2022.

Renée is currently the Co-vice Chair of the Women Barristers Forum and Vice President of the Australian Women Lawyers (AWL), as well as the AWL delegate to the Law Council of Australia’s Equal Opportunity Committee. She is also the Chair of the B Miles Women’s Foundation.

Renée is a past Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Young Lawyers Committee (October 2016 – April 2019) and was the President of NSW Young Lawyers in 2016. She is also a past member of the NSW Bar Association’s Diversity and Equality Committee (July 2020 – June 2023) and past Council Member of the National Council of Women of NSW (November 2019 – February 2023).

Doyle’s Guide has listed her in its Wills and Estates Litigation Leading Lawyers list since 2016. Renée graduated from the University of Newcastle with a Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Honours) and a Bachelor of Laws/Diploma of Legal Practice.

Jenna Georgopoulos is a Senior Associate in Mills Oakley’s Family Law Team. She specialises in a wide range of family law matters, including; property matters involving asset pools with multiple corporate and trust structures and high-net-worth clients, parenting matters involving serious allegations of family violence, complex mental health concerns and high conflict parenting arrangements, child support and spousal maintenance.

Jenna is also a Member of the Australian Association of Collaborative Professionals (AACP) which focuses on resolving disputes collaboratively and constructively without resorting to litigation.

Prior to her current position, Jenna was a Legal Associate to a Division 1 Judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and also previously worked at the Crown Solicitors’ Office in the Child Protection Team.

Jenna has a strong commitment to the practice of family law and women in the legal profession. She is excited about joining the 2024 WLANSW Executive Committee and working with its Members to develop and support initiatives for women to advance their professional opportunities in the law and encourage greater collaboration amongst young female lawyers.

Delphine Rabet-Bray is a family lawyer at KMJ Family Law, a women-led boutique law firm in Sydney.
Delphine considers that women continue to be structurally disadvantaged by comparison to their male counterparts in the law and she enthusiastically supports the efforts of the WLA to promote gender equality and women’s full engagement in the legal profession while respecting women’s specific needs and wishes.
Being a member of the LGBTIQ+ community, Delphine is also aware of the intersectional issues faced by women in the law and this awareness informs her commitment to the WLA.
In her free time, Delphine enjoys being outdoor, reading French (mostly) philosophy and mocking around with her two young sons.

Asiya is a graduate of the University of New South Wales, holding a Juris Doctor degree, and joined the Executive Committee of the WLA NSW in 2023 where she currently serves as Co-Chair of the Diversity, Inclusion, Equity and Leadership Sub-Committee.

Asiya has experience in both criminal and family law and completed a research thesis on comparative succession law.

Her experience as a criminal lawyer has seen her appear in many high-profile matters in NSW, whilst her position held as an Associate at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has allowed her to understand the importance of court processes and access to justice.

Being a mother to two young children, Asiya is passionate about supporting women in the profession. She hopes to see an increasing number of diverse women in the legal profession reflected at both the bar and the bench.

Clarissa Sempel is a Commercial and Employment Lawyer at Our Lawyers, in Mittagong and Picton. Clarissa is passionate about providing support in all walks of life and being able to build connections and growth of those around her, particular as a regional lawyer. She is well aware of the demands juggling “home” duties that come with a strong family commitment, working full time, and studying. For that reason, Clarissa often advocates on work-life balance and understanding mental health of colleagues.

Clarissa is also the Vice-Chair of the Wollongong Regional Chapter, Immediate Past President of JCI Australia, and takes part in local grass root organisations that benefit and support her community.

As a lawyer working in the Southern Highlands and Wollondilly, Clarissa is looking to support the growth of regional lawyers.

Yasmin Georgievska is a Family Lawyer at Legal Aid NSW.

Yasmin is dedicated to providing legal advice to those who lack access to legal services due to socio-economical barriers.

Yasmin is the vice-chair of the Women Lawyers Association Wollongong Chapter. Yasmin first became an executive member of the Wollongong Chapter in 2020, and enjoys volunteering her time towards the advancement of women within the legal profession and the community.

Yasmin is also an executive member of the Wollongong District Law Society.

Yasmin served on the WLANSW Executive in 2023 and is looking forward to serving on the WLANSW Executive in 2024

Hannah is an Associate in the Workplace Law & Culture Team at Bartier Perry Lawyers.

Prior to her Juris Doctorate and admission as a lawyer, Hannah worked in management consulting in Canberra, providing cultural change and project management to a wide range of private and public sector clients, with a focus on and in particular experience in advising on diversity and inclusion.

Hannah then re-qualified as a lawyer with a specific desire to work in employment and industrial relations law. She now has experience in a number of specialist workplace legal environments, including 18 months as an Associate to a Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission.

Currently, Hannah enjoys drawing from her previous experience to work closely with clients to provide day to day HR and workplace advice and risk management, as well as resolving workplace disputes through mediation and advocacy.