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NJP increasing capacity for First Nations communities to seek justice
The National Justice Project has welcomed two new Indigenous trainee lawyers as they continue to expand capacity for First Nations communities to seek justice.
Tony Zhang
The two new Indigenous trainee lawyers – Lauren Davies and Megan Krakouer – have recently commenced their 12-month traineeship with NJP.
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The NJP’s latest recruits have been appointed for one year as part of the NJP First Nations Youth and Health Justice Lawyer Traineeship Program that is designed to begin to address the chronic shortage of Indigenous health and youth justice law practitioners within First Nations communities.
“After Lauren and Megan have completed their traineeships and become fully trained human rights lawyers, we will welcome an additional two trainees,” NJP told Lawyers Weekly.
“Thanks to a funding initiative from a charitable foundation we have secured employment for two years for four First Nations trainee lawyers over two years. As mentioned, the first of these, Lauren and Megan (below), are up and running and working despite lockdown and widespread job losses. Both are exceptional legal talents.”
Ms Davies is a member of the Gomeroi and Ngarabal nation and is based in Sydney.
She has previously worked in criminal law at Shopfront Youth Legal Centre, Macquarie University as well as in the police practice team at Redfern Legal Centre along her depth of experience and understanding around police, prisons and youth services.
Ms Krakouer is a member of the Mineng Noongar nation and a mother of three from Mt Barker.
She is working from Perth where there is a desperate need for legal assistance in youth and health justice.
Ms Krakouer has a long working history with a particular focus on the most marginalised of her First Nations peoples according to NJP.
Prior to joining NJP Ms Krakouer spent several years with the Knowmore Legal Centre contributing to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and she visited 27 adult prisons and 30 First Nations communities across three states.
She also worked for two years as a crisis responder in suicide postvention with the National Indigenous Critical Response Service and the National Suicide Prevention and Trauma Recovery Project.
NJP said that a recent Law and Justice Foundation survey, estimated 50,000 First Nations people are in need of health justice services around Australia and as can be seen from recent events there is an extensive need in the area of youth justice and police accountability also.
“This training program is specifically designed to increase the capacity of First Nations communities to undertake human rights work, with a focus on health, police, prisons and youth services,” NJP told Lawyers Weekly.
“Megan and Lauren are already working with our legal team, undertaking youth and health justice casework. The idea is they will take the skills that they learn with the National Justice Project and apply them in their own communities working with local partner organisations.”
